Would You Hire This Person?

Will's Outlook: Sunny; LA's Outlook: Rainy

This week has been quite the whirlwind. After leaving the ballet completely blown away and inspired to take on the world, I manage to fill out a few more job applications and mail a few more resumes. One such endeavor was at a job placement agency that specializes in advertising and public relations firms. Perfect, Right? They call me back for an interview on Thurs. Even more perfect, right?!

I go in for the interview, and might I interject, "What are people thinking when they get dressed for interviews?" I chose a very dapper look consisting mainly of business blues complete with tie. My fellow interviewees did not feel the same commitment to their wardrobe. Ryan, who interviewed after me, wore jeans, white button shirt (NO TIE), and a blue blazer with gold buttons. Was he confused and actually thought he was going to a very WASPy party at a country club? Let's hope.

Oh well, I mustn't be concerned with others choices.

Moving along, I was called in to be interviewed by a girl who spoke almost no English. My confidence that this agency will be able to find me work immediately diminishes. The conversation between us goes something like this:

Me: "I just moved to Los Angeles two weeks ago because I thought there would really great opportunities....."

Girl: "Uh Huh, How long have you lived in LA?"

Me: "Umm, two weeks?"

Girl: "Oh wow, so not long! How do you like it?"

UGH!! Seriously this girl is my hope to getting a foot in the door at some amazing PR firm? All hope is definitely, totally, completely lost.

While I'm sitting there another agent gets a call from a firm needing someone to come scan all day. Names are being thrown around the office.

Random Agent #1: "What about Lisa?"

Random Agent #2: "Oh she's at an interview."

Random Agent #3" "Good for her! Well what about ...."

This goes on for a bit. I'm completely surrounded by all of these ladies bantering about sending someone to work while my agent sits amongst them randomly circling things on my resume.

Girl: "Oh, you've worked in film."

Me: "Yes, I've some production work. For instance, I worked on 'Jumper.'"

Girl: "OH! I like that film."

She makes this last remark as she circles the word "Jumper" on my resume. She then proceeds to circle random words on my resume for no apparent reason, all the while, these three very loud ladies are discussing how they need someone NOW!!!

I'm thinking, "Me, I could go now. I'm here. for a job. Send. Me. Now."

Finally, one of the ladies must have been feeling the thoughts seeping out of my head.

Random Agent #1: "YOU!"

Me: "Me?"

Random Agent #1: "Yes YOU! Are you available to go scan?"

Me: "Yes"

So, cut to me standing in front of a scanner for 5 1/2 hours.

Don't get me wrong, I am so grateful to be out and doing something, but that was very boring. Not only that but the fact that nobody talked to each other in the entire firm. SO weird, but what matters at the end of the day is that they liked me, said they would ask for me by name if they ever needed anything else, and offered me an interview for when they were hiring 3-4 months down the road. Thanks? I guess.

Meanwhile, I've had interview offers from 3 other places including Bloomingdale's (Imagine me in a very stylish and expensive suit) and CB2 (Imagine me in the best styled apt in LA).

Forecast is proving to be mostly sunny in my world. I wish I could say the same for LA. It's been raining for almost 2 weeks! Shouldn't someone remind LA that it is indeed in a desert and do so quickly!

Turtles, Ballet and My First Celebrity Sighting

When I was little, like most smalls boys my age, I was obsessed with "The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles." I'm not really sure what their appeal was for everyone else but I know now that their high flying, acrobatic martial arts is what enthralled me from the start. Too bad I didn't start gymnastics for another ten years but I can't help but think back to the night that I saw their first live action movie. Honestly, I can't even remember the movie now, but burned into my memory is me running around the front yard in the dark for hours pretending to be Donatello. I would jump and "flip" off of tree stumps and roll in the grass evading harms way. I was so taken by what I saw on the screen that I had no choice but to try and reenact it at home.


Tonight I had a similar experience.

Over the past few weeks, I had quite a bit of time on my hands to read the free circulars that make their way around this City of Angels, I came upon an exciting little tidbit that informed of a new ballet company that was having a free showcase at USC. This ballet company is called "Trey McIntyre Project" and it was amazing. I have never seen ballet so real before. I guess you could say, I've only seen classical ballet that has done a good job of separating itself from us commoners. It was amazing to see ballet done so deconstructed, yet so technical, performed to music by Peter, Paul, and Mary and the Beatles.

I was truly inspired by what I saw on stage. I guess I'm still a child because this show had me dancing to my car. When you can't help but take what you saw on stage with you, then you know you've seen something great.

Only makes me wish ballet would have been available in Dalhart. Why do I have to begin everything so late?

After I thought the evening wouldn't be more inspiring. I have my first celebrity sighting since I moved out here to LA. A celebrity probably most of you don't know and only makes me more of a nerd for getting so excited, but I saw Jacques Haim in the lobby. Woohoo, big deal, right? Well, he choreographed Cirque du Soleil's "Ka." He's basically royalty in my world. I was so excited that I couldn't say anything, but it did let me know that I'm in a place that anything is possible. I just need to stop being a scared, timid, small town Texas boy and make it happen.

Los Angeles, here I am.

All photos shown are of Trey McIntyre Project, taken by Jonas Lunqvist. More information about Trey McIntyre Project can be found here.