need career/life advice from the smartest bbs on the net!

http://www.princetonreview.com/cte/profiles/internshipGenInfo.asp?internshipID=924

I would look into that if I were you. I know two people who did it, and while they are working they work on major tv shows or films. They are now making etremely good money as AD's. One girl I know that did this made over 300k her first year after the program.

It will take all of your time, and energy, but it sounds like it is what you love, and it will make you connections that can help you to succeed. You will also be a member of the guild and have access to the health insurance and everything else.

It is very difficult to get in, but you should try it. Just be honest in the series of tests and questions that you are asked to do. Don't give the answers you think they want to hear. You will do much better just being honest.

The last test can be the most difficult depending on how you work with others/take charge.

 

I'm very much an average joe, who doesn't know where all his money's gone and still makes bad decisions. That might be far from the prerequisites to be consider any kind of 'career' advisor...

*Alright here's my take anyways*
Follow your heart. And I think that would mean go with your love, which in writing said was acting and entertainment. You yourself gave glowing endorsement of your loves (which I arrogantly highlighted in red ) and the other stuff was "backup" and you dislike the work. Keep the backup plan as that, a backup. And put the loves and fun stuff first. There's nothing wrong with either field but there would be something wrong with you shying away from what you really want to do. Besides, why get a degree in that and go away from your degree?

I'm in L.A. and yeah I see how it can be kinda dog-eat-dog but you already have an edge in having a backup plan for real. It means your thinking and you're more grounded instead of being "I HAVE to make it, its all i got" or slowly dissolve away into nothing snorting coke. I've gone the more logical safe route almost everytime in making decisions and have mild regrets wishing I'da taken more chances at creativity like that. Put those creative efforts into something now while you're in your younger years and have energy and enthusiasm. Chances are you WON'T have it later and things can happen to take you away from it.. I'll assume that the instructor and psychology work will be there for you later but that's for the actual career builders like the example above to inform you on...I'm here for the 80's Rocky pump-up.

Go with your main interests. My 2 cents

 

This was my life...like a few years ago. Graduated a media production major; did get some jobs in the industry..and things were starting to look up but ultimately I decided to go a different route. The industry was just way too feast or famine for me; I wanted something steadier.

So ultimately, I took my experience working as a sports instructor and parlayed it into a teaching position, with the idea that I could still do tv work on the side if I chose. I don't regret the decision in the least, but that has a lot to do with the fact that I love my job.

Follow your heart; shouldn't matter how much you make really; as long as you're doing something that makes you happy.

 

There are plenty of other options. You should do some temp work at various companies and see what you like.

 

Go with your passion, otherwise you won't make it far anyways. Since you're so passionate about acting, you'll definitely fare well in it. Also, since you've a teaching degree, why not be a tutor in your spare time? Tutors make lots of money too, and if you're a personal tutor, its "not taxable" *cough cough wink wink*.

 

Teaching jobs will always be there for a college grad, "showbiz" opportunities won't due to the sheer number of people who want them. It's basically a two-town industry, for goodness sakes, and one of the few industries that isn't allergic to promoting young people, gays and women (not that teaching is). In a sense, they're polar opposites in terms of prestige and supply/demand dynamics. Go get it.

Incidentally, a better backup plan (in terms of job satisfaction) might be to just try working with local radio/tv news stations, advertising firms, publicists, political consuting firms, newspapers, publishing houses, anything communication-based. No need to "punish" yourself by completely abandoning the communications field due to not getting your dream job.

Oh, and my brother was a Graduate acting program, before having a wife, two kids and a mortgage got in the way. So when you make it big, you might be getting some extra head shots and a resume with "re: pouhe" on them, Robert Evans.

 

Grow some balls and be an actor.

So you won't make a teachers salary. WOOP TEE DOO.

This means you will drive a 92 hyundai instead of a 99 civic. You will still have to go to work everyday. You will still have to worry about finances. BUT YOU WILL BE DOING SOMETHING YOU LOVE AS AN ACTOR.

PLUS: you will have the chance ( even if its slim ) of making it bigtime instead of just being stuck in mediocrity.

 

You're lucky in that you know what you want to do. People come home from work every day and they find things to have fun, but if you can have fun at work, then you're one of the fortunate few.

It is high risk, but your backup plan will always be there if you hit rock bottom. That rock bottom is when you begin to like your love less and less.

I believe that nothing is a waste of time. Maybe that's naively optimistic since I'm young too, but it is because we're young that everything is a learning experience.

 

If you already hate teaching -- don't continue to do that.

You will be doing yourself and your students a disservice.

 

The secret to life is do what you love and get paid for it.

If you can't get paid to do what you love, then get a job that pays your bills and do what you love in your spare time, with the thought and hope that the thing you love to do will eventually be lucrative enough for you to quit your job.

I cannot think of a worse life than doing a job you cannot stand during the day, and then not having a life during the time you are not working. That would be like a life sentence in hell to me.

 

As a 29 year old who never finished college and followed his dreams, I'll add my 2 cents.

Go for it, but if it doesn't work out, it's not the end of the world. Part of growing up and maturing is learning to deal with the curveballs that life throws at you. I'm not doing what I wanted to do when I was 18, but I can't say I'm less happy about things.

Follow your dreams, take a chance. It's not the worst thing in the world if you have to something else, as long as you're prepared to accept that role IF it comes down to it.

 

Amen.

 

Do the acting. Of course, it's much easier for me to say than for you to do. But, consider:

1. There's plenty of people who are told to do what they are passionate about who don't have anything they are passionate about (like me). But, you actually have something you are passionate about and it is an existing job that pays some kind of wage.

2. Doors are closing. I tried to wait to figure out what I wanted to do before committing to doing anything in particular. I discovered that things I thought I might want to do became less and less practical to actually pursue as I got older. If there is ever a time in your life when you can weather the life of an out-of-work actor, it is now. I assume you don't yet have a wife, a child, a dog, and a mortgage to worry about. But, later you probably will and you won't have the luxury of trying your hand on a risky industry then.

 

I still think you should have banged the model...But that's just me...

oh yeah, as for acting, I can't imagine that you'll find happiness in teaching 3/4 of the year when your true passion of acting is only pursued 1/4 of the time...

 

Listen to your hearrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrt

when its caalllllling for youuuuuuuuuu.

Listen to your hearrrrrrrrrrrrrrt.

 

Uh, Die Hard 3 was 12 years ago. Your friend is a male prostitute. I expect to see him on Intervention next season.