# Getting back into theatre after 4 year absence



## Dustincoc (Nov 10, 2012)

I graduated with a technical theatre degree in '08, then moved back home and have spent the last 4 years either working as a handyman or unemployed. I've sporatically looked into getting back into thaeatre but their isn't any work locally and any resumes I've sent out get no response.


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## Footer (Nov 10, 2012)

Where in NY are you? I have a posting up right now and never saw your resume'....


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## Dustincoc (Nov 10, 2012)

Footer said:


> Where in NY are you? I have a posting up right now and never saw your resume'....



Canton-Potsdam Area.
I'm getting ready to apply for position in Saranac Lake right now.


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## Footer (Nov 10, 2012)

Dustincoc said:


> Canton-Potsdam Area.
> I'm getting ready to apply for position in Saranac Lake right now.



At the Pendragon? Good luck, that job seems like it is a massive bear. Would love to live up there, it is Whiteface adjacent after all. Be sure to send a resume to Creative Stage Lighting in North Creek and Adirondack Scenic in Argyle. Your biggest issue your going to have is there is very little going on in your area of the Adirondacks. In order to find real work, your going to have to move at some point.


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## Dustincoc (Nov 10, 2012)

Footer said:


> At the Pendragon? Good luck, that job seems like it is a massive bear. Would love to live up there, it is Whiteface adjacent after all. Be sure to send a resume to Creative Stage Lighting in North Creek and Adirondack Scenic in Argyle. Your biggest issue your going to have is there is very little going on in your area of the Adirondacks. In order to find real work, your going to have to move at some point.




Yeah, the TD position at the Pendragon. After what I did in college, most any job seems small.

The thing that's confusing me is why they want both a Resume and a CV.


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## MPowers (Nov 11, 2012)

Dustincoc said:


> ....... After what I did in college, most any job seems small.The thing that's confusing me is why they want both a Resume and a CV.



Dustin, I hate to break it to you, but after you've worked a couple of jobs in the real world, you'll realize that everything you did in college combined, was the "small" job. When your resume is the same length as now but Niagara U. is only one line instead of everything you've ever done, then you can talk about "small" jobs. Don't let the "small" job attitude show at job interviews, it will put you in the reject line before you know it. 

As to the CV plus the resume. They are two totally different documents and the longer you are in the work place the greater the difference. A resume tells WHAT you've done, a CV tells WHO you are. If a company is looking for someone who will be there for several years, not just a summer or a season, then the CV is more relevant. 

While we're talking about resumes, a little bit of well meant advice. Your resume lists the positions you've held and the name of the shows, but what are your skills? As a prospective employer, I really don't care which shows you've worked on, I care about what your skills are and what you can do. Can you draft? What method, ACAD, Vector Works....Old fashioned pencil and paper? Do you have metal working skills, experience in rigging, motion control, what level of carpenter are you, Cabinet maker or framing level? Can you paint? If so general techniques like scumble and wet blend or do you have scenic skills? As an electrician, can you program movers or build shop orders? Can you trouble shoot electrical circuits, electronic circuits? Can you do a 600 amp tie in? 

Don't list every individual show you've been head carpenter or board op on, just list that you were head Carp on X number of shows. From your resume I can't tell if your head carpenter work meant sitting at a desk and making work schedules or if you were in the shop swinging a hammer. What did you DO? List special projects and what you did to create the work. Did you write the logic control program for the turntable? Did you design or build the gearing or the friction drive to turn it? If you worked on a production of "Company", as a prospective employer, I'm more interested in whether you designed or engineered or built the elevators for the show, head carp or board op as just titles..... couldn't care less. BTW, with your experience level you should be looking for entry level jobs, not TD except at very small theatres. Last but not least, Pay attention to small details in your resume, CV and cover letter. For example, on you resume, make your columns line up so all the entries in a column fall directly above or below the next. It looks like you don't have an eye or concern for detail. Also pay attention to spelling. In your OP you mis spelled "Theatre" of all words and used their instead of there. We just hired two full time Sound Techs and in the initial weeding out period, things like that often made the difference between candidates moving into the interview or reject piles.

I don't mean this as a put down, just a reality check and hopefully some good advice. Good Luck!


