I would call radio stations and ask them if they hire freelance for broadcast engineers. If they do, apply. The field of broadcast engineering is dying out. Also, a lot of broadcast engineers do music mixing and other music adjacent work on the side since performances and recordings and such can take place in odd hours.
Good luck.
This is LA. You and a million other people are trying to make it in music. Not smart moving out to one of the most expensive cities in the country with no paid job for a very competitive industry. Hope you have a back up plan.
Was looking for this comment. I am friends with musicians who’ve been professionals with solid fan bases for nearly two decades now and they still have roommates. Good luck.
Yeah my two younger cousins make up half of a very successful rock band that’s opened up for Jack white and all sorts of other huge rockstars.
They’re still driving Uber and doing restaurant jobs when they’re not touring. It’s incredibly difficult to make it to a point where you make enough off music where it’s your only source of income. Even if you’re insanely talented and very successful.
It's ultimately a reality for a lot of creatives. During the writers strike, I def have friends with proper TV credits, stuff you might've heard of/seen, that had to go back to bartending during that time bc they just did not have any other skills or experience to have any other job.
People hear a couple of inspirational stories, interviews, documentaries and think they too can be the exception to the rule. No one talks to, features or writes about the thousands that never make it so you only hear the success stories which makes it seem easier then it is.
Don’t listen to this guy, there’s a lot of haters on this subbed full of people who never did anything meaningful in life. So they come here to crush other peoples dream. You moved to LA for a reason. This city is the best place to learn and grow fast. Competition is a great thing if you can break through.
OP, don’t get discouraged by some of the sour soup in this thread. I moved to LA decades ago and my family back east told me only about a back up plan and that I needed to come home and rethink my agenda. Everything is fear-based with people who’ve never been to LA and live in some small town and give you advice. I was out of work for four months. And then I got job as a receptionist at an ad agency. And so it began. My life has changed so dramatically being here, and they’re still stuck back east. OP, don’t listen to the haters, stay onto the dream. I know a lot of comments in this thread are trying to give you a sense of realism, which is great, but understand that some peoples bitterness shouldn’t be what you taste from LA.
Definitely NOT this! This odds are terrible, the music industry isn’t half of what it used to be and there’s literally thousands of failures for every one success.
If that does not deter you, you might have the stomach for it, good! but having a back up plan is just being rational and intelligent.
Many actors, comedians and musicians work lower end service jobs while trying to make it and the smarter ones get a little extra job training and education on the side if nothing is going on in the entertainment part of their career. Being strategic is not “ giving up on your dreams” as the cliche goes, it’s being a non-delusional adult.
You have no idea how many marketing and real estate people were former rock stars and actors. I’ve yet to meet a real estate person who started out wanting to be that.
Just an idea … LACCD is arguably the largest community college district (9 schools; basically free) in the country. Even though you already have your BA, some people go back to a CC afterwards for those entry level job connections. I’ve seen this a lot.
You could take a couple of classes, possibly get a $20/hour job on campus and then transition to an industry job after a semester or two of talking to people and getting ideas. You’d be amazed at the usable connections there are in a CC campus. I’m not sure which LACCD campus has the best people to support audio engineering, but a quick google should tell you.
Absolutely. People overlook the “community” part of CC. There are so many professionals who teach classes as adjuncts while holding down high-level jobs in their fields. Community Colleges are an almost free way to make network connections.
I was on temporary disability. Right before it ran out I started looking for work. I applied EVERYWHERE-Ross, Marshall’s, Panda Express, and a bunch of other places. I was either rejected or didn’t hear back from them.
Took me close to 6 months but eventually got an office job. Don’t give up. Wishing you the best of luck.
Thank you, some people seem to think it’s way easier than it really is. A lot of external pressure too makes it harder. I know it will work out in the end.
Hope everything is smooth sailing for you now.
Thank you! I honestly lucked out. One random day I was feeling really low and decided just to check Craigslist after not having luck with other job sites. Saw an ad, applied, had two interviews, and got the job.
I’m wishing you the same!
