My life in Hollywood sucks. How do I know this? Yesterday I interviewed for a short-term gig answering phones (yes, they required an interview for that) and didn't get the job!Yep. That's pretty bad considering my educational background, work experience and comfort level picking up a telephone receiver and saying "Hello."
But that got me thinking, it might be fun to know how your life in Hollywood sucks. At the end of the day we can all compare who has it worst. Misery loves
So use the Comments section below to finish the sentence, "My life in Hollywood sucks because..."
73 comments:
it's 8:15 a.m. and the only thing I have left to look forward to today is washing my underwear.
I work in a basement.
here's something to cheer you up.
http://icanhascheezburger.com/2009/10/28/funny-pictures-video-boxing-kittehs/
I can't even get an interview for a temp job just answering phones...
I'm a 24 year old woman who isn't willing to sleep her way to the top.
I haven't gotten a day off in to and a half years.
My life in Hollywood sucks because out east I had a management position in Radio - amidst contacts that said I was assured a job and an interest to climb the entertainment ladder further than Baltimore, Maryland would allow, I moved to Burbank and began applying for jobs. I have management experience in an office setting and Personal Assistant work on my resume, but can't even get a job offer washing dishes, much less temp work.
I have to play with my boss's dog who just pooped right by my desk, and if I quit this job I get deported...
My temp pimp has only called me for 2 one-day temp jobs since the end of August.
I moved from the East Coast with five years of experience and a load of LA contacts. Irregardless, it's like I'm starting over. I've worked three days since February. Burn. Thank you unemployment extensions!
My life in Hollywood sucks because I am working my ass off on an amazing film, but not getting paid a single dollar…
2 Ivy degrees, assistant and management experience, 4 months of free work, 1 day of paid work since January. No unemployment, poor and selfish ass family, reat friends.
My life doesn't suck.
The recession sucks. The music business crashing and burning sucks. Being unemployed and feeling professionally irrelevant really sucks. Interviewing for five jobs I "almost got" this year definitely sucks. Unemployment running out by December sucks, but it will force me to pick a path and go forward. Financial insecurity sucks. Writing it down and sharing it with all of you somehow makes it suck a little less. We will all look back on these days and be stronger and more reilient for not letting our employment status define us.
Because for some incomprehensible reason, it's still legal (more or less) to hire vast numbers of interns to perform slave labor without pay, instead of sucking it up and hiring a few more assistants.
Because I just realized I spent 7 years in college, 3 of those in grad school, to come out into the real world and learn that it was all for nothing. And now 21 year olds have a better chance of landing that dream production job than I do because they can land internships for now and come out of this recession at 23 or 24 years of age. I'm 26. Who's going to hire a 26 year old post-grad intern? That's like 85 in "industry" years. And 2 or 3 years from now? Forget about it. F.M.L.
Because I'm a great writer and I'm almost positive that nobody will ever know.
Anyone here pick up their bosses viagra? I have... Worked as an intern with them for 2 months and quit. Guess who didn't get that letter of recommendation
My life in Hollywood sucks because the only one who responded to my cover letter was a Nigerian scam artist trying to send me fraudulent money orders.
Ok well how about this: I dont live in Hollywood...
I worked my fucking ass off for nearly a year working for a film dude. Did everything- then I got laid off. Then my bf broke up with me. Now I live at my dads, in a very mice room, except for the fact that I cant bear go out with people bc I am sick and tired of telling people that I am still looking for work...its just embarassing. Oh, I soent the last year writing and studying for these exams which have gotten me nowhere. I hate hate hate hate hate hate hate my life. It used to to be great, And you know what? I complained when my life was good!!!! That is the absolute worst part. I had it so good, and all I did was bitch. Then I lost everything.....now I just sit at home and want to slit my fucking wrists.
I live on my sister's futon.
I can't even get laid at a gay bath house - on seniors night!
I work 11-12 hour days without ANY breaks, and I'm not paid hourly.
I worked 10-12 hour days and I dont get paid at all and am basically threatened I wont be able to use my boss as a reference anytime he is upset with anything not even concerning me
I usually don't work at a job long enough to collect unemployment.
2 years without a job....I was let go from my last job because a certain A-lister didn't like my voice, nevermind I just had my end of the year review two weeks prior and was given a positive review.
the best thing that's happened to me this month was seeing my bitching printed as the March entry in this calendar.
I'm not even getting called in to interview for jobs I'm overqualified for.
I'm getting tons of calls for internships but not for jobs... working for free is what the American economy has come to.
...I'm earning less full-time than I was as a temp.
Self employed (publicist) - brought in over 300k last year... in October largest client dropped us... now can't even get responses to my resume for things like social media manager or front desk assistant... I've NEVER seen it this bad. EVER.
God knows I love my job, and after reading all this am thankful I even have one, but I made more money when I was 16 years old.
No work in 15 months. Saw an ad for a dishwasher at Warner Brothers...followed by "must have experience." Are you f'ing kidding me? I applied for a bartending job with 3 years of bartending experience on my resume...was told not enough experience. This town is awesome.
ridiculousfantastic's post made me cry. 85 in industry years? I'm forever young baby! If Zsa Zsa Gabor can lie about her age, so can I.