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## Footer (Nov 11, 2012)

Dustincoc said:


> Yeah, the TD position at the Pendragon. After what I did in college, most any job seems small.
> 
> The thing that's confusing me is why they want both a Resume and a CV.



They are all about the art and all about touring those shows to places that don't get touched by the big guys. The executive director of my current gig cut his teeth booking shows up there. It is not a bad place, but it is about the art. Therefore, they want to know what you are like as an artist... and that is what a CV is all about. 

Also, Mpowers pretty much summed it up, anytime I get a resume' I want to know what you are bringing to the table, not how many shows you have worked and what your title was for those shows.


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## Dustincoc (Nov 11, 2012)

MPowers said:


> Dustin, I hate to break it to you, but after you've worked a couple of jobs in the real world, you'll realize that everything you did in college combined, was the "small" job. When your resume is the same length as now but Niagara U. is only one line instead of everything you've ever done, then you can talk about "small" jobs. Don't let the "small" job attitude show at job interviews, it will put you in the reject line before you know it.
> 
> As to the CV plus the resume. They are two totally different documents and the longer you are in the work place the greater the difference. A resume tells WHAT you've done, a CV tells WHO you are. If a company is looking for someone who will be there for several years, not just a summer or a season, then the CV is more relevant.
> 
> ...



Since we're speaking in terms of construction carpentry, how should I describe a framing through finish level? I'm definitely not a cabinet-maker but can do all carpentry needed in an home renovation(framing through finish.)

I'm working on remedying the problem with the resume. My paper resume doesn't have this problem. The text box in the web site generator I'm using doesn't accept the TAB key so I have to line up the columns manually and the differences in letter width of the line up until that point make it impossible to get them lined up precisely. I've spent quite a bit of time trying to get them lined up.


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## Footer (Nov 11, 2012)

Dustincoc said:


> Since we're speaking in terms of construction carpentry, how should I describe a framing through finish level? I'm definitely not a cabinet-maker but can do all carpentry needed in an home renovation(framing through finish.)
> 
> I'm working on remedying the problem with the resume. My paper resume doesn't have this problem. The text box in the web site generator I'm using doesn't accept the TAB key so I have to line up the columns manually and the differences in letter width of the line up until that point make it impossible to get them lined up precisely. I've spent quite a bit of time trying to get them lined up.



Just post a PDF and a jpg of that PDF, that way it is easily downloadable as well. Your biggest issue with your resume' is not how the content is presented, it is the content you have. Having graduated in 2008 and having zero professional experience is a huge red flag for me. 

As far as listing the carpentry, listing it exactly how you wrote it above will work just fine.

Your at the point where if you want to get anywhere in the business, you are going to have to really dig to do it. Crawl artsearch and backstagejobs and apply for any job there is, no matter what it is. Without the summerstock experience you are behind most people that are graduating or just graduated. It is not going to be easy. There are a lot of people out there looking for work right now with great resume's.


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## chawalang (Nov 13, 2012)

Heres my 2 cents, after looking at your resume I would say which ever way you go you don't have the luxury of being picky with a possible gig. As it was mentioned before you don't have the summer stock experience so that puts you at a disadvantage, the fact you only have academic experience is not good. On the lighting end do you have any moving light experience either repair or maintenance? Your resume is vague on that it just says rebuilt damages/ neglected lighting units. Also I am to assume you have no experience on an industry standard console? I.E HOG Grand MA Martin M1, to a lesser extent ETC Ion? From the carp end do you have any rigging experience, this isn't listed on your resume, do you know how to tie knots I.E clove hitch bow line square knot? Do you have expereince with exotic materials, not wood or metal? Its good you can mig weld as long as your good at it you can get work. Any experienc with 3 phase power at all?

So my thoughts to get jump started would be to go to SETC or USITT, there are possibilities for work there, with your lack of real world experience i would recomend SETC first. There are opportunites there for summer stock, theme parks, some small touring and cruise ships. Keep in mind like what was mentioned before you don't have the luxury of being picky, you'll need to go wherever you'll be required of work is offered also I would have an excuse mentioned as to why you have this 4 year gap where you weren't in the industry, most important on that is to be honest.