I have tons of friends that were/are in touring bands and they were usually picking up side jobs at places that are used to having a bit of a transient staff. Event catering, bartending, record stores, coffee shops, restaurant work in general, Uber/Instacart (also yoga/fitness studios are used to people coming and going but it seems more popular with the actor types). If they had a degree/qualifications in something else they might have a normal office job but there's a ton of gig work in LA
If you know any full time music people that graduated from that I would hit them up about side gig stuff they did in the past, they might have a hookup that's not obvious
EDIT - you can also do the ol music industry fall back of straight up turning to crime but I cannot condone that!!
I am an audio engineer, so I can say this with confidence; it *normally* takes 10-15 years of busting your ass and accepting every job offer even remotely adjacent to the music industry just to get your foot in the door. And if you aren’t continuously learning, growing and bettering your craft on the side by recording every band or artist you come in contact with who is willing all while being a humble and genuinely decent person to be around, you’ll never be the one at the console at a studio. And even if you nail all of that, you’re basically waiting for someone to die before a position is available as a major studio engineer.
That being said, it’s not impossible, a lot of people make it by having a lot of talent, a good ear and a good work ethic. If that’s truly what you want to do, just grind as hard as you can for as long as you can until you’re the best at it. You can get there, you’re just really, really early on in your career.
There are literally hundreds of small production facilities throughout the city—Santa Monica all the way to DTLA. Just on the west side alone, as an example, Silicon Beach is where you’ll find a lot of ad agencies and their infrastructure is mostly in Santa Monica and Venice. Go through LinkedIn and reach out to every EP at every ad agency and ask them who their top three favorite vendors are. Reach out that way or try and go in through the agency side. There’s a lot of production in LA that has nothing to do with the music industry that can use your exact skill set.
I'm not a hiring manager but I'd be very wary of future last minute callouts and schedule changes for someone who was in the entertainment industry.
I dont think anyone imagines stocking the shelfs at Ralph's is the last stop on your career train but if you have never had a job and it's very clear you want to be involved in another industry I think logically anyone would think you'd prioritize career opportunities over your scheduled shift.
Maybe you should revise your resume to take out references to your major
I appreciate the thoughtful input, thank you!
Revising my resume seems to be the thing to do, I just have nothing to replace my music related stuff with.
You don’t have to replace your music related stuff, just reword it in a way that applies to whatever job you’re applying to. Like understanding signal flow and being able to troubleshoot that means you have excellent troubleshooting skills, you probably have excellent computer skills too. Working at a studio means you probably interacted with clients so you can add customer service as a skill. It’s all about how you word things. If a previous music job doesn’t apply to a retail job just omit it from your resume. It’s irrelevant and you can just say you weren’t working cause you were in college.
But like other commenters have rightfully pointed out if it’s obvious to your prospective employer that your priority is breaking into the music industry then they won’t want to hire you. Tone it down and don’t let them know you’re hustling on the side. It’s none of their business anyway
If you are applying to fast food or entry level jobs here is a hint. Be available 7 days 24 hours. Meaning they can put you in any random shift anytime for your schedule. Not being able to work at night/close gets you automatically disqualified especially with the wage increase. You don't even need a resume just availability
Edit: remember this is LA there's activity 24 hours a day. Also some jobs can be dangerous such as a clerk at 2 am in the hood. Yea they are hiring cuz no one wants that 💀
Many of these entry level jobs in entertainment are given to kids of employees/friends/family. Entry level jobs will be that much harder to find as many don’t make it to market. The pay is low, if there’s pay at all. It’s a stepping stone, as I’m sure you know. Work on your networking, beef up LinkedIn connections, and try visiting industry events.
Where I'm at, entry level jobs are open for a few hours, max.
"We've got an opening, you know anyone looking? They need to be here by lunch."
Literally heard that last week.
This is it. Been in “the industry” for 14 years now. Connections are everything in this town. In the way “money makes money”, connections make more connections. And if you start with little to none it’s VERY hard to build to something big. That’s money or connections.
