What skills do you look for?

[jonic222]

After reading the posts about degrees, I started to wonder what skills employers actually do look for? I know this is a bit vague, so let's say it's for a receiving theatre looking for a new technician. What do you look for on a CV? I'm coming at this more from the point of view of people starting out in his industry trying to get their foot I'm the door. What skills can they learn and put on their CV that will make you more likely to hire them? How can they stand out when the majority of other applicants may have more years' experience than them?

[ImagineerTom]

Quite simply, practical experience not theoretical - If I had 2 identical CV's one with a degree from a top university but who had only ever worked on the shows/venues that the course required and another who had no degree but had worked a dozen different shows and venues (with different teams / bosses so they had experience of different styles of working) even if they were only pro-am shows I'd choose the latter because in this industry as a foot-soldier it's all about being flexible, adaptable and unflappable; skills which only come from a breadth of show experience.

 

Secondly a broader industry knowledge (i.e. if you've not worked a lot of shows, at least make sure you've seen a lot of shows) as so many discussions and instructions will be based on phrases like "a lift and lighting state like defying gravity, changing in to a growing up scene like that one in war-horse" or "I want a double-donut revolve lift like SisterAct, not like the one in Les Mis" - theres a shorthand based on other shows we've all worked, if you've not worked with us before then we switch to common shows you should be aware of.... if you still don't get it after that then this will probably be the last time you work with us 'cause we don't have time to explain every little detail to you when there's other people who understand the concept expressed in those first few words.

 

Being the "right sort of person" is also incredibly important - You're working on top of (literally) other people and quite possibly living and socialising together for long periods of time. I've turned down plenty of people (with properly amazing CV's) because they had bad breath / a terrible attitude / inflexible style / lousy personality and employed in their place plenty of people with much worse CV's but who have a good ethos, good personality and who would clearly be nice to work with. When we're pulling an all-nighter having to rebuild/reprogram a chunk of a show because a bit of kit has failed the day before press night I want to be with a team who are all getting along, with the "head of lighting" who grabs a paintbrush and helps touch up a bit of scenery and a MD who instinctively makes everyone coffee, I don't want to be with someone who won't do anything other than their job, who complains or whose personality grates with everyone else on the team.

 

Sorry for the hideously vague answers but I think this is broadly speaking what everyone else will tell you - ours is a truely meritocratic industry; if you can do the job and are ok to work with you'll do well inspite of the pieces of paper you have, if you're not a team player and can't do actual practical things needed then no matter what pieces of paper you have you won't last long.

[MrBoomal]

WARNING. Horrible generalisation coming up.

 

One thing that I really notice, particularly from recent graduates, is a lack of work ethic.

 

If I ask you to hang 10 parcans on a bar, paired adjacently, then fly the bar out. Once you have done this, I expect you to come and find me and ask, "What can I do next ?"

 

Unfortunately, many young people seem to think this is their job done. They will then disappear for a cup of tea/coffee/cigarette.

 

If I ever have to ask "Where has X gone now ?".

 

Chances are, you will not be back again.

[Jivemaster]

1/ Make good tea! Even get the sugar and milk right.

 

2/ remember that it's experience that makes you competent not academic learning. (However that academe should have sharpened your learning skills and given you the ability to think).

 

3/ Note that a working day can easily be 7am call and midnight finish so be fit enough and motivated enough to put in the time needed to do the job.

[AndyJones]

3/ Note that a working day can easily be 7am call and midnight finish so be fit enough and motivated enough to put in the time needed to do the job.

 

And that's a half day!

[jonic222]

Thanks for your replies so far - Reading the various posts about job applications and training made me think about a couple of years ago when I was first trying to get into this industry. What do you all think about things like courses people can take on certain lighting/sound desks - is it worth doing these and putting them on a CV? Or if you were employing someone would you look for someone with real experience behind the desk rather than just taking the course? How about things like "I can solder XLR cables" - should that go on a CV? I'm trying to think of things that people can go a learn themselves or on a free/very cheap course to make themselves more employable.

[timsabre]

Nobody employs people based only on their CV.

