ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING

This was touched upon in Chapter 1, but is worth repeating. And that is— when you’re just starting out, It’s Not Your Talent That Everyone Is Going To Notice, It’s Your Attitude. At that stage in your brand new career, it’s not about talent, and no one is ever going to give a second thought to whether you might be too talented or too bright to be making the coffee—it’s all about paying your dues. Too few people grasp the concept of paying dues; and what’s worse, they’re rarely told they have to. Walking in unprepared and being faced with an indefinite future filled with menial tasks, some people become so totally disillusioned or adopt such a resentful attitude, they sometimes quit or are let go before they wake up and get it. And some are just never asked back. They think because they’ve been to film school and have won awards at film festivals, because they’re brimming with creative vision and energy, because they’re bright and ready to play with the big boys, they should be exempt from tedious daily duties, such as filing, answering phones, picking up lunches, keeping the office stocked with supplies or standing by a stage door for hours on end to make sure no one enters. Some think it’s perfectly okay for them to publicly criticize the people they’re working for, ask to leave early, make lengthy personal phone calls, text their friends during the day or whine about something they’d rather not do. Wrong!

You need to be the one who comes in early, stays late, works his butt off, is happy to help out—no matter the task, has a smile on his face, is pleasant to have around and becomes indispensible. Then, and only then, you become the person everyone likes having around—the one with the great attitude. You’ll be the person others will like and care to get to know better. And once they get to know you better, they’ll eventually discover that you’ve got talent. That’s how it works. It’s rarely instant.

BLOOM WHERE YOU’RE PLANTED

When his schedule allows, Jake Rice comes to my USC summer class to speak to my students. Jake is a post production exec who (in his spare time) makes his own short films. He brings with him an aura of contagious passion, a can-do spirit, a love of the industry and just a lot of great advice. When he tells the class about his start in the business, he recalls the words of wisdom offered by a friend when he was just starting out. He was told: “bloom where you’re planted.” And in his own words, Jake adds: “be awesome all the time (because you never know who’s watching)!”

I have since learned that the quote “bloom where you’re planted” didn’t originate with Jake’s friend. Hard to believe, but it’s actually a biblical quote that eventually became a popular Mary Engelbreit phrase, so it’s been around for a very long time. And what it and “be awesome all the time” means to Jake and to me is that whether you’re asked to make the coffee run, carry boxes, answer phones, do some research or run errands—you need to be THE best coffee runner, box carrier, phone answerer, researcher, errand runner that anyone’s ever seen or worked with before—and one who is willing to do these seemingly menial tasks with a great attitude and a smile on your face. Being the one who can be counted on to enthusiastically take on a work task, give it your all and never complain is THE best way to get noticed and to move up. It’s also the best way to get those individuals you’re working for and with to think to themselves . . . “I want this person on my next show.”

If you can only remember one thing when starting any new position, it’s this: if you’re not awesome at the tasks you’re given, you’re going to be hard-pressed to get the chance to move up. And if you feel stuck in a lower-level position for longer than you think you should be, in a temp job or at an I’m-just-taking-this-till-I-can-find-what-I-really-want kind of job—be patient, and don’t forget to “bloom where you’re planted,” because there are just too many others standing in line waiting for their chance to prove their awesomeness. And remember—sometimes all it takes is one person who thinks you’re terrific to ignite your career and set it in motion.

I once had a student who continually came to class complaining about the voluminous piles of filing she was required to do as part of her internship. She hated filing. One evening I asked her if she complained about filing while at work, and she admitted she did. So I explained that it was time for a major attitude adjustment, or she’d never stand a chance of landing a real job at this company or of ever getting a positive recommendation from them. I told her to start singing a very different tune, one that conveyed the message that she loves filing. I told her to stop complaining (immediately), to adopt a positive attitude, to put a smile on her face, and whenever possible, to read the documents she was filing, so she could learn more about the business. She took the advice, and not long afterward, her entire internship experience changed and improved. And soon she was doing a lot more than filing.

No one is going to invest their time and interest in someone who has a bad attitude and complains, because when you whine or complain, it conveys the message that you don’t really want to be there, you don’t appreciate the opportunity you’ve been given and you’re not willing to pay your dues. Next!

Another of my students learned this lesson well, and when she went for an interview for a job as an editorial PA, the editing team she met with hit her hard with the harsh realities of the position (obviously wanting to weed out the faint of heart). They told her she’d be the one picking up the bagels and coffee each morning, to which she excitedly replied, “I love picking up bagels and coffee!” They warned her of the low salary, the long hours and the many deliveries she’d have to make, and she was absolutely fine with all of it. No matter what they threw at her, she came back with a positive response. She of course got the job, and the positive attitude along with her ability to become indispensible ultimately made her utterly irreplaceable.