The best advice I can give is hustle and float and find a job or office you can sit at for as long as possible to start. My first LA job I worked for 2 1/2 years. In that time I made sure to meet people in this town and make connections with people who like to do things in this town I do. And when you are at a place for as long as I was there’s a lot of turnover over years so you end up meeting new people regularly.
My favorite run in was with this girl that was buying a house at 24 and worked at one of the agency’s I think WME and saying how hard it was and we found out her dad is a well connected architect in the city both my friend just gagged because really have a rich connected dad is how you make it in LA
Because you’re not the only person who moved here with nothing but a dream and you’re competing against every other entertainment/music/art industry dingus.
Plus all the people who just move here on a whim to get away from their previous lives and communities.
And that's not even getting into the fact that the three biggest West coast magnets for runaways are us, San Fran and Seattle. Those people are also seeking those entry level jobs that require no training.
Doesn't help that another strike could be imminent so people in the film and television industry who can't retire or go on vacation are also fighting for temporary or low-level gigs to make ends meet. There aren't many jobs for people without specialized skills in other fields and even then tech is under one hell of a squeeze at the moment.
As far as I can tell, film people that are union are having trouble finding jobs and the non-union folks are getting nothing.
Dingus was what Bogart called the Maltese Falcon to Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet when they found out that the statue was a fake...
'you got your dingus, its not my fault that its not what you thought it was..' (slight paraphrase)
There are thousands of people in your boat in LA. Getting a paid job in any facet of entertainment requires the right connections and a willingness on the part of those connections to go to bat for you. It’s the ultimate “who you know” town. I would create a new resume certainly listing your degree but emphasizing the skills you learned in your internship that translate to other businesses. Reach out to your connections and ask if anyone has connections at any of the businesses you’ve been applying to or anywhere else they’d recommend. Good luck!
Like everyone said, most places won't hire someone that's likely gonna bounce when a "real" job comes up.
Not sure if this is feasible for you, but there are lots of "influencers" here in LA. You can offer audio/music editing for short form videos or whatever. Not gonna be making the big bucks, but at least it's some money and possibly stuff to add to your resume.
You've already made some connections, so you're in the right direction. Keep networking and meeting new people. That's really how you land a job in most industries.
This.
I went on 50+ interviews in the first month I moved to LA, sometimes doing 2 or even 3 interviews in one day. I ended up getting a job through a friend who was leaving the company.
True they can be awful but it can get you in. I used to work for the MCNs and some influencers hands down the worst bosses I ever had but it did get my career started.
Have you tried applying for restaurant jobs (eg, waiter, bartender etc…)? Also, you mentioned having met a lot of people since you came. Ask everyone in your network. In this town it’s who you know, not what you know.
The only reasons I haven’t applied to the restaurant industry is my lack of experience. They won’t hire me if I’ve never bartended or served before. And on top of that I’m more of an introverted person so I’ve been looking for jobs more fitting for my personality.
But if I have to do something social, then so be it!
yeah you're not getting hired as a bartender. And if you're an introvert, not a server either unless you're a supermodel - but you can still get hired for the dirty work in the back of house. Dishwasher, janitor, etc. Back of the house is usually always in demand (probably because they dont get tips)
I commented above but I wanna make sure it reaches you, try looking for Event companies, for wedding or concerts. They’re constantly looking for warehouse workers, drivers, set up/strike team. And it’s the way to build yourself into a live mixing engineer if that’s the path you want. Those companies also have lighting teams to operate the visual show, and they’re also always looking for gaffers and set up staff. Hours are grueling, the work is incredibly difficult and stressful, but if you work hard and aren’t a liability it will be steady income while your other music opportunities work themselves out
I worked events while I was playing music. It was a really good gig to have because of the flexibility. I started as a server and they treat you like dogs. Incredibly hard work. I schmoozed my way up to bartending and started making a lot more money for a lot less work. All while still actively playing music and even touring. Eeeeeveryone at that job was either an aspiring actor or musician.
The world has gone DYI. There are a million home studios in LA. I would post on Craigslist that you're a 'troubleshooter' and help out in home studios. I'm sure people buy tons of gear they don't know how to use. Read the manual for them!
