(Continued from last week…)
L.A. is an action-oriented city, so expect to see a lot of activity. This can be intimidating for someone like me who generally draws their energy from isolated activities. I’m still trying to get used to how extraverted this place is. The best thing to do if you aren’t blessed with the “gift of gab” is to ask questions. Chances are most of the people you will talk to will relish the opportunity to chat about themselves. It sounds superficial, but you will learn from what they have to say. Whether or not they are into themselves, they have been around the industry much longer than you have and are most likely well connected. You can gain a lot by just inquiring, shaking hands and exchanging business cards. If someone likes you, they will want to introduce you to other people they know. It’s the same principle anywhere else. The difference is this is L.A., which can make it more intimidating. JUST BE YOURSELF! You can never go wrong just being who you are. If someone doesn’t jive, that’s their problem. Don’t take it personally.
Consider securing two internships. You will probably only be working three days a week anyway so why not do something with the other two days that you are free? Of course you can use this time to work on your own projects and collaborate with other people. If you are like me, you hate being bored and feel the need to fill up your schedule as much as possible. I just landed my second position at RipTide Music. They focus on representing outside artists as opposed to being their own artists like the owners of redCola. This is also a small company with eleven full-time employees. What’s great is that some RipTide employees graduated from Berklee and even participated in the L.A. Internship Program themselves. There is always a chance you may get hired at the company you intern at, however only a small percentage of interns do. Still it’s important to keep your professionalism consistent. It easier to do that if you think of your internship as a paying job.