Oh, and my life in Hollywood sucks because I don't own a car nor can afford one, which cuts about 70% of jobs that I'm actually qualified for otherwise. The other 30%? Well...
Oh, and you are a good writer, ridiculousfantastic.
I was earning $1500/week 6 years ago as an assistant and now make $350/week as an AP. Furthermore, when money got so tight that I had to re-applied for assistant jobs, a coordinator 1 year out of college told me that I'm underqualified. I've given up trying to figure out the logic.
Reading these comments made me happy to discover I'm not alone, but so desperately afraid I want to spare myself the agony of life and just die already.
My boss is so creepy he spies on me when he's out of the office using the security cameras and sends me an email if I do something he disapproves of.
I worked in NYC finance and for government headquarters in Washington, DC for years, have two degrees, yet in LA I'm apparently not qualified to be a dog walker. Got hit on at my first three job interviews out here and for awhile I was convinced that a reality TV cam/crew were following me around. Then I demoted my resume and still couldn't get work. A tanning salon turned me down!
I finally landed an interview off the UTA Job List after three months of applying for jobs from it. After a phone interview I went for a face-to-face interview and realized it was his apartment. When he opened the door he was wearing a button-down shirt that was not at all buttoned and proceeded to tell me that I got the job but I must be willing to sleep with whoever I can to get him exactly what he wanted, even him. I actually considered it.
I am now too broke to go out and see movies because I chose to work in film.
because I make too much money and feel guilty about it.
I can only take one bathroom break in my five-hour temp receptionist shift.
The good news the bosses at my internship love me and want me to work another day.
The bad news now I'm working 4 days a week unpaid with no chance of this leading to a paying gig.
I'm missing my horrible temp job today because of food poisoning I got from eating catered lunch from my horrible temp job yesterday.
I've worked in Chicago, New York, Boston and various points in between. I'm over-qualified for virtually every job and can't even land a gig in a mail room. Hollywood sucks.
GASOLINE - $50/week
FOOD - $70/week (if i cook)
WAKING UP AT 6AM EVERYDAY FOR AN UNPAID INTERNSHIP WITH NO PROMISE OF PROMOTION AND YOUR BOSS DOESN"T EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR PRESENCE:priceless
I've moved from the East with a degree and have gone on countless interviews, applied to every restaurant in the city, and have heard nothing. BUT the minute I apply for an internship, BAM reply right away. It's this fucked up trend to cut costs that is absolutely mad. Oh, and my cousin, who isn't even graduated yet, has like 5 job offers. F M L
I wrote a feature film, my producers screwed it up, it might not sell, if it does it might hurt my career. I've had an internship and been an assistant, but can't get a job and had to move to another state to live with parents. I've been here four months with no end in sight.
I finally got my first UEI check for $40... been waiting on it since the first week of Dec. 2010. Then landed a retail job the last week of Dec. 2010 and was let go over the phone when I called to get my schedule for this week because I am too good at what I do and it wouldn't be fair to employ me any longer. Still waiting on that check and working a temp job w/ an a--hole that insists on leaning over the back of my desk chair to speak to me (I am literally trapped between him and my desk). Did I mention he is a close talker and his breath smells like a rotting animal carcass in the summer. I miss working in production ;(
Was laid off from the highest grossing studio last September because they wanted to save 10 Million and my position was "redundant" then read the comments on the Huffington Post article about it and just loved how people grabbed a calculator to find the average of 188K, assuming we all made the same pay. Try maybe 1/6 of that, asshole, and now I'm unemployed with no leads working an unpaid internship. Oh, and my HR rep had steered me away from transferring to a new position because it was a big pay cut. I think unemployment is a bigger cut, bitch.
Because I helped a friend get a job in my department, only to find out she's the BIGGEST kiss ass and is moving in on my job. And lord knows everyone in this town loves a kiss ass.
i had to mail my bosses feces to a lab. oh lawd. two degrees. and its come to this.
I am in a state to applaud your creativity dude…how can you ever think that something as common as this can do like this.These one is just awesome and a refreshingly new article.
The first temp job I got since December... cancelled. The last film I worked on (for free) was purchased at Sundance, but my credit turned out to be... "intern", so guess who doesn't get deferred pay?!
I'm 28, and have over ten years of work experience. I graduated with honors and a Bachelor of Arts degree from a top film school. A job application just asked me if I've completed the first grade.
I'm a Personal Assistant.
I've worked all over the US and in Cannes. Can I get a call back on anything? No.
I am interning with two companies and struggling to get any assistant work or any type of PA set work, no one will call back, I am just getting into cold calling but with little light at the end of the tunnel! not to mention even getting restaurant work seems even harder! i've had half a dozen interviews have been offered two jobs then they pull out at the last minute.... WHAT AM I DOING WRONG!!!!!
Does any one have any suggestions? Or is it just this hard here?
I took a conference call while in bed with a 102 degree fever. Then my boss called to say I need to be working harder.