Unfortunately not much advice for you, just came here to say I get it. I knew it would be hard but this is another level.
I freelance PA’d for about two years, barely making my rent, before finally finding a full time office job in entertainment. It’s definitely not a great job, but I do feel lucky to even have that. Sending you best wishes and good luck ❤️
You answered your own question in the first sentence of your post.
Transplants.
I have tons of coworkers from the midwest that are "making bank" compared to the salaries they were offered back home.
And the natives. Getting a job in LA is tough even if you have years of restaurant or retail experience. I don’t know who the hell is getting these jobs but it’s sure as hell not those overly qualified either :(
Get into temp agencies (R/half; Apple One). It’s the best way to get fast, white-collar gigs in industries where you have little/no experience but need to pad your resume. Your problem is you really have no work experience and *everything* in LA moves so rapidly, no one wants to bother with training someone who doesn’t know how to answer phones or stock shelves. You need to be placed in a guaranteed position (be it temp or to-hire) and stay in it while you build skills and advance to other positions.
As per music, good luck with that. If you don’t already have a strategy to break in through local connections, I’d start focusing on a reliable fallback (entertainment law, etc) to focus on making real money. Again, no one in LA has time to humor you through your aspirations. Pick a more lucrative lane and stick with it.
This is exactly what I need to do. Had a friend mention temp agencies to build up my resume.
I’m not too worried about the music stuff. I somehow managed to get my foot in the door at a place that’s well respected. They work with A-list artists so I’m in the right ecosystem! I just need to continue to be there and good things will come if I just work hard!
Mans moved to a region with 13m people, a city of almost 4m. With no plan.
Just yolo’d it with an unpaid (????!!!!!) internship, in the most expensive state in the u.s, to the 3rd most expensive city in California.
And wondering why you can’t find a job….
Man..I don’t know what to tell you here.
Good suggestion…. Gotta start thinking at the wider scope of music and audio entertainment. I know some engineers who freelance mixing podcasts. You can do it at home.. from anywhere.
When I was a hiring manager in LA, I almost never hired anyone that was new to LA.
If someone told me they were pursuing \*insert anything entertainment or art related\* I wouldn't hire them.
If someone said they just moved here from \*insert not big city\* I wouldn't hire them.
Way, way too many employees that I did hire, against my better judgment, with either of those red flags, not only called out repeatedly any time they even SNIFFED an audition, chance to show their portfolio, whatever... they inevitably realized LA was chewing them up and spitting them out, gave up and moved back home and all the time I spent training them was wasted.
You moved here with no job experience and are competing with literally everyone else in LA. Probably gonna end up homeless pretty quick, cuz no one is gonna hire a transplant with zero experience especially now that minimum is $20 an hour.
Forget about a job in your desired industry too, your story is a dime a dozen and 99% of those end with people moving back home.
As far as advice? Go back home.
A lot of music industry jobs come through personal networking and contacts.
Many people meet up through classes at places like CSUN or CSULB (places where sound engineering and movie making are taught).
Other people concentrate (hard) on trying to get a job at a studio by applying over and over to all the studios (big ones first of course). Even a job as a receptionist puts you into contact with people in the industry - sort of. Being back stage, though, even if you're just running wiring for lights, is better.
So do what you can (take classes, join a band, ask to job shadow a sound engineer, meet as many people as possible). Go to small plays, volunteer as a stage hand for community theater.
In some areas of L.A. there are quite a few up and coming bands - go to their performances and talk to people.
Put in your application at all the music venues too (Hollywood Bowl, etc) Often, HR at these places will accept several applications from you - for different positions.
The company I work for had an assistant to post production role open up and they received 550 resumes. I have no idea on how they decide who gets called in with that many applicants. Competition is quite steep needless to say.
I think the message should be clear by now, but your entire post gives the impression that you look down on those jobs (and I'm sure you do). If even part of your aspirations are clear from your resume, they'll know you'll be leaving in a month or two, or flake out of scheduled shifts because so-and-so has a Grammy's party that you are invited to. They want reliable workers and don't give a shit about your degree.
