# Anyone interested in taking on a young intern for 2011?



## dsbresni (Jul 20, 2010)

Hi all,

Here are my specs:

Danielle, female 19 y.o.
Currently studying Stage Management, hoping to specialise in lighting, design and pyrotechnics (2nd year student) and University of Southern Queensland.
As part of our 3rd year studies we have to source secondment or intern opportunities to undertake, hence why i'm getting a kick start now.
I've had experience on about 10 different productions since 2008, and will be travelling to Essex from Oct 2010 - Jan 2011 and hopefully will be able to get some work experience over there as well.

Hit me up.

Cheers,
Dan


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## ship (Jul 20, 2010)

I note a difference in your origional post with that of the pole. The addition of that you are a Woman (Gee- you got different plumbing than a man) - as heard before also, and next to it a quote of, "get over it" in being very proper, "I'm a tech person". Difference in sex has no role in hiring and should not be part of this post in intitial probems it would seem hampering the concept of hiring you as first pesented or presented at all. So what, you are a girl, you are a lighting tech person looking for experience next summer as an overall concept.

Me, I prefer an all girl crew, not because I'm a guy but becase often when teaching power tool techniques, there is no I'm a guy pre-concieved notions. In lighting, there no differences. Heck, I'm married to a girl tech person. That said, can't say girls or guys as lighting tech people are more better at their job - both the same I think and it don't matter in hiring, firing or being directed from. Be sure that if you wind up working for my Wife for a summer... your age and sex won't matter... you are skilled labor in the end or not skilled in fighting her efforts to get shows out the door without your help. My wife is a "girl" technition, she runs the conventional fixture and follow spot prep. department. Has some touring with show experience, better at running a department for work in getting properly working gear out the door. She is perhaps as good or more so better than other guy department managers at doing this. Girl... get over it and not something to "I'm a girl" as if a note that I am or won't live up to your expectations.

You are a lighting technition. Loose the specs' were it pertains to you being female; 19 years old is ok persay, loose the study of stage management and more focus on the future job you want to get for at least a summer - lighting if that's what you want. Gotta focus on the goal to get it in leavin out what isn't important.

Also loose the "Hit me up" and find a different way to ask to be contacted.

Hope it helps

I note your above description as per excuse for hiring a woman as opposed to a man next year. Are you a skilled tech person or a "Woman" seeking employment? 

This is a bit early to send out such info and not really the proper place to send it to, but hopefully in the coming months you now have time to re-direct your efforts in getting your job. 


I hope I have inspired you a bit in this post.


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## dsbresni (Jul 21, 2010)

Inspired, not so much... I feel bombarded by cynicism, criticism and reality checks... Thank you for highlighting my incompetence, immaturity and lack of professionalism... The gender topic was slipped as I have come to understand some companies do show a gender bias when choosing technicians. I am still learning the best ways to apply and express my interest in the industry and felt this forum may have been the best way to associate with warm and welcoming members who wouldn't mind offering some helpful pointers, so thanks for putting me up against the wall and letting the firing squad loose.


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## photoatdv (Jul 21, 2010)

Ship, with all due respect, there ARE companies with a BIG bias. I've worked in shops and theatres that don't have a working women's crew bathroom (just a multi-person mens). Some are just old theatres that were built long ago, but some are newer and just never bothered to finish/maintain a womens!

I've also been in shops that have no female staff. In fact in one the guys treated me like I was purple and had 3 eyeballs or something! They also felt the need to keep asking if I was really the ME on show I was prepping... then when I said yes, they congratulated me!


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## Grog12 (Jul 21, 2010)

photoatdv said:


> In fact in one the guys treated me like I was purple and had 3 eyeballs or something!



Wait...you're not? ****it.


On a serious not just because this bias still exists in some places doesn't mean it should be perpetuated by a younger generation. A skilled technician is a skilled technician regardless of race creed or sex.


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## starksk (Jul 21, 2010)

Hi Danielle,

Welcome to CB! 

