Reaching for the Stars in Hollywood - From Management Consulting to Entertainment by William Henderson '95

Are you feeling anxious at the thought of making a career switch in the midst of a recession? Daunting though it may be, it is possible. This is my story about how I “reached for the stars” and recently transitioned from being a management consultant to becoming an industry specialist in entertainment, one of the most competitive industries around. Using these search strategies and methodologies, I was able to land my “dream” job in nine-weeks, through the combined utilization of a project plan, a strong network including the Cal Alumni and Haas Alumni Network, and persistence in achieving my goals in light of the challenges in the current market environment.

Having spent several years as a project manager for a leading consulting firm, I decided to organize my job search in the same manner that I would manage a multi-million dollar project. Based on discussions with Melanie Summers, the Director of the California Alumni Association (CAA)’s Alumni Career Services, and other expert studies from sources such as Hotjobs.com and Monster.com, I estimated that a successful job search was likely to take an average of 12 weeks, Here is a brief summary of the steps that I took to successfully complete my job search within 9 weeks of kick-off:

1. Developed a 12 week project plan complete with weekly and long-term goals and objectives, action steps, deliverables and contacts for each week.

2. Organized a “job search committee” of over 250 people by sending emails to friends, family and former colleagues around the world stating my career objectives, job search goals and current resume. Additionally, I followed up with phone calls to former Berkeley Alums, supervisors and colleagues. I also invited several of these folks for meals and coffee to thank them for their assistance and to ask them for job search techniques.

3. Attended at least 5 networking events per week, including the September All-UC Alumni Career Conference in Pasadena.. These events helped me build confidence, gain key insight into the nebulous entertainment industry and grow my network of contacts. Additionally, I volunteered to help at some key events. This allowed me not only to enjoy free admission, but also helped me grow my network and meet influential organizers and speakers of the events.

4. Utilized job listings from key entertainment and other job posting sites. I also maintained a comprehensive database of jobs applied for, the contact person for each, and the status of application. Before sending out a “generic” resume and cover letter, I researched the position and company and tried to find a contact at the organization through my network. I tailored my cover letters to signify that I was particularly keen on their organization, culture and position, based on my discussions with fellow employees and research into their company. This made a significant difference in the kind of responses and feedback I received.

5. Focused my search to the seven major Hollywood studios and found a key contact person (often a Cal Alum) at each of these companies to discuss new job opportunities regularly. Through these contacts, I was often introduced to the heads of recruiting, and developed a rapport with each of these influential people. This helped significantly in getting immediate responses about specific job opportunities.

6. Developed relationships with several executive recruiters who were recommended through my network. Recruiters are very influential in opening doors to many companies, so it was good to incorporate some of them into my job search strategy. They definitely learn about job opportunities sooner than many of the job boards report.

7. Sent thank-you notes and a follow-up announcement to my network including my former college friends, colleagues, family, recruiters and anyone else that proved pivotal throughout my job search to announce my success in landing my “dream” job with the MPA (Motion Picture Association) in Worldwide Market Research.