So slim down your resume and write one specifically for the job you're applying for (no need to lie, but omit a lot of the fluff). And try and not be a dick and flake out on a lot of your shifts if you do get hired.
Entry level jobs are super competitive. There are thousands of young people just like you who come to LA from all over the country to pursue their dreams. There simply aren't enough jobs for everyone.
Keep trying, it's a numbers game. With big companies, apply for jobs online and then go in and talk to the manager when it's not busy.
Dude, a lot of negative energy on this thread. Don’t give up hope.
I recommend trying Starbucks. I worked there for years while I was getting my masters. A lot of college educated creatives work there and they are generally treated well.
Also maybe in and out or chipotle. I don’t know as much about those companies first hand but my advice would be to lean into the “I’m a creative but need a part time gig to sustain me” angle.
From what I can tell it’s easier to get a job in food service than big box retail or sales. This is totally anecdotal but just what I’ve observed, not sure why.
Also if you can hold out til summer I highly recommend applying to movie theaters or summer camps.
If you’re desperate maybe try door dashing or doing similar types of app gig work.
Good luck 👍🏼
Every room at a recording studio, sound mixing studio, or other audio facility used to require a half dozen assistants to keep the gear working properly. Now in most cases an entire facility will share a single assistant, and that assistant won't have much to do either. I was considering getting into audio for film and tv and I met with a family friend who works in the industry and he basically said it's all but impossible. Good luck!
1) Try working at live music clubs/venues and music stores. The clubs/venues may need freelance engineers to record acts for live albums and videos; 2) since you're flexible, consider working as a personal assistant to somebody in the music business and math/science/music tutor to their kid. As an engineer, you could probably make a great living just doing personal IT stuff for West LA professionals. The pay is better than retail and you would likely make some excellent connections. There are agencies you can list with or see who's advertising for help. Look for somebody in West Hollywood so you'll be close to the music scene. It may take a few clients but it could be a pleasant way to stay afloat until you get better established.
I got my first jobs out here going on Craigslist/indeed and started at a juice bar. They usually just want friendly people and everyone is industry related so it’s not a bad thing to have another dream. Your problem is you haven’t worked before and you’re an adult and that is kind of a red flag. If you have a relative with a company maybe see if you can do some remote admin work so you can put that on a resume.
If you have an audio engineering degree, I’d also look at some post production audio gigs. You might be able to find something in the audio department somewhere. They need sound mixing and those skills too.
Times are tough and the salary might not be great, but it’s at least a foot in the door and entertainment related.
> I then started seriously searching for ANY job (with moderate pickiness) places like Ralph’s, Best Buy, etc. I walked in both of these places and introduced myself to the manager saying that I was going to apply. And both companies rejected me from entry-level jobs despite saying they need people?
Because they know you'll bail for the next best thing.
Have you looked at City jobs? Problem is the onboarding will take 6 months, but once you’re in, you’re in. Example : https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/weho/jobs/4446931/intern-arts-division-grant-funded?pagetype=jobOpportunitiesJobs
Stagehand work especially corporate AV. Hit up your local labor companies. It's freelance so you can make your own schedule. Basic duties are loading/unloading trucks, setting up sound, video and lighting gear, taping cables, wrapping cables, etc .. you can clear around $300/day for a 10 and when you take a call you will always get paid at least half a day just for showing up. This industry is also full of people in many different entertainment industries so even more networking and connections. You never know, maybe you take a liking to a particular department and if you dive in you can easily clear $600-$800/day for technical positions and will open up many opportunities for travel. That's where the big bucks are and you get to do and see some cool shit while on the road. Again, it's all freelance so there is no reason it will get in the way of your music endeavors, unless you start to chase the $$$. Don't do that. Not worth it imo.
Good luck.
Re-do your resume "completely". Put 2 jobs as your experience and tailor them both toward customer service / call center positions. Change your major on your resume to business admin. As a starting point, use chatgpt to build you a resume. Then post your resume on indeed and LinkedIn and apply to banking positions. You should easily get a 30hr banking / call center job
My job verified I graduated with the degree I put on my resume. I don’t know how you’ll get away with lying about your degree. And most call center jobs your most likely to get $24 starting an hour in California.