Sorry your first post didn't get off to a great start. When I first saw the title of the thread, I thought we were more likely to be talking about an 11 year old or other minor in the workforce.

I am not in a hiring position, but the answers to the following questions might help those who are.

When specifically are you looking to work? - You mentioned that you are travelling to Essex Oct-Jan, are you looking for something then or after that engagement is over?
Where are you looking to work? - Your profile says that you are based in Queensland, Australia. Are you looking for internships local to that area/country or are you looking for something outside of Australia? (i.e: US, Europe, etc...)
Are you looking for a paid or unpaid internship?
Anything specific that you are looking to do? (i.e.: Master Electrician, Moving Light Tech, Assistant to a Lighting Designer, Pyro Technician, coil cables, etc...)
Any company/company type you are looking to work for? (i.e.: Manufacturer, Dealer/Distributor, Venue, Summer Stock, etc...)

Depending on your answers, CB members may be able to point you in the right direction for opportunities and contacts.

_________________________
~Kirk


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## photoatdv (Jul 21, 2010)

Thanks Grog... are you implying I'm actually from outer space? My mommy said...


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## Grog12 (Jul 21, 2010)

photoatdv said:


> Thanks Grog... are you implying I'm actually from outer space? My mommy said...


 
You know what they say....


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## ship (Jul 21, 2010)

dsbresni said:


> Inspired, not so much... I feel bombarded by cynicism, criticism and reality checks... Thank you for highlighting my incompetence, immaturity and lack of professionalism... The gender topic was slipped as I have come to understand some companies do show a gender bias when choosing technicians. I am still learning the best ways to apply and express my interest in the industry and felt this forum may have been the best way to associate with warm and welcoming members who wouldn't mind offering some helpful pointers, so thanks for putting me up against the wall and letting the firing squad loose.


 
Sorry I didn't inspire and what I posted seemed as cynic critism or rality check. It absolutely was not intended to be so and I apologize for having let you feel I was hamiluating you, calling you incomptent, immature and in any way lacked pofessionalism. Instead, jumping the gun some but none of the above and in having the guts to reply in letting me know where I was wrong - I would say all of the reverse was true. No firing squad intended and I am mortified that I was so harsh in message, intent was not there.


I very much apologize for any unintended intimidation, harsh or rubbed the wrong way feelings my reply caused you and all the women of this forum. My reply was intended to be of help and more about editing in the norm of not mattering what sex you are I have always seen and hired from as a concept. I it would seem am very ignorant of problems still existing in the industry in never having seen or heard of them since the early 90's anywhere I know of. 

Minimum guidelines for employment are amongst others, the ability to lift 40 pounds. That’s necessary for employment in carpentry and lighting. Other than that, you get to where you get by way of your ability from what I can see. In attempting to help, I grossly failed to help and believe me, I am very sorry for having brought up what I noted in thinking it didn’t matter but it would seem at times it does come to play. 

I am also sorry for humiliating you it would seem in me mentioning the above thoughts of stating your sex didn’t matter and shouldn’t be mentioned. This by way of as said later, it at times does matter and limits your career.

Stand up on the other hand as your sex doesn’t matter, you are a tech person and your future is about education and where you take it in ability. Those companies that wouldn’t hire a woman, or those that make a woman feel estranged are not much of companies to learn from or advance your career with anyway. Given this we would hope they as a company and those in the company with such feelings go out of business and them working there get a job at a gas station. No place in this industry for sexism. I am sorry if in bringing up editing points this has caused unintended trauma for you - you are young and especially I’m sorry for bringing up a subject that in doing what you did was persay a way of doing it, but I also hope it brings up for you a concept that this is not the norm. In the industry, your sex does not matter, it is your ability that is useful.

Sorry again for having offended you and women of the forum, I did not think sexism, racists or gay/straight problems still existed in the industry. In the Chicago area I grew up and work in and have for almost 20 years now, I only knew of one instance of sexist employment policies and it changed in like 93' while I was there. Given this sort of tunnel vision of the employment world I live in, I thought it the same across the industry. Sorry for that and for an industry that has not grown up. I cannot imagine the rational for such policies these days. 

