I’ve been asked about this so many times that I decided to compile a list of some of the best resources I’ve discovered since I've lived here in LA. Certainly don’t get overwhelmed by this list. I really also did it for myself so I can come back to it when I need it.
Honestly, one of your best bets for finding work is to meet people. That's what everyone says, but I've found it to be true, all the way. Go to networking events as much as you can. Don't expect to get a job through the first person you have a conversation with. It's not just about connections, it's about relationships. You can have connections with anyone, but it's a relationship that'll win you work. You’ll find some of your best connections in the places you least expect, and with the people you least expect it from. That’s how I got the job I have now. Try to go to anything you're invited to - especially at first. This list will help get you started with job searches, but there are so many more resources out there.
Here are some resources for:
Temp Agencies
Job Hunting
Housing
Vehicle Registration
Cost of Living in LA
Temp Agencies
Ok, I LOVED temping. This is a great thing to do while you job search. You get to meet and work with different people, and get jobs you wouldn’t normally think to look for. Best of all, you’ve got the temp agency selling you to companies, instead of you trying to sell yourself. So go in there to the temp office for your interview, impress them with a friendly personality, show your ambition, and let the magic happen. Every temp agency is different as far as their interview process. With some, it’s difficult to get an interview at all. With others, you choose your own time. Get on as many temp agency lists as possible. Always allow a couple hours for your interviews because they test your computer skills and the application process is often lengthy.
AppleOne Employment
I loved temping for AppleOne. I've been told that the only AppleOne branch that provides temp services for the entertainment industry is the branch in Glendale. Diana is an awesome person btw. The people who work in this branch are great. www.appleone.com Disney uses AppleOne for their temp needs. I started out on an assignment at Disney that was to take 3 days and ended up spending a month there.
325 West Broadway
Glendale, CA 91204
(818) 240-8230
Go to their website, and select your own interview time, and show up! If you fill out an application online, it’ll save you tons of time in the office when you go for your interview.
The Friedman Agency
http://www.friedmanpersonnel.com/
They are tough to get an interview with. If you aren’t accepted the first time, wait a few weeks, write a new cover letter and send your resume again. Some of the Talent Agencies use them for their temp needs, such as the Creative Artists Agency (CAA), William Morris Agency, etc.
Corestaff
http://www.corestaff.com/
Star Staffing
http://www.starstaffingservices.com/about.htm
Co-Op Temp Agency
Contact Person: Jill Motaman
323-655-1009
8447 Wilshire Ste 210
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
www.cooptemp.com
The Comar Agency
http://www.comaragency.com/
310-248-2700
9615 Brighton Way Ste 313
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
This is an exclusively entertainment temp agency that provides services for many major entertainment companies.
Spherion
www.spherion.com
Warner Bros uses this temp agency.
A+ Employment Co, Inc
www.theemploymentco.com
818-840-0998
4111 W. Alameda Ave Ste 303
Burbank, CA 91505
Executive Temps – I’ve heard great things about this one.
818-563-2939
2321 West Olive Ave
Burbank, CA 91506
www.executive-temps.com
This is also an exclusively entertainment temp agency that provide services for major entertainment companies.
A note about Temping…
When you are given an assignment, go in there, enjoy the work, and have fun with the people you’re working with. At the end of your assignment, if you feel you have the rapport with them, ask the people you’re working for to mention it to the agency if they liked working with you. The agencies like this – you’re making them look good too, and then they’re much more likely to send you on future assignments. Be willing to drive a little ways to an assignment if you can afford it – you’re more likely to be considered for an assignment. Some people temp for a couple years, and many people find their permanent jobs through temping. If you’re interested in working as an agent OR even as a producer, try to get a job as a floater, assistant, or even in a mailroom at a talent agency. The Big Five talent agencies are: Creative Artists Agency, Endeavor Talent Agency, William Morris Agency, United Talent Agency, and International Creative Management.
Job Hunting
Entertainment Careers
http://www.entertainmentcareers.net/
I liked this one because as a member, you can view job postings 24 hours before they're made available to the public. Membership is $4.95 first month, then $9.95/month after that.
Media-Match
http://media-match.com/ For freelancing. It costs $10/month or $5 if you're a recent graduate.
ABC Jobs
http://abc.go.com/site/jobs.html?lid=ABCCOMGlobalFooter&lpos=JOBS
CBS Jobs
http://www.cbscorporation.com/careers/index.php
Disney
https://disney.recruitmax.com/main/careerportal/default.cfm?szUniqueCareerPortalID=d806a3ad-06f5-4622-b614-74475b752e8e&szIsJobBoard=0
Focus Features uses GE:
http://www.ge.com/careers/
Mandy
http://www.mandy.com/
MTV Networks
https://jobhuntweb.viacom.com/jobhunt/main/terms.asp
Paramount
https://careers.paramount.com/psc/PSEA/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM.HRS_CE.GBL?FolderPath=PORTAL_ROOT_OBJECT.HC_HRS_CE_GBL2&IsFolder=false&IgnoreParamTempl=FolderPath,IsFolder
Or you can click here and find it this way:
http://www.paramount.com/paramount.php
Production Hub
http://www.productionhub.com/jobs/
Sony
http://www.resmatic.net/spe/
Time Warner
https://careers.timewarner.com/1033/asp/tg/cim_home.asp?partnerid=391&siteid=36
The Weinstein Company
http://careers.vurvexpress.com/default.cfm?szWID=14146&szCID=63659&szSiteID=466&rss=0
The UTA Job list is posted fresh here: http://www.tempdiaries.com/p/job-list.html
Now, before you get too excited about this list – it’s overrated. Some of the listings are legitimate, but often the ads on there have dead email addresses. I was informed of this by an employee of the William Morris Agency, who is on the other side of it. From what I understand, there are requirements for companies in posting job openings in a certain number of places, so the way to get around having to deal with the onslaught of responses is to put an email address that won’t get checked. The major agencies hardly will hire someone unless they come recommended from from someone within the agency.
