Day 14: Bad News Happens October 5, 2009

Ok so I wouldn’t say that I got horrible news. But I mean it’s another kink in my plans.

So back two weeks ago I emailed the Broadcasting Production head and asked about how I could get involved with them. The guy seemed very excited that I had reached out to them asking about information. So I sent my resume to the guy who he directed me to.

Well that guy called me today. He basically said, we’ll try to help you but it doesn’t look too good. We’ll keep you in mind. He gave me some leads to other places that I could apply to. He was a super nice guy but the news was a little disheartening. I just want to hold a camera for crying out loud. There was something about a union, but it was never specified which one exactly.

The point is, you can try and try and try and you might get bad news every time. Don’t lose hope or give up because of bad news. Bad news happens. Bad news may direct you to good news. I now have a few more places to send my resume and a new contact to add to my book. I also gained experience in talking to professional people. You can learn something from everything, even bad news.

While I am sad that things have to be the way they are right now, it’s ok. I love my job and getting to talk to so many different people. I am content with life for now. That’s all that matters.

Onward to the Dream

Days 12, 13, and 14: The Importance of Friends

This weekend I had some friends come and visit me.

It was a very exciting and fun time. Friends are extremely important in your quest for following your dreams. Surrounding yourself with a network of people that are going to support you helps you grow and gives you some extra courage to continue your quest. Having friends that support you is important for many reasons. Hopefully they are truthful with you. They will help guide you and may even help connect you, if it is at all possible. They encourage you and cheer you up. They laugh with you and are real with you. If they aren’t then they aren’t your friends.

This weekend’s tip is to keep yourself surrounded with supportive friends. They are great for encouragement and guidance. They will help and support you, each step of the way. Also, be sure to laugh and relax as much as possible. Life is too short to be miserable. That’s what friends are for, pick me ups, support, and fun.

Day 8: Bills September 27, 2009

Eventually, on your quest to reach your dream/ dream job, you have to face real life. Real life is hard. It can be really really hard.

My first set of bills started to come in yesterday. I sat down and started writing them, making sure I would have enough money. I have enough money, but barely. This means I will have to start dipping into my savings. Especially since I will have to start paying back my school loans in November. I don’t think that I am ready for all of this, but I’m going to have to be.

It’s not that I haven’t been searching for a job. I totally have. I have even been sending resumes everywhere, but it’s hard. Things will be better once I go through with my Part Time transfer. Hopefully in working at MK I will get to know more people who can help me reach my goal of management or entertainment work. For now, it’s a hard thing.

Best thing is to never give up. I am going to help out over at the club house and close for a few nights. That should get me some extra cash or a small break on my rent. I’m not sure yet, I have to go over and talk to them tomorrow. Always good to keep your head high and your sights long.

P.S. I went to a church today. It was cool, but small and that’s different from what I am used to. I am going to check out a different one next week and see which one I prefer.

Day 6 & 7: Remember why you started

So yesterday I was busy. I was busy remembering why I wanted to follow this dream in the first place. I took some time to visit the Magic Kingdom and to go to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.

Today I was just lazy. I hang out around the complex and had some very stimulating conversations in the clubhouse about Film and Government/Socialism. It was interesting. Apparently I did learn a lot in school.

But these two days have proved to be a good learning/stepping stone for me.

The first thing I learned was that it is good to remember why you started chasing your dream in the first place. I was able to see this during my time at the Magic Kingdom. Kids and adults were just amazed at what happens. Of course, you get those few people who are grumpy, mean, and rude, but for the most part everything just wanted to have an awesome time. If someone can put a smile on their faces, it makes me smile. As I like to say, I’m in the business of smiles. Also, Disney is in the Entertainment business. I LOVE entertaining people. It is so much fun and it brings so much joy to others.

One of my life goals is to be a part of something bigger than myself. Disney helps me do that, but I can’t work in attractions my entire life. I was meant to do more. I wish I could help Disney as a company remember that it all started with a dream. Disney is supposed to be in the business of Dreams and they seem to be forgetting that. We all forget about what business we are in sometimes.

