A COLLABORATIVE POST
WRITTEN BY BOOM BOX POST
So you graduated during a pandemic, now what?
A little over a month ago colleges across the country held virtual commencement ceremonies for the graduating class of 2020. If you were one of the many to graduate during this turbulent time you may be asking yourself, “What do I do now?”
It’s no secret that the state of our world has been completely turned on its head this year. As the professional world moved to find work at home solutions, many people lost their jobs. Being a recent grad at a time when unemployment is at an all time high can’t be easy. While I can’t help you get a job, I can try and provide some steps to take during this time that will hopefully benefit you once the world is back up and running.
Internships
Let me start off by saying, I know how it feels. You just graduated and you’re ready to hit the ground running. You want to find a job, get paid, and start working off some of those student loans. While it might not be your ideal solution, if job hunting has come to a standstill I highly recommend looking into possible remote intern opportunities. Even if you have already done a million internships during your time at school, paid or unpaid internships can only help you in the long run. I am the perfect example of that. I was out of school working a VERY part-time job desperately searching for something full-time. The position I am in now is the result of a 4 month internship I participated in at Boom Box Post a full year out of college. A FULL YEAR! It might feel like a step back at the time, but additional experience to add to your resume is never a bad thing. So if you think finding employment these next few months is unlikely, gaining experience any way you can is a great idea.
While I wish our Boom Box Post internship was possible remotely, I do know that a lot of bigger companies/studios such as NBCUniversal are still running their programs.
Side-note: If you are dead-set on joining our team as an intern, we hope to be back up and running again as soon as possible. In the meantime, feel free to apply to the program on our website. Please pick and apply to the semester you would like to take part in. Once we are able to reopen, all applicants will be considered!
Resumes, Cover Letters, & Demo Reels
This brings us to my next tip, which is to utilize this down-time to perfect your resume and cover letter. Additionally, if you are entering a creative field where potential employers are likely to request a sample of your work, spend this time polishing your demo reel.
This doesn’t have to mean sitting in a dark room, staring at your computer screen, obsessing over the tiniest of details. You and your recent grad friends can swap resumes and proofread each other’s cover letters. Maybe even send a copy of these materials to a professor you really connected with while at school. Another option is to reach out to your school's student resource office. It’s their job to help you with these things! You paid a lot of money to go to school, take advantage of these resources. Any and all eyes you can get to view these materials will only be beneficial to you.
With a freshly vamped resume/cover letter/demo reel, you’ll be ahead of your peers and ready to apply to ALL the jobs once the world reopens. Listed below are a number of tools to help you master these materials:
10 Resume Writing Tips to Help You Land a Job (Indeed.com)
My personal go-to resume site: resume-now.com
7 Expert Tips for Writing an A+ Cover Letter (Glassdoor.com)
Guidelines for Making a Sound Design Demo Reel (AudioCookbook.org)
Also, check out these two blog posts written by Boom Box Post’s co-owner Jeff Shiffman: 5 Tips for Breaking into Post Sound & How to Get a Job As a Sound Editor
Freelancing
Ok, so what if internships aren’t a realistic possibility for you and you already have an incredible resume? Well, if you’re reading our blog I assume you are interested in a career in audio. While it may not be possible to start at a studio during this time, let’s brainstorm some possible jobs that could be hiring. Immediately my mind goes to podcasts. While most studios have shut down production, podcasters across the globe are still recording from their bedrooms. This means someone has to edit them, right? Dialogue editing is always a major resume booster in the audio world. Therefore, if you can find it, I recommend doing some freelance podcast work!
Here’s a great post all about the business of freelance sound design. Click here to check it out!
Speaking of freelancing—if you are an editor, now is the perfect time to build up your personal sound library. We mention it all the time on the blog, but a solid SFX Library is a must-have for any sound editor.
“First and foremost, you need to start building your library as soon as possible. Not all studios have terabytes of sound effects for you to use. Take the time, do the research and build an organized and well-cataloged library. And don’t just purchase commercial libraries. While that is a sure fire way of building your library fast, it’s important that you record/design, edit and diligently label your own recordings for future use. That way you have some custom, one-of-a-kind sounds you can use in your work. If you have a well thought out and easily referenced library, you are going to be that much more prepared for day one on the job.”
Below I have listed some previous blog posts that focus around tips and tricks for recording your own library. I highly recommend you check them out!
Keep Learning
Last but not least, I know a lot of people are going through a rough patch right now. I can’t even begin to imagine how unsettling it must feel to graduate during a pandemic. So if you are at all feeling unmotivated and hopeless, my biggest tip is to cling onto whatever passion you have. If you love sound and want to work in the audio world, keep your mind fresh and up-to-date with ProTools. Rely on YouTube for tutorials, behind-the-mix, and tips and tricks on all things sound related. Don’t let this pandemic kill your professional dreams. Use this time to continue learning. No one can know it all, so the more you learn now the more marketable you will be once this is all over. Hang in there!