Approching Theatres for work.

[matthardingsls]

Hello all!

 

I was just wondering everybodys views on the best way to get casual/full time employment.

 

Im 21 and I am a good, hard working, all round technicain that has been working at Chichester College but my contract is finishing in September.

 

So what is the best way to approch a Theatre to become part of there crew? email? Walk in the venue with a CV? or by phone??

 

I live in West Sussex and would preferbley like to work in Brighton, so if anybody has any experiences I would love to hear from you.

 

Matt.

[paulears]

In person, I fear is the best way - but the practicalities are that the busier venues are shifting more and more to zero hours contracts, which you need to apply for properly, have interviews and then get no guarantee of any work - using this as a prop up to the old casual list. Most 'luck' comes from being in the right place at the right time. I lost a useful person, who found a boring, but well paid regular full-time job. The day she told me I was one-down, sitting there in the office was one of the regular speculative 'I want a job' letters we get all the time. Standing practice is to always write back and say no jobs available, without, being honest, any real thought. I read the letter, phoned her up and asked her to come in the next day when we had a show on. Plenty of the usual stuff on the CV. She came in, I thought she was fine, and that was that - she just slotted straight in. If you'd applied in person, or by letter the day before - we'd have just said sorry.

 

So you have to keep at it, and don't forget to try the same places again. Talking personally, I don't want the hassle of proper interviews. I just want somebody who fits in.