You may want to consider joining this group: http://groups.google.com/group/unemployment-sucks/. Ads are typically for PA's, POC's, and assistant positions.
And last but not least – is www.losangeles.craigslist.org
I got several interviews through Craigslist, some great, and some not so good. And it’s actually where you’re probably going to get more responses. But, do be careful - it can be sketchy. I had a nightmarish interview that I got through Craigslist. The man who interviewed me is now in prison for assaults. That was my introduction to LA, less than 2 weeks after I moved here.
Publications:
The Variety is a wonderful resource for staying in the loop with what's going on here in the industry:
http://www.variety.com/
Job postings: http://thebiz.variety.com/find/US/jobs
IMDb Pro is great for information on every film, including budgets, upcoming projects, projects in every stage, and there are also jobs posted on there. There’s a 14 day free membership, if you'd like to test it.
http://pro.imdb.com/ This is the site that I use most frequently right now but if you're really watching your $$ don't feel like you have to sign up for it immediately.
Another great publication is The Hollywood Reporter
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/index.jsp
Job postings: http://www.mediajobmarket.com/jobs/index.jsp
Someone suggested the Hollywood Creative Directory. It’s expensive and I haven’t tried it, but it could be helpful to some. It might be more helpful for actors regarding agencies and managers.
http://www.hcdonline.com/
Housing
Need to find a place to live? Here are some awesome housing tips!
One of the best websites I’ve ever found is www.housingmaps.com. A friend told me about this – it’s great because it cross-references craigslist with googlemaps so you can much more easily search in the area you want to live. You can choose your price range, and whether you’re looking for a roomshare, apartment, or sublet, etc. Click on a tack to get a brief description of each place. It is craigslist ultimately – so…you'll find plenty of ads that aren't legit too.
One of the most reliable services is http://www.westsiderentals.com/. You’ll pay $60 bucks for 1 month of service, but it’ll save you money and headache after the fact. They’re pretty trustworthy largely because people have to pay for the service. Check it out first by just going to the website, and respond to the Instant Message you receive when you first open the site. Tell them exactly what you’re looking for in what area, and they will send you an email of what they have available. IM them questions, they’re pretty helpful, all before you even have to pay the 60 bucks. There are lots of roommates services – roommates.com, and many others:
http://www.ApartmentGuide.com/
http://www.Rent.com/
There’s always Craigslist: http://losangeles.craigslist.org
http://www.Rentnet.com (a service of www.Realtor.com )
http://www.Fastrental.com/
http://www.Getarent.com/
http://www.AlloverLA.com/
Vehicle Registration
Becoming legal….Now this stuff kinda sucks, but you have to pretty much do this to keep from getting some hefty fines. Here is a calculator to see about what it might cost for you to register your vehicle in California, if you moved here from out of state. You're required to do this WITHIN 20 days of moving here: https://mv.dmv.ca.gov/FeeCalculatorWeb/index.jsp
If you bought a car and moved here within 3 months of purchasing your car, you will have to pay whatever the difference in taxes is from your state’s tax rate to California’s state tax rate if California's is higher. Trust me, California’s tax rate is probably higher.
You’ll have to get a smog test, and get a California Drivers License. Check out the main website: http://www.dmv.ca.gov/
The public transportation system is not very accommodating - you pretty much should plan to own your own car. It’s not like London where you can just hop on the tube every day to get to work, or even like San Francisco. And by the way, watch out for those metro buses on the streets! They pretty much own the road.
It’s best if you can manage to wait to sign a year long lease before finding your job. Chances are, you’ll get a job on the opposite side of the city, and it’ll take you an hour and half to get to work one way. Every story you’ve heard about the bad traffic is true.
Cost of Living
This is taken from www.HollywoodConnect.com website and I have found it to be good advice and quite accurate:
Have money saved up. Life in Los Angeles is expensive.
* You will need at least $2,000.00 for car registration, insurance and apartment rental deposits.
* Figure out what your normal monthy expenses will be and plan on bringing at least three months of money with you. There is a lot of competition for relatively few industry jobs. Many people spend months trying to secure even entry-level employment. (If you end up living in one of the more desirable areas in the LA area you can expect to spend from $700 to 900 for a bachelor apartment and anywhere from $900 to $1,600 for a one bedroom -- sometimes even more. Water is usually included with an apartment, thus you will need to pay for electricity, gas, a phone, etc. yourself. On average you'll probably spend around $40/month for electricity (not including air conditioning), $15 a month for gas, $40 for a regular phone, and $20 to 45 a month for Internet depending on connection speed.)
* Think twice about coming if you have large debt – If you have a large debt, we recommend waiting and paying off as much of your outstanding debt BEFORE moving to Los Angeles. Otherwise, because of the high cost of living and the unstable freelance nature of the Arts and Entertainment industry, those with high debt spend the first few years of life in Los Angeles in “survival mode” with no time to pursue their “Calling”
Thanks HollywoodConnect. Hollywood Connect is fabulous! I got my job through meeting someone at one of their orientation/networking meetings.
There are some great networking tools out there too...maybe next blog. Or if you're looking, let me know, and I'll give you some ideas of places to check out.
Does this help? Your comments or questions are welcome.
