The 3 P's of Breaking In

Breaking in to the Business?  I happen to land my first entertainment job through a serious of connections, or in other words, by sheer dumb luck:  I was looking for my break in my field (human resources), answered a newspaper ad (remember those? yes, a newspaper ad) and just so happen to land in the Business.  I’ve been hooked ever since.

Through my years of meeting a vast audience of entertainment job seekers, I have noticed a few common qualities that make a future hire stand out.  These traits might sound cliché, but they are proven:

• PASSION:  I can’t tell you what a difference it makes to meet someone genuinely excited about their career and industry of choice.  Believe me, there is a difference in their demeanor, knowledge, etc.  Smile, engage, know your stuff!
• PATIENCE:  Know what you want and wait for the right move.  So many people take any job “to get their foot in the door” – sometimes it works and they get where they want eventually, but a lot of the time they get stuck in a dead-end role or career as a result of that miss-step.
• PERSISTENCE:  Take every meeting that is offered to you - you never know who, when, where that right opportunity will present itself to you.  Now, be careful – it’s one thing to be persistent, and it’s another to be obnoxious.  Know the difference.

In my humble opinion, these three “P’s” are the foundation to breaking in – build upon these and you will be on your way to a successful and fulfilling career in the industry.

Yours-

Ellen

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[Shara Karasic]

Laurie Lathem, a seasoned actor and writer, just wrote a series of guides to breaking into the entertainment business. Take a look, they are filled with insider tips:

Breaking Into the Film and Television Industries
http://www.work.com/breaking-into-the-film-and-television-industries-3024/
Breaking Into Acting
http://www.work.com/breaking-into-acting-3041/
Getting a Talent Agent
http://www.work.com/getting-a-talent-agent-3042/