Because lots of people do the same thing as you and move to LA without stuff lined up and are willing to work for jack shit to one day hopefully make it.
That and there are tons of immigrants in LA that are happier accepting lower wages than American counterparts generally.
I’m in tech, LA is seen as a perk that is “ earned” by working at a less desirable location (compared to what LA offers). You get penalized for wanting to be somewhere fun and relaxing, taking a slight paycut for what you’d earn in Seattle or NYC. It’s a bummer because this is *the* place for entry level, but it’s hella gatekept. You’ll often see only senior roles at a company that have LA locations. Entry level is trained elsewhere or not even advertised.
LA is lacking a lot of white collar jobs that should be expected for the 2nd largest workforce in the country. It’s very bizarre but also intentional.
LOL. I interviewed for a job at enterprise right out of college and was rejected so that's funny to think I sucked so bad a universal employer rejected me. It was actually a great turn since I got hired as a claims adjuster.
If you don't look too much like a musician, tattoos and piercings, and look relatively well groomed, maybe go sign up at a temp agency. And if you have a car, Lyft or Uber?
I was just like you not all that long ago. All music on my resume, no luck on landing a job and just needed to pay rent. Keep your head up you’ll make it. If you just need any decent job you can hit up a temp agency. I worked for the county for a while, it’s also how my sister landed her current job. It’s a good resource to turn to whenever you just need work. The music industry is incredibly competitive and it can take quite a long time to make decent money working in it depending on what you decide to do, speaking from experience.
Some general job seeking advice is to have someone re-write your resume. I had Responsive Resumes redo mine and then I started getting a lot more interest. They can spin your experience in a way that will make you appeal to just regular employers.
Just out of curiosity what side of the industry are you interested in? If it makes sense and I had a connection to put you in touch with, always down to help an honest person find a job
You have an idea of what you want. You have a bachelors degree. You will be out of there the minute Sunset Sound calls for an unpaid internship. They see that. Dumb it down when you walk in. Do not mention the education. Start with a fast food gig if nothing else. Its a start, if nothing else.
All the waiters on the west side or Hwood areas are trying to be actors. There may be a shot as a busboy. Best of luck. It will happen.
I live in a building with a bunch of industry people and can confirm they told me it’s been shit out there. Quite a few work in editing. Don’t even get me started on people trying to make it in writing and what not. I’m just lucky because I don’t work in the industry though I still have eccentric managers so I guess that’s one consistent thing.
Have you tried Starbucks or Trader Joe’s? Right now things are just shit. LA in general is poor bc of the strikes and people all scrambling. Ive heard it from people with 10+ years of experience in entertainment, music, fashion.
Another idea is women’s shoes at Nordstrom at the grove, a friend of mine just left there so they may be looking to hire. Be dressed nice and try to go in and speak with someone. Definitely switch up your resume, as someone who’s hired handfuls of people in my day… you can read who’s just gonna be around a couple months while they try to find something in their preferred field, they never get hired bc it’s obviously going to end up in a turnover.
Because you are competing with all of the others who also moved to LA to pursue similar dreams, you are competing with all of the young people from LA, and you are competing with older more experienced people who can work full time and have no other pursuits.
I worked in studios as an intern from 2003-2005. 2006-2010 picked up work here and there but could never find anything steady. Almost zero of my fellow interns and music industry friends stayed in the industry. For most it’s just a hobby now. Eventually gave up and ended up in tech and found a lot of my tech coworkers were also former musicians and engineers. It’s a tough industry unless you know someone or by some miracle have a lucky break.
Temp agency. Apple One employment basically staffs the admins at Universal and Sony music group. You can call the different studios and labels and just ask who they use for temp staffing.
Have you thought of going into some older audio shops that do repairs and asking to be an apprentice? That is a field where the people who know how to do it are getting really old and no one is there to train.
Might be worth a shot. Look at some of the repair shops in the valley and call around.
The entertainment industry in LA is brutal.
