Author Topic: What are you looking for in the next job>  (Read 8191 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

MatthewShiner

  • Forum Moderators
  • *****
  • Posts: 2478
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA, SMA
  • Current Gig: Freelance Stage Manager; Faculty for UMKC
  • Experience: Professional
What are you looking for in the next job>
« on: Apr 28, 2013, 02:29 am »
So, for the first time in my professional career, I am assisting.  [I love a lot about assisting, especially on my current gig where I am part of a large team, working on a project that it quite a bit different then my norm.]  But at the end of the day, assisting may not tick off all the boxes I need for job fulfillment, and this company may not give me everything I need.

So, I have been thinking about what I want out of an ideal job.

My list is as follows . . .

Living Wage
Benefits (Insurance, etc)
A Positive, Upbeat Company/Producer/GM
The ability to be challenged / learn new things
The ability for forward career advancement (this is a hard one) – either within the company, or, in general, does taking this job move me to the next logical step in my career.
The feeling I am respected / valued in the team
Quality of Life Issues – what is my life going to be like if I work this job
Personal satisfaction – am I going to be satisfied if I take this job.
Good Creative Team (director, choreographer, designers) – good as in talented, followed by positive, upbeat personalities
Good Technical Team (other SMs, technicians, department heads)
Good Project / Quality of the Project / Artistic Merit of the Project
The ability to find success in the position given the resources available
Working on a high profile project  (this is my vanity - but also, will I be proud to say I am working on this project)

It's odd when I type them out, I realize how lucky I have been throughout my career.


What are things you aim to have in the next job you want to take?



- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Anything posted here as in my own personal opinion, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of my employer - whomever they be at a given moment in time.

Jessie_K

  • Superstar!
  • *****
  • Posts: 528
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
    • International Stage Manager of Mystery
  • Affiliations: AEA, AGMA, SMA (on leave)
  • Current Gig: Queen of the Night
  • Experience: Professional
Re: What are you looking for in the next job>
« Reply #1 on: Apr 28, 2013, 04:01 am »
As I happen to be job-seeking, I have given this a LOT of thought lately.  I've reached a certain level in my career where I am wary of taking a job that could be a "step back."

Many of my needs are similar to Matthew's  and I also need to consider the needs of my partner (which is tough because he is not a U.S. citizen) so I am mostly looking for international tours that hopefully we can both work on.  If I were to move back to the US, the job would have to be pretty sweet (money-wise and location-wise) to justify going through the paperwork hassle to get him over.

I have no issue assisting or being the HOD and am focusing more on the type of project (large-scale) versus whether I am in charge or not.

My ideal project would involve an international cast/crew/company as I particularly enjoy speaking different languages and learning new things.

iamchristuffin

  • Permanent Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 270
    • View Profile
    • www.christuffin.co.uk
  • Affiliations: UK SMA, UK Equity
  • Experience: Professional
Re: What are you looking for in the next job>
« Reply #2 on: Apr 28, 2013, 12:31 pm »
Right now, in the position I am in (both career-wise and financially), I'd simply be happy in a long-term or permanent job with a decent salary (£25k+) and some scope for progression.

I'm currently writing the application for my dream job, and it's the hardest one I've ever done. The questions aren't difficult, I'm just so conscious of not getting them 'right'.

ARGH!

Maribeth

  • Superstar!
  • *****
  • Posts: 1056
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA
  • Experience: Former SM
Re: What are you looking for in the next job>
« Reply #3 on: Apr 28, 2013, 12:55 pm »
A lot of mine are also on your list, Matthew. My primary wants are a job that is challenging/that I can grow in, and feeling respected and valued within the organization/team. Also, I want to work where I feel supported during the process. When I first started SMing, I thought this was a matter of working at organizations with a lot of resources (money, personnel, etc). But I've worked at larger organizations that don't do this well, and smaller organizations that really make the effort to really support me and the rehearsal process. Given the choice, large or small, I'll pick the organization that supports me.