What your CV might do is get you an interview or a chat with a potential employer, so make it interesting.

 

If you don't have a lot of experience to sell yourself with, then like Tom said having a good attitude and willingness to learn is the best way to be more employable. Going on a zillion training courses to list on your CV is not the way. Do lots of local crewing.

[spanieltech]

As lots of the other members are saying.

 

Its not all about your knowledge and academic skills. I have had plenty of candidates tell me that they are qualified lighting designers. I couldn't care less. If your are just starting out in the industry I want someone who is, (A) hard working (B) a good personality © a quick learner (D) a team player and most importantly of all (E) when I ask you to move 30 bits of steel deck at 3am, the only words I want to hear are, no problem, where do you want them moved to.

 

If these fit your attitude then you are 2/3rds of the way there. just practice the other skills that you pick up on the jobs that you do and learn quickly.

 

If you do all that you will be fine.

 

 

 

[Jivemaster]

You get work from work! Recent (weeks ago) work counts 100%, Months ago counts 75%, years ago counts 50%. Work done for you college course counts less still, work done while at college but for a paying employer counts more. IGNORE any supposed work before you left school -it was hobby!

 

Go out and ask for casual work, -get ins, odd days, just simply labour. Do it well. Recent real theatre experience counts more than anything.

[RichM]

Show me someone loading a truck at 3am in the pouring rain and I'll tell you within a couple of seconds if I'd give them a job.

[spanieltech]

Show me someone loading a truck at 3am in the pouring rain and I'll tell you within a couple of seconds if I'd give them a job.

 

There you go. That's what people are looking for. Amen

[Just Some Bloke]

I agree with all discussed above, but would suggest you also remember that the purpose of the CV is not to get you a job, it's to get you an interview.

 

Those of us looking for crew have to sift the raft of applications some how and that's where the CV comes in.

 

The moral of the story is that first you need to put down things that make you seem like the person described in the Person Specification. That will get you through the first stage of filtering. Having done that you need to add one thing (maybe 2 but no more) that gives them something to ask you about. So for instance, instead of putting:

Dec. 2012: Worked on an Arts Council funded workshop where Circus performers were introduced to members of the Royal Ballet ensemble in preparation for a new work by Choreographer Anton McFly based on the musical Barnum.

... you might instead write:

Dec. 2012: Production Assistant for Royal Ballet/Eddie's Flying Circus workshop at Sadler's Wells

... which instantly would make me want to find out more!

 

Having got to the interview, that's when we find out whether you are the right person or not and at that point the stuff you wrote on your CV is now forgotten and what we think you're really like is all that matters. You may have gone on 6 different training sessions for assorted consoles but if you've never used one in anger then we're not at all interested!

[WattsBob1]

In terms of what I look for on a CV its firstly honesty, if you add something or embellish something on your CV chances are I will be able to tell either immediately or at interview.

 

If you have no experience at all, then its worth making your CV skills based rather than chronological. Start with a short statement saying what you are looking for and who you are then put a subheading Skills and If you have some technical theatre skills from school, or hobby then list them as skills, and make sure to include that you have a great attitude and are willing to and eager to learn. Unrelated experience isn't worthless either... If you have worked in a cafe or a shop then this shows that you can talk to the public (which means you should be polite) and that you can turn up to work onetime etc...

 

Once you get the work experience, or a casual shift...

 

The one piece of advise I was given on my first day was... "Bob you need to learn when to shut up" and I did, quickly. Had I not learned that I wouldn't have done half the jobs I went on to do. Knowing when to just be quiet and listen rather than chatting away is a really good thing. Its important to be outgoing and talk to your colleagues and learn from them, but its not important to tell everyone about this time at school when this moving light did this thing and it was amazing and blah blah blah...

 

The piece of advise I would pass on is if you don't know how to do something ask. the guy who says " I'm not sure how to patch bar 3 (or whatever the task is) please can you show me the first one and then I will do the rest?" gets hired again, the guy who goes to the dimmer room and pulls the patch of everything else trying to work it out and save face... does not.

 

The crux of it is (as has been said already) being nice to work with is the biggest asset you can have.