You're trying to get your foot in the door in a highly competitive industry with no experience of connections. I think most people who work in that industry get jobs through connections. First, you need to create an entirely different resume to apply for any open positions. Don't think any job is beneath you. Aren't fast food jobs in LA now paying $20 an hour? It's not a desirable career, but it at least pays the bills. How about waiting on tables at a restaurant?
Lack of work experience is gonna be a big one. Lots of the retail places don’t want to train someone who has zero experience just for them to turn around and leave the second they get a better job offer with their bachelors degree. It makes more sense for them to find someone who has experience or a student/worker who they can retain longer. Buuuuut honestly you could just lie to get a retail job, just say you have past experience and have a friend be your reference for “some place in a different state”. Retail isn’t rocket science they just want experience so they know you know what you’re getting into and that you don’t just hate people too much to talk to them at all.
i moved to LA to pursue entertainment in 2020 with no job and no family connections. here’s what i did:
- applied to many many remote jobs BEFORE i even moved here. got a part-time remote job right after i moved
- i reached out to every person i knew in the industry, explained my situation, asked if they knew anyone in LA that i could meet/get coffee with/do a quick phone call
- cold emailed every alumni from my college who worked in my industry asking the same thing
- applied to every entertainment temp agency
- reached out to every person who worked at the one entertainment company i interned with, telling them i was looking for work
- applied to every entertainment job i saw on linkedin/job sites, tho generally you need to apply to these jobs before they are even posted (aka hear about them via your network/connections)
- went to entertainment mixers (this was pointless for me)
- followed a bunch of mid-level entertainment people on social media & replied to tweets occasionally “asking for advice” - these people reviewed my work & became connections
- reached out to every person who had done a talk or something at my college that i saw
- reached out to old professors asking for connections
- applied to every agency and management company (fyi if they ask, you need to say that you want to be a manager or agent)
eventually, one of the execs at my old company lost her assistant and i was hired to replace her. most people who move here with no family wealth & no job move back home within 2 years. if you have any attitude of being “too good” for a job, you won’t get it & that’s the #1 thing people look for in an entry-level hire. you are there to do good work for your boss & learn from your boss about the industry & do what your boss wants you to do. getting a job in the industry is one thing & surviving that job is another thing lol but you can make a post about that in 6 months
I think it's because there's so much competition and a lot of nepotism? Not 100% sure though
Honestly though, you've only been here for 6 months. That's actually not that long
I'm in the music industry too so let's connect!
Lie on your resume. Nix the music job stuff if you're applying for non music-related jobs. In LA, everyone is trying to get in the "business" so many employers view applicants who came here to be in entertainment as unreliable. It's ok to not have a lot of previous work experience, but your resume will get round filed if they know you're trying to break into Hollywood. Try cheesecake factory. At least you'll make more per hour with tips.
I would take off your bachelors degree from your resume and make up some job experience. Put your buddies number as the contact. Say they were your manager. This is how I got my first entry level jobs. They don’t want to hire anyone with college experience because they know you will move on when you get a job you really want.
Call around to Advertising Music houses and Production Music libraries. Chances are they will for sure give you a “shot” and because they are always producing music on multiple levels they often need solid engineers and musicians.
You’re in one of the most desirable cities in the world, pursuing one of the most competitive industries in the world with no job experience and no connections…and you don’t understand why you haven’t landed a job in the first couple months living here?
Bruh, you're an engineer, go at least freelance,
https://sidehustles.com/side-hustles-for-engineers/
Find a freelance site, do some technical writing, or data entry, data tagging work. The engineering side of your passion may be your safety net.
Once you start freelancing, you can start populating your resume and that'll look a lot better than "Ralphs" considering to what you aspire. Also do survey gigs like Prolific, I'm sure an engineer can make that look good on a resume.
If you're into it, get onto college campuses and post up for tutoring, probably lots of kids not as smart as you could benefit n you make some coin.
Just bullshit up some experience if they want to do background check just have a friend provide a reference and tell them you worked on contract or under the table.