My public and personal apology for such situations as a guy and for my own having bought up details that I never thought could be a reality of your life. I hope you get the summer intern job, and know of many companies out there that as my initial statement said... it don’t matter. I’m a woman - get over it... now get to work.


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## ship (Jul 21, 2010)

photoatdv said:


> Ship, with all due respect, there ARE companies with a BIG bias. I've worked in shops and theatres that don't have a working women's crew bathroom (just a multi-person mens). Some are just old theatres that were built long ago, but some are newer and just never bothered to finish/maintain a womens!
> 
> I've also been in shops that have no female staff. In fact in one the guys treated me like I was purple and had 3 eyeballs or something! They also felt the need to keep asking if I was really the ME on show I was prepping... then when I said yes, they congratulated me!



For this I very much apologize for such shops and hiring practices. I also apologize in attempting to help in editing a resume type of thing that don't matter to me or anyone I know in being the case in some shops. It would seem my post was very ignorant to some parts of the industry and I was better off not posting. No due respect.. to be given or required, just as I don't accept "boss" from my new hire in title, we are tech people and we don't as fellow tech person require due respect when wrong. Thanks for setting me straight and helping to present an atmisphere I didn't know about in why such a post was presented how it was. My apologies for having found a problem with the post given there was perhaps reason for doing so well established but also a shame such a detail had to be presented.

My apologies and thanks for a very elequent post in helping me understand why I was wrong in posting what and how I did.


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## Les (Jul 22, 2010)

Speaking as someone who has been a member of this board for over six years and read many of ship's posts, I can confidently say that he meant no harm in his reply. In fact, this isn't normally the type of thread he contributes to. In reading between the lines, I can see where he was coming from, it's just that from experience, wording things like what he had to say can be pretty difficult so as to not offend the recipient. I'm also sorry that you took offense to it, but it can also be a little bit of a lesson. You have to be pretty tough (emotionally and physically) to be successful in this industry. When working in entertainment, one has a hard time avoiding criticism and reality checks on a pretty regular basis. Your being female may unfortunately compound the issue (I'm sure MrsFooter could comment on the matter).

The collaborative article Getting A Job In The Industry has been known to scare away technicians even more confident in their abilities than you or I.


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## ship (Jul 25, 2010)

Been years since that post. Often now easier now but same concept in lasting as a tourng person. Also millions in new gear spet these days for a tour. That and many tours leave with a few extra people in one to two of them will not make it on the tour. After that replacement pool is needed further - that of known people over anyone without a name in the industry.


Harsh post but real life in stuff I would change but overall an accurate picture even if years ago a look, still valid. This is a career one can have, just not something one can instantly achieve. And to thoese that keep studing - the better their career.

Recent intern asked why she could not re-wire some birdies for speaker wire. An hour later she understood certain concepts but in the end was no better educated than she should have been in school, or before my mention of reading books might have helped her. Often those on tour are very experienced and if not very well educated by way of further reading. Those on tour with experience, often have experience but different training than I would like. Those with education and further studies often are easier to train. Thanks, for the throw back to a few years ago and support of it shouldn't be a guy/girl type of thing in hiring and mostly it isn't, its more about the efforts to learn and maser one's career over that of sex or experince. 

Miss JoJo in keeping the forum balanced and fighting for what he thought correct. As seen in this - very vaild points.


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## Drmafreek (Jul 29, 2010)

The one question I would have is what dates you are looking at in regards to the internship. I just finished working with a summer company who interns their electrics positions but that is strictly summer work. In regards to September to May work I would suggest checking Backstagejobs.com and possibly Artsearch if you have a membership. If you are looking for summer work, I know of several places that will either intern you or hire you outright in lighting positions, so let me know.

**Edited cause I'm blind.


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