Career Pathway

[Andy Haefner]

Hello, I'm a Senior in High School and plan on going to a 4 year college next year dual-majoring in Tech Theatre/Design and Electrical Engineering. I have worked in my high school Stage Crew for 2 years now this year being my third. Doing a variety of things, but I feel like I am missing so much experience and knowledge that I'd probably get in college but I've just been thinking about my future. I'd like to gain more experience in all areas of stage work to increase my marketability as an employee... I can't work for an IATSE local for another 2 months when I'm 18 but when that time comes I plan on getting on my local's over hire list. Is there other things I could be doing in my senior year? Or should I see where college takes me.

 

[Chase P.]

My two cent's worth, take any work that you can, events, small theaters, whatever. Take the IA work when it's offered, but don't make it your only thing just yet. Listen and learn, each different job will teach you different things and expose you to new situations to learn from. Remember that what is standard in one venue may be forbidden in another. Don't ever be afraid to tell someone you don't know how to do something yet. Speak up, ask for guidance, and learn from it.

When I'm hiring, I like to see a range of experience from my applicants, not just high school straight to college. A variety of experience shows that you may bring new ideas to all the weird problems we encounter in this industry. Heck, that's the reason I'm on here, to hear from and learn from all the folks posting.

 

[SteveB]

Careful with that electrical engineering stuff though, you might find a “real” job, you know, work 9-5, M-F kind of thing, meet normal people, watch your kids play soccer on Sundays.....

Theaters a disease....... said from somebody working in that business for 43 years....

 

[TuckerD]

That EE / Tech Theatre combo will be a total killer. Lots of room in the industry for people like that. My background is CS / Theatre. You can go pretty much any direction with it. Manufacturing / inventing new technologies, huge system designs, custom architainment stuff, and more.

Happy to discuss more anytime!

 

[macsound]

I echo working in tons of different scenarios. I started in musical theatre audio and my first gig "helping" mix for a the theatre in a park totally opened my eyes to "acoustics"
This goes along way in every discipline.
Learning how to design a 50' wide 30' tall set that can fold down and ship via freight to lighting for the day your production's audience is just a TV camera crew and how to make it look the same but without the director yelling about how dark everything is and everything in between.
Experience is worth everything that college can't teach. From someone who never finished college, but have taught many college classes.

My two cent's worth, take any work that you can, events, small theaters, whatever. Take the IA work when it's offered, but don't make it your only thing just yet. Listen and learn, each different job will teach you different things and expose you to new situations to learn from. Remember that what is standard in one venue may be forbidden in another. Don't ever be afraid to tell someone you don't know how to do something yet. Speak up, ask for guidance, and learn from it.

When I'm hiring, I like to see a range of experience from my applicants, not just high school straight to college. A variety of experience shows that you may bring new ideas to all the weird problems we encounter in this industry. Heck, that's the reason I'm on here, to hear from and learn from all the folks posting.