I also learned that you can learn a LOT from others. If we all just took the time to listen to one another and to hear their point of view on things, we may find the answers to a lot of big questions. It is so awesome to have stimulating conversations. I am going to strive to have one every day.

Day 3: Do not get discouraged! September 23, 2009

So I haven’t heard anything from Mr. Ashe, the man I was told to send my resume to. I have decided to give it a week before emailing him again. But this lesson today is a good one. Discouragement.

I find that it is very easy to get discouraged. Now, more than ever, it is a good idea to teach ourselves to hold our heads high. Having and upbeat and positive attitude throughout your day, no matter what is going on, will help you have a positive attitude in all situations.

For example, today they asked me to come into work. Since I am broke and have lots of bills to pay I literally jumped out of bed, freshened up, packed lunch and headed to work. Now would be a good time to mention that I am sick with a nasty congestion. My voice comes and goes and I have coughing fits. It has made me tired and sometimes cranky. To put it simple, my couch and I have been good friends for the past few days. But I went to work anyway. I had to remind myself to stay positive and cheerful and so I did. Lots of other people were down, but I had already made up my mind to stay cheerful. Which is why the no response thing isn’t bothering me too much.

I have dedicated my night to watching youtube videos of my favorite Broadway singers, singing songs that you normally wouldn’t hear them sing.

Adam Pascal ~What I Did For Love

John Tartaglia ~ Disney Whore

etc.

I also got some cool news in the mail. I had sent away for information about Full Sail University. A University that specializes in show production, video production, film, video games, basically a school for creative arts and media. It is very interesting and I am considering going to see the campus. I am hoping that I can find a job that will help with tuition reimbursement and be able to go. It looks interesting.

I am dreading my bills coming in at the end of the week and having to pay them later this week. But this is life and this is life trying to make your dreams come true. It may mean living on the rough side for a bit, but I’m prepared.

“Always look on the bright side of life” ~ Monty Python

Day 2: Follow Your Heart To Pursue Your Dreams September 21, 2009

Hey All!

Today is Day 2 in my 365 days of Following Your Dreams blog! An Amazing Series of events have happened to me.

As I have stated one of my passions is video production. I love the idea of entertaining people through videos. There’s something about creating a commercial that will catch people’s eyes or shooting an interview promoting a new film or TV show. I love being able to hold a camera and just record. It’s actually a lot of fun. I have a creative mind so it works.

Today, while I was at the outlets filling out applications for a part time job a thought occurred to me. Why not go over to Downtown Disney and try to apply at some of the restaurants there because they are not staffed through Disney. So I walked over and got the same response from most of the restaurants, “we’re not hiring right now.” I am beginning to resent that phrase. I decided to walk around and just enjoy the beginning of the afternoon before it got too hot. I was walking past Ghirardelli Chocolate when I was stopped. Then I noticed that I was stopped because there was filming going on. So I asked the man who had stopped me if this was something that occurred through Disney. He replied yes and he gave me the name of the production company and the name of the man in charge of the broadcast production area of Disney. I was Thrilled! I walked around for a little and then ran to my car, drove home (Happily singing Shania Twain’s UP) and emailed this man right away.

The response: They are always interested in part time cast members who have production knowledge. This made me extremely excited and I am off to send my resume to their Resource Manager.

Lesson: When you are feeling compelled about something, follow that feeling. It will most likely lead you to something that may change your course forever!

NEVER STOP BELIEVING IN YOUR DREAMS!

365 Days of Chasing Dreams: Day 1

Hello All and Welcome!

My name is Lauren and I graduated from Penn State University in May 2009. After earning my degree in Telecommunications (focus in Broadcast/Video production) and a fascinating minor in Theatre, I have begun the search for a “real life” career. After an entire summer of applying to small production companies who weren’t even looking for new hires, sending resumes to television stations that were laying off, and working long days at a local diner, I have decided to take things into my own hands and move to sunny Orlando, Florida.

