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LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!
I am in a bit of a predicament. (I feel like due to the nature of the shows now up for discussion, I have to give this post a "spectacular" open.) Ever since the Writer's Guild of America went on strike, it has been impossible to find a job - many shows are on forced hiatus, and all the people working on those shows are competing against ME for EVERY job that is left in Hollywood. That leaves me searching every nook and cranny for another penny that will help pay for my extravagant rent. The strike sucks. Big time.
Early last week there were various stories in the news that alluded to the strike coming to a end. HURRAY (of course)!!!!! I knew the next step would be a call from MADtv asking me if I can come in next week to get things back in order, etc. etc. Big sigh of relief, as I am not sure how much longer I could last with no income.
Also early last week . . . I received a call from the post production supervisor on the show On the Lot, who I failed in an interview with last summer, who now works on Dancing with the Stars (he affectionately calls it "our little video dance party" - it happens to be the No. 2 show in America), who wanted to talk to me about the possibility of me working there. After our pseudo-phone-interview I felt pretty confident that he wanted me for the job, despite the fact that I screwed up the interview for On the Lot. He said he'd call Thursday to let me know the decision. No call on Thursday. No call on Friday. I weeped Thursday. On Friday I started to think about how nice it is that I don't have to choose between MADtv and Dancing with the Stars.
On Saturday, I got the call. He offered me the job. Woo Hoo!?
Here is the thing. If I take the job at Dancing with the Stars, my work on the show only lasts until May. Then, come September/October, when I'd be going back to MADtv . . . forget it - they will have already hired a new assistant editor. Sooooo, MADtv would be no more for me. On the one hand, I can have continued stability with a show that is semi-popular, working with people I know, making good money. On the other hand, I work on the country's second most watch show, working with who knows who, making probably same good money, but with no stability. Basically, I have the chance to rub elbows with primetime network people and put a primetime network show on my resume, effectively boosting me into another category, while gaining the experience of how to handle a live show. Meanwhile, I'd have all the pressure one can ask for from a career, since I would have to now feel confident when I go for yet another job search, come May, August and beyond.
So then, what is God teaching me about careers? I think God was speaking through my uncle when he told me, "listen to jazz - improvise!" At that I am reminded what has given me my self-professed "success" in my career thus far in the first place - my ability to take risks, to improvise, and especially my ability to deal with the hardships that may come with the risks. I am also beginning to remember the fears I had when I started at MADtv. Everyone in editorial has been there since season one of the show, so I can assume they aren't going to want to get rid of me unless my character and work ethic started to drastically change. I knew there would come a point where I would start feeling complacent with the job and have no ambition to move on and upwards, which isn't a bad thing in itself, but it doesn't fit my personality - I need to strive for something bigger, or else I will neglect my current situation, ie I will start doing the bare minimum at work, just to let the day go by and get out of there. With this somewhat scary opportunity, God has really brought me back to who I am as a worker, as an entrepreneur, and for this I thank Him.