IT’S A BUSINESS BUILT ON RELATIONSHIPS

It’s a theme that will be repeated in one way or another throughout the book, and for good reason. If you can’t grasp this concept, take it to heart and make it part of your life, you’ll be shortchanging your career.

People hire the people they like, they know and they can rely on. They hire people they would gladly spend 12–16 hours a day with for months on end. They hire and recommend their friends, acquaintances and people they want to help. When I’d need to hire someone on a production, I first asked those I had worked with before and had liked. If none of them were available, I’d ask my friends and colleagues for recommendations. If I still couldn’t fill an opening, I’d walk down the hall and ask someone from another production office for recommendations before I’d go through the resume pile. This is a common story: my friend’s husband went for an interview as a staff writer on a TV series after he had sent the producer samples of his work. After they had spoken for a while, he said to her: “I assume if you like my writing, I’ll be considered for the job.” And she replied: “If I like your writing and I like you well enough to have lunch with you every day for the next year—then you’ll be considered for the job.”

It’s natural for us to want to help our friends, to want to work with people we enjoy being with and can rely on. So it stands to reason that the more people who know you, the more people who like and want to spend time with you—the better your chances are of not only surviving, but thriving in this business. It takes a lot of time and effort to cultivate and hold on to our relationships, but hands down, it’s the people we meet and become friends with who are our best allies and the very best part of being in this business.

Forget about having to suck up to someone just because you think he or she can do something for you. And you certainly don’t have to be disingenuous or make everyone your BFF—but be pleasant and respectful to everyone, and help others whenever you can, because you never know where your next job or opportunity is going to come from! In fact, it’s most often not the person on the highest rung of the ladder who can help you the most. It usually turns out to be someone only one or two rungs above you. So just make it a rule to be nice to everyone—and by nice, I mean genuinely nice.

When you do connect with someone at work, at a social or work event, class or seminar—with someone you’ve interviewed with (even if you didn’t get the job)—stay in touch and nurture that relationship. I can’t tell you how fortunate I am to have a network of individuals who have changed my life in countless ways, people who have met with and mentored my students, come to guest speak at my classes, recommended me for jobs, helped connect me to other people I wanted to meet, provided vital information when I needed it, helped with one or more of my books, set up speaking engagements for me, have become close friends. And likewise, I do the same for them— willingly and gladly, every chance I can.

A long time ago, I took a relatively short-term job setting up and running a small unit on a show that had originated elsewhere. I stayed in touch and became friendly with the production executive on the project. Ten years later, he offered me a staff position—a terrific job I didn’t have to apply for or compete for—a job others would have killed for.

MAKING CONNECTIONS

The best way to forge a relationship with someone is to find what connects you—what you have in common. Each summer, at the start of my new USC class (and at classes I’ve visited at other schools), I engage the students in a networking game intended to discover what they have in common. One of the games we play is something I learned from my networking expert-friend, Heather Hale. I present the class with a large ball of yarn. I pick someone to start (Person #1) and toss the ball of yarn to her. She then begins to talk about her life: what kind of music she likes, the sports she plays, if she has any pets, how many siblings she has, what her hobbies are, the languages she speaks, what her favorite TV show is, where she has traveled, etc. When someone has something in common with her, he (Person #2) raises his arm, and Person #1 stops talking. She holds on to the end of the ball of yarn and tosses the rest of the ball to Person #2, so they become connected. Person #2 proceeds to talk about himself, and when someone has something in common with him (Person #3), Person #2 stops talking, holds onto a piece of the yarn and tosses the rest of the ball to Person #3, so they become connected (with each other and Person #1). And so it continues. A person can raise his or her hand more than once, and pretty soon, the whole class is connected by strands of pink yarn. It’s fun for us to see what we all have in common, and it’s a great way for the students to bond at the beginning of the term. Occasionally, I get a group who bond so tightly, it’s hard to get them to stop talking. BTW—if you’re ever tasked with running a group activity or class, this is a great ice-breaker to start off with.

You’re not going to meet a group of new people at a networking event or a conference, whip out a ball of yarn from your backpack and ask if anyone would like to play. But when you start talking to the people you’re meeting, you’re bound to discover that you have things in common. Before you know it, you’ve met someone who’s also a Comic-Con devotee, who comes from your home town, who’s a fellow Cubs fan, whose brother went to college with you—you never know what it’s going to be. The next step would be to express a desire to stay in touch, to exchange business cards, to connect online. This is a much more effective way to make a connection and possibly a friendship opposed to being that person who shows up at a networking event determined to shove a resume or screenplay at anyone he thinks could help him. See Chapter 16 for much more about networking and the building of relationships. Also in Chapter 16 is another networking game/ice breaker I call ‘Networking Bingo’—another exercise in discovering what a group of people have in common.