WHY The Move? Yes, it is true that I didn’t have to pay nearly as much as I am paying now in rent while living with my parents and I had all the comforts of people I love and a nice home, but I didn’t have a job. I also wasn’t finding a bite, or rather a bite that I knew would make me happy. I would rather be happy starting out in my career life, then miserable. I moved to Orlando because of Walt Disney World. I had completed their College Program during the Fall of 2008 and was welcomed back as a seasonal employee this past summer. More importantly, I knew I would absolutely LOVE my job. It meant making sacrifices and they weren’t easy ones to make. I miss home very very much. Fall and Winter don’t exist here in Florida.

THE JOB: Why not start at entry level and work your way up? Well, I thought about that. I applied for some entry level jobs filing tapes at TV studios and got no reply. Now wait a minute, I was a great student who ended up with a 3.40 GPA (pretty good), I interned with WPSU Sports and the Big Ten Network and a small video production company, not to mention was an employee of the Walt Disney World Company. Why wasn’t I getting any interviews? Why was my field so hard to break into? And as a girl, too. How many women cameramen do you see? Exactly. Anyways, since I had done the College Program before, I knew I would love working for Disney again.

WHY Do i Love It? Because it’s fun. I get to wear silly looking costumes and make people’s day brighter. I get to play a role in something bigger than I am. I have the power to make magic happen and watch dreams come true. I have the best job in the world. Sure it pays next to nothing and I’m living alone in a place I cannot afford. Sure I am having to dig a little into my savings and eat less lavish food. Sure it’s HARD, but no one ever said it was going to be easy.

I decided to make this blog because not enough people follow their dreams. Too many of us settle for what is “ok” for us. We stop chasing when we are comfortable. Most people don’t like to face trying times. We are comfortable working in tiny cubicles at a job we hate because it allows us to have money. The world is all about money. I know this because the company I am working for has decided that money is more important than Magic. What this company doesn’t understand is that The Company itself was BUILT on Magic and Dreams. Companies lose sight of their goals too, because most companies lessen their product because it gives them more money.

My question to you is WHY? Why do we settle for less?

I’m not going to be able to make it more than a year working for dirt with no benefits. So we’ll give this a shot. I challenge you to follow me as I embark on a journey to follow my dreams. What are my dreams you may ask? I’m not entirely sure that I know. However, I do know that I like to entertain people. I love making people smile, I like to sing and dance and be crazy. I like watching people’s dreams come true and hope that my dreams come true as well. I know that I love Disney and would love to work for them in any way that I can. Which is why I am starting small. I also dream that I meet Prince Charming and have a family, but we will cross that bridge when we get to it. My Dream is to be Successful doing what I love to do.

I hope along the way I can inspire you to somehow follow your dreams as well.

Officially Graduated May 17, 2009

Today, at 12 noon, I officially graduated from the Pennsylvania State University in the field of Telecommunications with a minor in Theatre. Wow that sounds….official. I even got two degrees. One for my major and one for my minor. It was nice, though the road to graduation was stressful, especially that last few days.

My sister headed to her Senior Prom on Friday. She is the last of my children in my family to go to her senior prom. Though her exit was fast, the preparation for this day was a week long thing. We had to clean the house from top to bottom, get nails done, pick up the dress, buy snacks, and so on. She was a princess and certainly looked like one as she headed off to the prom with a very cute and very sweet boy. From what I hear, she had fun.

Right after that, ok more like an hour after that, my mom’s friend arrived with the car we were taking up to Penn State. She was late, of course, so I suppose this fueled the stress a little more. The long car ride and my 4 hour playlist was ok. It’s amazing the difference great music can make. I have a new song too: Lift Me Up by Kate Voegele. Pretty much anything by Kate Voegele is really good. We arrived late and my parents wanted to take me out drinking. I was so not in the mood. But I went, the bars were packed so I was stressing…and suggested we go to the diner. So we did.

Today the yelling started when I woke up. 4 ppl to a hotel room is crazy with showers and everything. Cause for a lot of fighting and stuff. But we made it through to Graduation. But with lack of sleep and food, by the car ride back we were back to bickering again. The break for dinner at a great restaurant in West Chester was fun.

Over all, I think today was really good. Everyone was stressed. It happens. I know I was stressed. I have been so worried about making my little sister’s prom the perfect one, that I really hadn’t taken time to reflect on my day. And now that it’s here and gone, it’s nice. I mean I have a lot of learning left to do, but I can now do it on my own time.

