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Employment / How to give a recommendation?
« on: Feb 23, 2015, 12:33 pm »
I'm being contacted by other companies that ask, "Is there anyone you know that's available?" Sometimes though, their question is "Have you worked with X? Would you recommend them?" Unfortunately I can count the number of SMs I'd wholeheartedly recommend on one hand, the talent pool here is just that limited. But I don't want to come out and say "For the love of god, PLEASE don't hire this person, they're just too green for your needs." Legally that's a no-no.
If I'm unsure I'll usually ask what type of production it is (plays are better for brand new SMs), what their specific needs are (ex: someone familiar with The Nutcracker though it was a reimagining), what skill set they require (ex: QLab), those kind of questions. Are there any other things I should do or questions I should ask? I like being a helpful resource to these companies, and in my mind if the bar is raised across the board it benefits the whole community. I don't want to send over a terrible SM and have them doubt my recommendations.
If I'm unsure I'll usually ask what type of production it is (plays are better for brand new SMs), what their specific needs are (ex: someone familiar with The Nutcracker though it was a reimagining), what skill set they require (ex: QLab), those kind of questions. Are there any other things I should do or questions I should ask? I like being a helpful resource to these companies, and in my mind if the bar is raised across the board it benefits the whole community. I don't want to send over a terrible SM and have them doubt my recommendations.