What Skills Do Employers Actually Look For?

[Simon Lewis]

How many 1KW lanterns may be used on a 10 amp dimmer channel

 

Would the applicant get extra credit for asking what a "one Kelvin-Watt lantern" was or would they just be clipped around the ear for being a smart alec...? ;-)

 

 

 

[kerry davies]

Helen Mirren has a masterclass video on acting which sort of adds to the very good answers above.

 

"The only two things you absolutely must learn are; be on time, don't be an arsehole."

 

There is a vast and wide ranging knowledge and a huge skills range involved but if you cannot be early then you are no use to anyone. If you are a nuisance and unpleasant to those around you it won't matter how punctual you are.

[nuttytechy]

if it is someone who is making a start and have little technical experience and has not had the chance to go through college or uni etc then I would look for answers like:

 

Showing willingness to learn.

Able to work in a team and on their own.

Having a basic understanding of electricity and electrical equipment.

Having a good knowledge of maths and science.

 

We all have to start from somewhere and sometimes its a catch 22 situation.

 

I have employed someone who has had very little knowledge of technical and by the time they have done a decent run then I was confident they could do things without supervision.

[Just Some Bloke]

As has been mentioned, everyone has to start somewhere. For this reason I'd usually start someone on a job that involves moving stage decks around or moving the seating to a new format. They would be working in a team and if they turn out to be no good then someone else will take up the slack. If they are fine then I might move them on to follow-spot for a show to see how they do there. If they're any good then they might end up on the bottom of a tallescope for the next shift. After that they might get a bit of work on a fit-up.

 

And so on.

 

The quicker people move through the system then the more ready they are, but everyone is perfectly able to move as quickly or slowly as their abilities merit. People with loads of experience may go through doing one shift in each role, people with less may never make it out of shifting deck around, but as long as they turn up and don't piss people off then they'll still have a job as a casual.

 

Don't big yourself up, fit in and pull your weight. That's all there is to it.