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## Traitor800 (Nov 14, 2012)

Dustin, having gone to college in Potsdam, I can confirm that the pickings are slim in that area. And unfortunately since Susan and Bob retired from Pendragon earlier this year, I would recommend that you avoid Pendragon. Your only other option in the area might be the performing arts center in lake placid. I doubt they have a full time position open but I know they have an internship program or I'm sure they would take volunteers. They do a wide variety of events and you could use them to help build your resume if your not quite ready to move yet. And that is the only way that your probably going to find work in this industry, by moving. You don't have to go far, there's lots of theatre and entertainment companies within a 3 to 4 hour drive of you in places like Syracuse, the finger lakes, Vermont or as Footer has already pointed out the capital region.


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## Dustincoc (Nov 21, 2012)

*Finding Job Leads*

I haven't been around theatre much in a while and haven't really kept up on my connections. I'm wondering where to find job leads other than Backstagejobs.com. Artsearch doesn't have anything within 150 miles of me.


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## derekleffew (Nov 21, 2012)

*Re: Finding Job Leads*

At the bottom of the collaborative article Getting a Job in the Industry - ControlBooth is where we keep them. 

BUT, every professional will say that the best way to get a job is to KNOW someone. Network, network, network. If you're geographically disadvantaged, try using the Internet and social media. Has anyone gotten a job via contacts at ControlBooth? I suspect so, but can't cite any examples at the moment. Just be aware that, at some point, you will have to leave your house to actually perform work for which people will pay you. Still working on correcting that.


Dustincoc said:


> ... Artsearch doesn't have anything within 150 miles of me.


I guarantee there's some need for qualified technicians within 150 miles of <wherever it is you are> Potsdam? 
Is relocating not an option? You have to go where the work is; it won't come to you. (Again, working on correcting that; see above.)

.


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## Footer (Nov 21, 2012)

*Re: Finding Job Leads*


derekleffew said:


> I guarantee there's some need for qualified technicians within 150 miles of <wherever it is you are> Potsdam?
> Is relocating not an option? You have to go where the work is; it won't come to you. (Again, working on correcting that; see above.)
> 
> .



There is PLENTY of work in the North Country, however unless you are connected your not going to get those jobs. Your not going to find work where you are... it is just not there. You live what is essentially the middle of no-where... I grew up in one of those places... Derek did as well. You HAVE to go where the work is. If your tied to a location you get to deal with the jobs that are there. If you can move, you can shoot for the moon. The upstate NY scene is a pretty tight group. All of us know each other... all of us have worked with each other at some point. There is some real talent up here. Every shop if filled with people who cut their teeth in the city and now want to live in the mountains. Once again, like I said in the other thread, your going to have to move if you want to get anywhere. Find a job on backstage jobs or artsearch and just go for it. Apply to Mills Entertainment. Apply to Moscow Ballet. Apply to Albany Berk. Apply to Jacobs Pillow. Send resume's to Creative Stage Lighting, Atomic Pro Audio, and Adirondack Scenic. After that, send a resume' to anything you can anywhere in the country. If you have to stay in the north country, this industry is not for you.

APPLY TO THIS: 
http://backstagejobs.com/jobdetail.php?jobID=18654

The job is in the basement of my building.


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## Dustincoc (Nov 27, 2012)

*Re: Finding Job Leads*


Footer said:


> APPLY TO THIS:
> BackstageJobs.com
> 
> The job is in the basement of my building.



I sent a Resume to them on the 11/20 concerning the ATD and Carpenter positions they had posted on their webbsite the 11/11. I got an email today offering an interview for the carpenter positions.


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## Les (Nov 27, 2012)

*Re: Finding Job Leads*


derekleffew said:


> Has anyone gotten a job via contacts at ControlBooth? I suspect so, but can't cite any examples at the moment.



Yep! I now work with fireworks, lasers, etc thanks to this post: http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/...effects-techs-sales-dallas-tx.html#post255925


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## Footer (Nov 27, 2012)

*Re: Finding Job Leads*


derekleffew said:


> Has anyone gotten a job via contacts at ControlBooth? I suspect so, but can't cite any examples at the moment.



I hired an audio guy via a person that I met here... and that led to another audio guy... so I guess two of my guys I found via CB... just 3 people removed.


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