As for a job, that will come on it’s own time. The speaker today said that we should do things on our own time. Because we can appreciate all that life has to offer. I have been in touch with a few different places. Trying to send out a few resumes a day and see where it puts me. Disney is still an option as well. However, right now, I think it’s time for a vacation. I want to go on a trip. To a place. With a friend. That’s all. I dunno where, I dunno who, I just want to go.

So here we go. Here comes life. Real Life.

I graduated. Yay!

Am I Marketable? March 13, 2009

I’m not going to lie:

As my college graduation nears in this dreadful economy I often ask myself if I will be able to find a job upon graduation. I seem to have a good resume, I have an idea of what I want to do in the working world and I have been told I have a great personality. I am hard working and tend to love most of the things that I do. I also love people! 

So am I marketable?

I believe so. 

What makes me marketable? Just about everything!

The most important thing that makes me marketable is personality. I am hardworking, independent and a team player, I love learning new things and trying new things, I am a people person and for the most part, I am happy. I believe in building relationships with people. I love life. I think it’s beautiful and while I don’t know exactly what I want to do, I know what I want to try.

I worked for Disney. I LOVE Disney. I think it’s a great company to work for. Aside from learning that your boss can be your friend, I learned great work ethic  and amazing customer service. I learned how much fun it can be doing something that you love and how happy you can be in the working world. Sure, it was hard. It had it’s ups and downs, so does life. 

I’m a Social! I just recently got into social networking BIG time! I am on Twitter and I am addicted to Twitter. I love talking with people and learning from them. In fact, one of my friends showed me an awesome website to help me build my own website (not one on iWeb haha). It’s great! 

I love to think outside the box. I sort of learned the from Disney too. Always find new ways to make your day and the guest experience different and fun! I love being creative. I like to write fiction, play pretend, draw, and come up with new ideas. It may take me a while and i may need some inspiration, but I love being creative!

 I like to organize, read, and write. I love talking to people and smiling. 

I have one goal in life: to make people smile.

So it may take some work. I will need to search high and low. I will need to talk to a lot of people. 

I will find the job that is right for me. I may have to take a job or two that I hate. I may have to go and learn new things. But I will do what I love to do!

So if you are graduating or in college and asking yourself if you are marketable…think of your assets. You may find yourself more marketable than you think!

Where Do We Go From Here? February 19, 2009

So tonight was a little emotional. I was talking to my mom and she asked me about my facebook status which currently states: Lauren is hoping she is dong the right thing, but isn’t sure. 

What did I mean?

I meant I have no idea where I want to go after Graduation in May. I LOVED working for Disney and would give everything to work for them again. I need to network more down there which is hard to do up here. There is a summer alumni program for the College Program and it’s working in the parks which would give me more opportunity to experience Disney as a company and I would love to do that, it would just be hard for me to be away from my family again for another summer. Miss another family experience. I already missed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. I don’t want to miss any more. I know that I have to grow up and move on and do my own thing, but I love my family so much. I feel like all the time I have with them is precious. I wish we could relocate to Florida…all of us, grandparents included. But that will not happen. 

I know I want to work with videography and editing. I love doing that kind of stuff. Mixing music for videos, making video blogs, and I love learning about it. I feel like I haven’t had enough opportunities to do that. I am now learning photoshop on my own. 

I love to write! I am working on a novel and I love writing, especially about Disney and Love. I love doing character analysis studies and so on. 

I love singing and acting and I would love to perform somewhere…anywhere. I LOVE performing. I am currently in the Children’s show as RAINBOW FISH!!! I am excited. It’s something I love to do. I also love technical theatre work. I’m not advanced in it, but I love it. I know how to build sets and how to dress a mic. 

How do you put all of this on a resume? How do you market yourself like this? How do you tell people who you are? How do you find a good job in a market like this that is something that you LOVE to do? 

So many questions, I wish I had answers.

Until then, I’ll be searching and trying to figure out what I want from life. I know one thing, I just want to be happy.