6 Months Later?!

Hello Bloggers!

I cannot believe it has been over 6 months since my last post. I have no idea where the time went. SOOOO much has happened in my life that I need to tell you. It has been quite a ride. I will skip the small talk and just get right back into it. I am not sure where to begin other than giving you a quick summary of my various experiences instead of going week by week.

Here we go....

On November 1st, 2010, I started my internship working in the talent department for a top, new show that I cannot legally name. This is where I last left you. I am not sure if I told you of the dilemma of how I got there, but in short, I had to pay for school credit. I paid UCLA money in order to receive college credit that would allow me to work for free. Backwards, right (especially for a college graduate)? But that's the way it is. This became my 8th internship... and I had the time of my life.

The reason why I stopped blogging back in the fall was because I signed a contract saying I would not blog about my time on the staff, and I did not want to risk that chance. As much as I wanted to share all that was happening, I couldn't.

I can say, however, that this was the best internship I ever had; and I really wanted to stay. I hoped that there would be a chance for me to get hired on by the show if I really proved myself. I worked so hard, and I loved every minute of it. I was lucky to be in between the stage hands and the production offices, so I got to work with everyone on the show. I loved the department I was in, although it may not be a career path for me, and I learned a lot. I was able to use my Walt Disney World Guest Relations skills everyday and meet new people.

The world inside this show was unlike any production I have ever worked on. It was organized, on time, and the staff just meshed together. It is basically a dream job for anyone who wants to be in this business. I was fortunate and got used in many departments and had some pretty extraordinary experiences, but unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.

By February, all my money was spent. I had risked everything just for the chance to work on the show. I got a part time job working at BJs Brewery in Burbank as a host as a way to support myself while I "volunteered". However, even working at a restaurant part time does not keep you afloat forever. My money was literally gone. I was down to 80 bucks in my back account, and I had no way to afford to pay for school in order to stay on as an intern. It was time to move on and get a job. This does not mean I was not upset about leaving.

Leaving the show was one of the hardest experiences I have had out here, and I miss it everyday. I can only hope to work in an environment like that again. I did come away with amazing connections, memories, experiences, and most important, the nickname "Viking Girl".

Although the risk did not yield the desired result I had hoped (getting hired), I do not regret anything. It was a risk I am happy I took and I would do it again if I could afford too. Those four months were definitely some of the happiest I had ever had, not just in LA, but from my entire 6 years of being in this industry. I cannot thank them enough for that opportunity, but I needed to face the reality of finding a job.

I wish I could tell you more specifics, but unfortunately, I cannot. If you want to know more, feel free to email me or reach out to me, and I would love to share my experiences. Just know that the head boss-man was really amazing and a nice guy, as are the rest of the staff. That is as short as a summary as I can give for now. I will follow up with my other experiences in the next few posts.

I am sorry for my long absence, but I assure you, I am here to stay now. Once I am caught up, my weekly posts will resume. Until then...

A Breakthrough to Risk It All!

(written on Friday 10/15/10)

I heard back, and I have good news! I got the CONAN Internship!!!! YAYAYAYYAY!!

Okay, bringing it back down to earth. I got the internship!! I am sooo excited! This is a breakthrough for me. I have had my first yes in months! I am so excited. Did I say that already?

Breathe in.... breath out.... phew.... okay!

Now that my sanity is back, let me explain what this means. As many of you know, Conan O'Brian was kicked out of NBC last winter for some ridiculous reasons. He has not been on television since, but has signed a deal to start his own show on TBS. This new show, cleverly named, CONAN, will air on November 8th at 11pm.

Since Conan's disappearance, his popularity has skyrocketed. He is now one of the "untouchables" in Hollywood. His is being treated as if he is a movie star these days, and has such a huge following. Aside from that, working for him is even harder than talking to him. He brought over his staff from NYC when he moved to LA last year, so there have been few openings to work for him.

Now over the last 2 years, I have been applying to him in whichever way I could. I have been a Coco fan for years. He combines everything that I love: silly humor, great entertainment, variety of guests, live television audience, etc. Plus, I would watch him at night before I went to sleep in college. He is my entertainment when nothing else is on tv and I am always up at that hour. I never thought working for him would be possible.

BUT IT IS! His show is the beginning of something big. Even though he is not yet on the air, he will be around for years to come. He is not going anywhere; I am quite sure of that. For that reason alone, I am going to be taking a giant leap of faith and accept this internship. No brainer right? Well, this is going to cause a lot more extra work and struggle for me.

Internships are unpaid in this industry. Not only will I be working for free for 3 days a week for the show, I also need to get college credit. I need to prove I am a student in order to get this internship. So now, I need to enroll back into school (lose money), like a community college, in order for me to start. Back to school I go! (Isn't it funny? I am not qualified enough for an entry level job, but over qualified for an internship. Where is the middle ground?) Enrolling in a class will be my task for next week.

So aside from school credit, I also need to find another source of income to survive. I will need a job the other 4 days a week (say Thursday-Sunday) to pay rent, bills, gas, etc. Now what job will allow me to do that? I need to find a flexible part time job, and I am assuming it will not be in the industry. Perhaps waiting tables, babysitting, theme parks, etc. It is not ideal for me, but it is in hopes I will be getting in the industry soon.

I am also halting my job search for a bit. I am only going through with this internship, not because I need it ( I have 7 already), but because there is the slightest hope I may grow with the show. Conan is entering its first season, of hopefully many. I asked the girl I interviewed with if there was a possibility of me staying on full time, and she could not promise for there is always that chance of being cancelled. However, she was an intern three years ago, and now she is a producer for the Casting department. Do I need anymore proof?

In total, I will be risking it all for this internship. I will be risking my career job search, my savings to enroll in school, my chances of finding part time work to cover rent, everything I have come out here with, just for the smallest chance I can grow into the show. Crazy?!?!

I think I need a reality check! Still here. okay...

That is the story. That is my new direction: backwards! haha. Seriously though, I am going backwards to hopefully move forward for something that is practically my dream job. I think this is the smartest risk I am taking, but also the steepest. Everything is on the line because nothing is guaranteed. All or nothing. As my mom said, "No risk, no reward." I just hope it leads to reward and not ruin. I am taking it as the biggest investment of my career thus far. That is my approach to this internship.

It is strange to be leaving Disney for a while, but I am still seasonal in FL, so I am just leaving the Studios for a while. This is an answer to my prayers. I just pray I can find the income through odd jobs just to survive out here. I will worry about that next week. But for now... I want to take in this moment.

I am so scared, nervous, excited and anxious all at the same time. I will be the intern for CONAN! Not just the show, but specific to the Talent and Casting department! CRAZY! I will be dealing with all the celebrities, musical guests, talent, etc that you will see on the show. I will be interacting with the executives of this department, which I am sooo interested in. It could not have been a better department. The girls I will work with are really young and bubbly. They looked so happy working there. I just hope to be one of them some day.

For now, I may be the lowest on the totem pole, but hey, I will be there! So check it out everyone. Watch CONAN on Nov. 8th on TBS!!!