I've been looking for a permanent job for 2 years because of this damn recession. Went on interview for publicist asst last week where an Accountant interviewed me in place of the Publicist because they were busy. I then get an email saying they are going with another candidate when initially they wanted to take their time in recruiting. Now I see the same position still open on the "Temp Diaries"
When I asked why the pay was so low for assisting an A-list producer, was told they want someone that wants the job, not the paycheck.
been evicted, homeless, unemployed, charged for crimes I had nothing to do with, and back stabbed...
It's a rough world out here but Praise God, He will lift us up in His time. Wish you all the best. We can't give up. The rest of the world escapes through our dreams.
Been looking for full time work for 2 years. Got backstabbed from my last paying gig. Got let go from my internship when my boss tried to steal my project that i pitched to her. Not to mention thanking someone for giving you an opportunity in this town is scene as inappropriate. All i have to say is F this bullshit. I love how there are so many idiots who do the hiring these days. They choose to hire morons instead of smart people with a brain. What has the world come to. Take me back to pre 2007.
...Because I invested 30,000+ to better myself with a higher education, and now I go to work each day where I empty out my bosses trash and fetch him his coffee, not to mention the 30 other people that all need and want something out of me. All that hard work in the books as you can tell has paid off for me. I apply every day to at least five places, but it seems like you can only move up with if you have a title, I am more confused about what the heck it is I am supposed to be doing in life. The guy I am in love with and confessed that to has been using me for the past year, sure you say get rid of him, but I have to see him everyday, not by choice, it makes it so hard to have self confidence. I am a person of talent, but am terrified of believing in myself because I let my fears get the best of me. All I want is to just follow my dreams and be given a chance.
Because I'm smarter than the other unemployed workers here, including the one who thinks "irregardless" is a word,and the one who wrote "scene" instead of "seen." I was laid off by my boss (and now former friend) exactly two days after Christmas 2010, during an illegal forced hiatus at ABC, and I don't mean the Alcohol Bureau of lack of Control. Because a crazy writer-director who stalked me has a career, while my script about the deviant fool doesn't get a bite, and that bites. I have no problem getting a parking spot in Manhattan, but can't get a fucking break here after 24 years. Oops, am I allowed to say "fucking?" Fuck it.
I slept my way through a temp agency and still can't get hired.
Because I get cry-baby, whiny emails from my boss like this, "the window in front of me is making me nauseous with the birdpoop all over it. can office services maybe clean it today?"
AND I get a daily "List" email that are 98% personl & MAYBE 2% work related & I was hired as an Exec. Asst., not a personal asst.
I'm a published entertainment author and published journalist. I cover screenplays for a major talent/literary agency, and am sleeping in my car with my dog. Laid off from a 7-year radio broadcasting job, and don't make enough money to get a decent apartment in Los Angeles.
And I love this site. All of your comments are honest, refreshing, and sadly reflective of what many of us smart, qualified people are going through. I grew up in the entertainment industry with a TV/film producer father, but he's gone now, and I'm running up against the fierce "unsolicited material" rule when trying to submit screenplays to agents, managers, and studios.
But as one inspiring person wrote on this site, we can never give up, give in, or abandon our dreams.
Good luck to everyone.
After graduating college I received a job as an executive assistant for a production/casting company. After loyally working 9 months for less then minimum wage, no lunch breaks, no over time and always working a 60 hour week I was fired (via email after closing the office up at midnight) because another casting office emailed me interested in offering me a job with higher pay. How my boss came across the email in my personal inbox I will never know, but the worst part is that I had told the offering casting office I was not interested because I felt I couldn't leave my boss in such a time of need. So in the long run being loyal to a company proved nothing and Hollywood is teaching me the hard way to become extremely selfish to get ahead. No thanks.
I've been in entertainment for 4 years.........and somehow manage to be paid less than the day I started.
Because I'm about to graduate terrified that I won't find employment and default on my loans
I was blamed for a creditor charging my boss' business account for a medical bill of her daughter's that she failed to pay. She swore up and down that I must have given them approval to take the money and screamed at me for days. After calling and calling them I found out that they charged her becuase she gave them her billing info and had promised to mail a money order... After I relayed this info all I got was an "Oh".
Sent out 20 resumes for jobs I'm overqualified for in hopes that ONE of them will just give me a phone interview. After doing that I went down to the street to move my car for street sweeping only to find out it had been towed. I paid the $489 in ransom for my car only to get back to my tiny apartment with e-mails from two separate friends who are having out of the country weddings this summer... So, all of those min. wage jobs should be coming in handy to pay off student loans, rent, traveling and not to mention wedding gifts. FML
Where do I even begin... I am an Office Peon and I get walked over more than your average door mat. On a seemingly daily basis I have to deal with the dreaded Stage Mom, the self absorbed actor, the pretentious co-worker and Hollywood Hopefuls. Instead of getting mad I write a blog about all my misadventures. Check it out http://confessionsofanofficepeon.tumblr.com/post/19189073415/the-one-about-mr-moneybags
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