My goals for my career and how I plan to obtain them

From my experience in my internship i am currently working at, I have learned there is more I need to do then just expanding my skills. I do have a lot of prior experience in some of the job areas that I've been a part of. However, there is so much more I can be training to do. Most of my experience is with video camera work, photography, and editing. Though my current internship is not really putting me in the field, it is showing me a lot of what I need to know to before I do get a real hands on gig in the industry. I've been learning a bit on what it means to be a PA (Productions Assistant). There are aspects of that job I didn't know existed. I've always worked on more advance jobs  in production and never realized how important the minor jobs are, like looping wires, testing and setting up lights, inventory and many other jobs. Not only do I now know what else I need to learn and improve on, but I've decided to do something I haven't done in years in order to be successful when working as a PA: I need to start working out again. I should have figured how much heavy lifting I'd be doing and how much of that equipment I'd be moving around. So, before i do graduate and get a real job in the film indurstry I plan on going back to the gym. I'm not doing that for anyone but myself and for the sake of my ability to progress in my career.

As I've said I have experience with filming, photography, and editing. they are things I would like to expand my skills on regardless of how many years I spent investing time in learning the trade and applying it to my jobs and school work. I just managed to get another internship in a Film and Television Company this summer located near me. From what they have told me, I can tell it's the perfect internship for me to expand my skills and train in other types of jobs involving production. I will be editing, filming, photographing, and helping out with social media as well. It's a full work day, four days a week, for 3 full months. It's a good experience that will prepare me for the long work days that the book Careers In Media talks about. However before I start, I plan to brush up on my skills that I haven't used in a while. I keep all my text books from my films classes in case I need them in the near future. Before the end of the school semester I will be going back to the books to keep everything fresh in my mind foe when I start the internship. 

The book mentions that the business field is a good area to have experience in for the film industry. I just so happen to be a business minor. I do prefer to work in the on hand aspect of the industry as oppose to just the business aspect. I chose to be a business minor, because I can never have to much experience in  certain career. I felt that in case I didn't get a job in the on hand or set related aspect of film, then I would still have the business behind the scenes aspect. So, that being said I have the ability or am working on my ability to work in pre-production even though most of my experience is in production and post-production. The only thing I really have to do regarding my resume is updating it with my internship information for when i graduate Queens College. I already have experience on there that landed me two internships and overall three internship interview in a four months period. 

I do have connections in the industry who I have already contacted for when I am done with college. Many of which I know personally and are fond of me and are willing to help me get in the mix. I know I can't rely on just that. I plan on doing as many jobs in and out of college to gain both experience and some finances. However, once I get out of college I don't plan on doing many free jobs because I would need to support myself somehow. I've done some in the past nothing major like the motion picture jobs mentioned in the book. Most of all I would like to direct. I do plan on working my way up there one day, but to be a director I need to be tough, which I'm not so that is something I really need to improve on. Even today, I have become a pushover for some people. As a director you can't be a pushover you have to be assertive. Even though that is a long term goal. I plan to start toughening up long before I get there, because honestly I need a thick skin to work in the film industry.