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The Search
Nov. 21st, 2003 02:01 amI'm in a 3D mood; need to check the Daz board again...been away too long. Still playing with my Chrystalline elf image, but it's getting rather complicated; the computer doesn't like that much geometry all at once;)
I told Bjam this already, but: I've started once again to try to get a job out in LA. I visited San Diego at the end of July for a computer graphics conference, so I know it's going to be a major culture shock if I move there, but I don't know any other way to accomplish what I want to do. I need to become an assistant to an experienced producer in an established studio so I can get the experience I need to do what I want to do with my life.
The people I met in San Diego were so spoiled with regard to the weather, the traffic was insane, and the *hotel* charged $8 a day to park in the parking lot! Here, we get tornadoes, 115+ degree weather with 90-something percent humidity in the summer (which can last 6 or more months), mosquitoes, two or three weeks of pleasant weather in the spring and fall, and ice storms in winter (when the ground stays warm, the snow melts, and when it gets cold enough, we have ice...northerners laugh at us because we shut the city down for an inch of snow, we laugh at them when they get stuck because they didn't realize there was ice underneath it). Of all the reasons I like Alabama, the weather is not one of them. Anyway, San Diego weather was nice, though it was odd to hear people complaining about the rain when it was sprinkling so lightly I could stay dry by standing under a tree, and the sight of palm trees everywhere was vaguely disconcerting. I'm used to pine, oak, and pecan trees. And magnolias...those are messy trees; those huge white blooms dump loads of allergy-inducing pollen every year;)
The problem with job hunting long distance, though, is the fact that they won't even bother to read the resume if you're out of state. I had a contact through one yahoo list (that is now defunct) who offered to take my resume in to her workplace, so I emailed it to her. She told me that if I really wanted a job out there, I really would have to come out there first; I have heard the same from others, also by email. The problem with that is the fact that I simply can *not* afford to move all the way across the country (USA may not be the biggest country in the world, but it is big enough!) in the hope that I might perhaps maybe manage to find a job when I get there.
SO. Earlier this year, my dad had a business trip out in LA (he does stress testing on space/military computer parts) and one night, in a restaurant, he happened to run across a family who used to be members of our church here in AL. He got their email addys and cell phone numbers so he could spend time with them while he was out there (he gets lonely on trips...nothing to do after work but watch TV, which is his usual preference when he's home, or talk long distance on the phone, which gets expensive...oddly enough, he's more interested in talking to mom when it's long distance than when they're in the same room).
Well, I had the bright idea that maybe they'd let me put their address on my resume so the HR people will bother to read it. My mom suggested that I see if I could get a second cell phone with an LA area code, but that turned out to be impossible. I'd have to go out there in person to set it up, and they'd probably insist on an LA house address, and the Family Plan setup doesn't work across state lines, so it would be full price all over again. So, I sent them an email tonight (yeah, I know it's not tonight anymore, but I haven't gone to bed yet, so to me it's still tonight;) asking them about this. They could take a message when someone calls or sends snail mail, and email me with the info. Then I can call back if it's a positive reply. I really hope they agree to it; anything that makes it more likely that I can get an actual interview would be great. I usually do well in interviews. I'm very excited about the possibility, and I have a better idea of what position I want now than I did when I tried applying to all those places two years ago. If that doesn't work, I don't know what I'll do, because I can't stand the idea of staying in dead-end entry-level jobs for the rest of my life. I've been through three different jobs this year, because I just couldn't stand it anymore.
This has gotten longer than I intended...I think that's enough for now; I still have to get to Daz, and it's 2 am!
I told Bjam this already, but: I've started once again to try to get a job out in LA. I visited San Diego at the end of July for a computer graphics conference, so I know it's going to be a major culture shock if I move there, but I don't know any other way to accomplish what I want to do. I need to become an assistant to an experienced producer in an established studio so I can get the experience I need to do what I want to do with my life.
The people I met in San Diego were so spoiled with regard to the weather, the traffic was insane, and the *hotel* charged $8 a day to park in the parking lot! Here, we get tornadoes, 115+ degree weather with 90-something percent humidity in the summer (which can last 6 or more months), mosquitoes, two or three weeks of pleasant weather in the spring and fall, and ice storms in winter (when the ground stays warm, the snow melts, and when it gets cold enough, we have ice...northerners laugh at us because we shut the city down for an inch of snow, we laugh at them when they get stuck because they didn't realize there was ice underneath it). Of all the reasons I like Alabama, the weather is not one of them. Anyway, San Diego weather was nice, though it was odd to hear people complaining about the rain when it was sprinkling so lightly I could stay dry by standing under a tree, and the sight of palm trees everywhere was vaguely disconcerting. I'm used to pine, oak, and pecan trees. And magnolias...those are messy trees; those huge white blooms dump loads of allergy-inducing pollen every year;)
The problem with job hunting long distance, though, is the fact that they won't even bother to read the resume if you're out of state. I had a contact through one yahoo list (that is now defunct) who offered to take my resume in to her workplace, so I emailed it to her. She told me that if I really wanted a job out there, I really would have to come out there first; I have heard the same from others, also by email. The problem with that is the fact that I simply can *not* afford to move all the way across the country (USA may not be the biggest country in the world, but it is big enough!) in the hope that I might perhaps maybe manage to find a job when I get there.
SO. Earlier this year, my dad had a business trip out in LA (he does stress testing on space/military computer parts) and one night, in a restaurant, he happened to run across a family who used to be members of our church here in AL. He got their email addys and cell phone numbers so he could spend time with them while he was out there (he gets lonely on trips...nothing to do after work but watch TV, which is his usual preference when he's home, or talk long distance on the phone, which gets expensive...oddly enough, he's more interested in talking to mom when it's long distance than when they're in the same room).
Well, I had the bright idea that maybe they'd let me put their address on my resume so the HR people will bother to read it. My mom suggested that I see if I could get a second cell phone with an LA area code, but that turned out to be impossible. I'd have to go out there in person to set it up, and they'd probably insist on an LA house address, and the Family Plan setup doesn't work across state lines, so it would be full price all over again. So, I sent them an email tonight (yeah, I know it's not tonight anymore, but I haven't gone to bed yet, so to me it's still tonight;) asking them about this. They could take a message when someone calls or sends snail mail, and email me with the info. Then I can call back if it's a positive reply. I really hope they agree to it; anything that makes it more likely that I can get an actual interview would be great. I usually do well in interviews. I'm very excited about the possibility, and I have a better idea of what position I want now than I did when I tried applying to all those places two years ago. If that doesn't work, I don't know what I'll do, because I can't stand the idea of staying in dead-end entry-level jobs for the rest of my life. I've been through three different jobs this year, because I just couldn't stand it anymore.
This has gotten longer than I intended...I think that's enough for now; I still have to get to Daz, and it's 2 am!
