One of the hardest challenges I have ever had was to establish a viable and sustainable career in the entertainment business. There is not much financial incentive to work in this field. The pay is low and the hours are long. There is great personal sacrifice as well; many holidays, family gatherings and birthdays can and will be missed due to the extensive travel that this job demands. I continually ask myself why I want to do this for a living. The answer is quite simple – I never work a day in my life.

Getting started in this business, means a successful person will have multiple employers over the course of a year. Each job or project is freelance and short term. At least that is the typical path and mentality that many technical theater graduates choose when first starting out.

Initially, jobs will pay very little and are used as professional experience and resume builders. Getting those first few jobs is quite difficult as a graduate. It is true in entertainment that who you know verses what you know will actually get you jobs. I knew practically no one and thought I knew a lot. As a result, I had little experience and no industry contacts. Many doors closed automatically because I had little more than a college degree. I sent out tons of resumes and received very few responses, this proved to be a frustrating experience. I wanted to give up and quit many times. However, I was determined to keep trying for a career as long as it took. This process proved to take years and not months like I thought it would.

Over time, feeding my family became more pressing and I ended up working in a factory sewing car seats for 2 years. I reminded myself everyday of what I wanted to do with my life and that factory work was only temporary. Looking for a career while being able to eat really helped my outlook for the future. It’s easier to look for work when you’re