THE FIRST STEP

In Chapter 4, you’ll see that the top ingredient to a successful career is passion. But what do you do if you’re passionate on the inside but rather reserved on the outside? First of all, you have to start working on a new MO, because other people can’t read your mind. And there is no pill you can (safely) take that will make you visibly more passionate or endow you with a more enthusiastic attitude—attributes that will fuel your courage and propel you into this career. So if you’re one of those individuals who needs to venture outside of your comfort zone, how do you start the journey from shy to compelling—from mild-mannered to engaging? Easy—start with a smile :)

A few summers ago, my niece was in town visiting, and I took her to Universal City Walk one evening. At the very end of a long row of shops, restaurants and bigger-than-life neon signs, there was a street performer dancing the funk and interacting with the audience that had gathered around him. One of the many things this colorful character yelled out to the crowd was, “If you’re not smiling, put it on your to-do list!”

I couldn’t stop thinking about that sentence! After just having come off of my six-week teaching job at USC and having had a few very shy students, it struck me as exceptionally relevant. I figuratively beat my students over the head with messages like:

• Get involved.

• Ask questions.

• Be the first to say hello.

• Volunteer.

• Get out to meet people.

• Start building a network and creating relationships.

• Learn as much as you can about the industry.

• Have an opinion.

• Figure out what it is that makes you special.

• Find a way to stand out among your competition.

• Pitch yourself and/or your projects with confidence and excitement.

• Don’t sit in the corner behind the potted palm plant.

• Don’t slink down in your seat.

• Don’t stare at your feet.

• Don’t complain or whine.

• Don’t say you don’t know or it’s not your job.

• Be excited about working in this amazing industry.

• Be the one with the good personality and great attitude.

• Be the one others want to invest in, hang with, work with, have around.

• Be the one someone looks at and thinks: “Whatever it is that guy’s got, I want some!”

You might be able to function in other universes without much passion, but in this business, it’s an ingredient without which your career could lack its full potential. So stand in front of your mirror and practice smiling. It’s a great start.

PROVE THEM WRONG

Millennials are getting a bad rap these days, and some of it I’m afraid is rightfully deserved. The complaints I hear most often from others is that they feel entitled, lack a strong work ethic and lack “soft skills” (defined by the Oxford Dictionary as personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people).

A production coordinator-friend recently told me about a PA he had. He said no matter how many times he told the PA to call him when he finished a run, the young man texted him—refusing to use the phone. It wasn’t just his aversion to communicate by any other means but his blatant refusal to follow instructions that mystified my friend and got this young man fired.

A good majority of my students are millennials, and in the past few years, I’ve had a few who were full of excuses when they walked into class late, when an assignment wasn’t turned in or was incomplete. They felt they could talk their way into or out of anything, and as much as they may have enjoyed the course, they didn’t put much effort into it. What they couldn’t grasp is that their lack of effort was a bad habit, and if they didn’t break the cycle, it would be a huge detriment to their careers once they got out into the real world. Because chances are slim that any employer would cut them the slack they felt entitled to.

Back to soft skills. A bad habit I witness on a regular basis is the habitual use of texting and social media as a primary form of communication, frequently leaving young adults unable to effectively communicate in the real world. And OMG! When it comes to writing letters and memos at work or papers for school, those who constantly use “textese” or text chat abbreviations, often have trouble spelling, punctuating and even speaking using proper grammar.

I recently sat in on several interviews for an entry-level position at the film commission, and once each interview was completed, we gave the candidates a written test that included writing a simple memo. The two youngest contenders, who BTW were both full of bravado during their oral interviews, had incredibly poor writing and punctuation skills, which immediately eliminated them from consideration. My boss and I just assumed it was a result of too much texting.

The way you write and speak does matter. A poorly written cover letter could prevent you from even getting in the door. Poor grammar during an interview could eliminate you from consideration for a job. Using the word “like” too much could hurt your prospects.

So while you may not have learned what a proper letter format looks like while you were in school, it’s easy enough to find a template online. If you’re not sure which is proper grammar: “her and me” or “she and I”—you can look that up, too. The Internet is full of websites dedicated to proper grammar, how to properly address people and proper protocol for just about any situation.

As for your attitude and behavior—there’s nothing more important to your career. So if you’re a millennial who doesn’t feel entitled, does have a strong work ethic and soft skills and has a fairly good grasp of spelling, grammar and punctuation—don’t let anyone paint you with the same brush that has given others your age such a bad reputation. Prove them all wrong!