Aerial

  • SM Expert
  • ****
  • Posts: 199
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA, SMA
  • Current Gig: The Winter's Tale, Gamm Theatre
  • Experience: Professional
Re: What are you looking for in the next job>
« Reply #4 on: Apr 30, 2013, 11:09 pm »
A lot of mine are also on your list, Matthew. My primary wants are a job that is challenging/that I can grow in, and feeling respected and valued within the organization/team. Also, I want to work where I feel supported during the process. When I first started SMing, I thought this was a matter of working at organizations with a lot of resources (money, personnel, etc). But I've worked at larger organizations that don't do this well, and smaller organizations that really make the effort to really support me and the rehearsal process. Given the choice, large or small, I'll pick the organization that supports me.

I am also finding this increasingly important in my decisions. 

loebtmc

  • Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 1574
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA, SAG, AFTRA, SMA
  • Current Gig: Caroling, caroling now we go — and looking for my next gig!
  • Experience: Professional
Re: What are you looking for in the next job>
« Reply #5 on: May 01, 2013, 02:40 am »
Those are my goals too, but for the moment, I am happy to have a contract with health weeks!

Catastrophyc

  • New to Town
  • **
  • Posts: 6
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Current Gig: Brevard Music Center - Chamber Series SM
  • Experience: Professional
Re: What are you looking for in the next job>
« Reply #6 on: May 01, 2013, 10:06 am »
My wants are extremely similar to what everyone else has posted, but I also have to do a lot of compromising due to my inexperience. Right now I have two must-haves with the jobs I am applying for: 1. Pays in some capacity 2. Will allow me to learn and grow.

ejsmith3130

  • SM Expert
  • ****
  • Posts: 155
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: EMC
  • Current Gig: Coordinating a Move to Napaskiak AK- Harder than any show I've ever done!
  • Experience: Professional
Re: What are you looking for in the next job>
« Reply #7 on: May 10, 2013, 10:54 am »
I am at a point right now, several years out of undergraduate that I am really craving some sort of stability in my next job. It is exhausing to be continuously looking for work and pulling 70 hour work weeks with my day job and theatre. I have some really exciting prospects that would give me the ability to give up my day job and work exclusivly in theatre for the first time (outside of the time when I was living with my parents.)

Ideally I would like to find a company that I could call 'home'. I have grown close to the company that I have been working with this year, and really realize how important that is to me- more so than the notariaty or prestige of the company. I want to love the people that I work with. It makes a world of difference to me psycholgically.

Melissitchka

  • New to Town
  • **
  • Posts: 22
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
    • brokeGIRLrich
  • Affiliations: SMA
  • Current Gig: SM/LD
  • Experience: Professional
Re: What are you looking for in the next job>
« Reply #8 on: Jun 10, 2013, 01:37 am »
I would love to just not have to travel for work. I've spent the last year living on a train and the five before that living on a cruise ship. I wouldn't trade these experiences for anything, but they have pretty severely limited my contacts to just other people who work cruise ships and circus. I really miss theater - it could be straight plays or musicals.

I think my dream job would be to PSM for a residential company - preferably in or near the tristate area, so I could actually see my family and friends once in a while - that pays a living wage. 
Cruise Ship Livin' Perk: A Whole Lot of Travel Stories - http://worldsherpa.wordpress.com/

Ladytatooine

  • New to Town
  • **
  • Posts: 20
    • View Profile
    • http://360.yahoo.com/
Re: What are you looking for in the next job>
« Reply #9 on: Jun 20, 2013, 08:27 am »
I'm with you, Melissitchka - travel would be wonderful and having my home base in Fort Lauderdale, FL would be ideal (family here.) I'm working odd jobs and not a lot of theater because there is no living wage for theater in this part of the state. So, yeah, traveling for a show/gig, then coming home and then traveling again for work and then coming home - gaining more experience as an SM - that would be my dream.

Melissitchka

  • New to Town
  • **
  • Posts: 22
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
    • brokeGIRLrich
  • Affiliations: SMA
  • Current Gig: SM/LD
  • Experience: Professional
Re: What are you looking for in the next job>
« Reply #10 on: Jun 21, 2013, 04:14 pm »
Lady, seems like you might actually like working for somewhere like a cruise ship then. You should check out some of their websites to see what their employment requirements are.
Cruise Ship Livin' Perk: A Whole Lot of Travel Stories - http://worldsherpa.wordpress.com/

 

riotous