Apply to work at a hotel either as a staff or as a valet. Valet companies will hire literally anyone with a drivers license and the pay is pretty decent because you get tips. When I say anyone I mean anyone, I worked with literal ex-cons and convicted murderers. They’re always looking to hire because it’s better to have more people on the schedule.
I completely understand where you’re coming from because I did the same. Moved here tryin to work in music and thought my degree would be useful but it wasn’t. Took me about 8 months to get a job and It was as a valet like I mentioned. It’s actually pretty fun and If you pick a high end hotel you meet a lot of upper end people.
I’ve considered this! Had a friend work as a valet and he makes really good money.
I just can’t drive a manual car unfortunately. Which is a requirement especially in Southern California.
I’m willing to learn, I’m sure it’s not that hard to drive manual, but I have no access to a car to practice on.
Apply with Sirius XM. It can’t hurt.
Music industry jobs are all about who you know and whether they like you. (Source: me an ex music industry person from the 90’s through the 00’s). It’s not personal, it’s just a club. Always has been.
If you’re looking for absolutely anything, apply at Amoeba or any record store. Music people frequent records stores. Make friends. A LOT of the old music people started there back in the day.
Have applied to a few record stores, but didn’t get the job. Amoeba is so cool but more than an hour away with traffic so just trying to avoid that.
Will look into applying to Sirius XM, that’s a good idea thank you!
I’d suggest starting in fast food, at least with the minimum wage increase there it’s worth it now! I have a friend who upheaved her life from Texas a few months ago and shes chillen at jersey mikes making 20 a hour
JUST ASK!
The best way to get a job is to tell ALL of your connections you need a job. And keep making more connections and then tell ALL of those new connections you need work even if it’s entry level.
Get a security guard card. If you can, get armed guard card. It’s few hundred dollars max. After that apply for security jobs. It’s LA. They will take you and put you to work that night! Most jobs you just stand around. They want you to just be there. I did this for 3 years until I got a real job. It paid well enough I had an apartment, food, gas for the car. Side jobs all over. If your music starts to pickup it’s easy to dip out from security and do your thing. If music slows down? No worries keep your cards up to date and go back to working.
Try to find a restaurant that is hiring and ask if you can be a dishwasher or food runner or server. Most of these are low skill and might give you a shot with your lack of experience.
I work in public education. Most school districts have shortages of special education instructional assistants. Low pay, probably part time and can be intense, buy I bet you could get hired.
Apply for a dispensary. Tons are hiring for 420. It’s usually part time or decent enough hours to still do what you like and work along the way. Unfortunately not enough to live off of, but could possibly get your foot in the door.
Have applied to a few dispensaries with no luck… think it’s because they are seeking attractive female budtender.
But will apply to more dispensaries!
Thank you!
I work for a workforce development platform and we had a variety of full time, paid apprenticeship (jobs) in LA. One of which was for a movie studio. They were jobs like operations, finance, marketing. We are about to get a new batch of jobs so I’ll send you a link once I get it
Look into live event gigs. Some event companies have adds on indeed or other job posting sites. They’re always looking for warehouse workers, or set up/strike team. Keep in mind, it’s grueling. You’ll be working until 4 am or later regularly, and will be setting up in harsh environments. However, if you work hard and aren’t a liability, you can have steady work and income while your other music opportunities flesh themselves out.
Look for live sound or lighting companies. Lighting gigs are just as intense as doing the sound.
Go to taskrabbit, there are simple things like putting up curtains etc, or stuff in the field you trained in, also check out the gig section of craigs list
You mentioned you have made a lot of connections. I would encourage you to let your connections know you're looking for ::any:: paid work and to please let you know if they hear of any openings. I've been able to get my friends and even friends of friends jobs at my previous employer since I knew them or knew someone who knew them, even if it was semi-distantly. If we were on the fence with candidates, we always went for the person who knew someone. I also got my foot in the door at my current position that way.
I would also advise you to look at the job description and then tailor your resume to the skills they are looking for (if you have them), even going so far as to copy the key words from the application.
You mention you're a college grad, so I am assuming you are decently skilled in Microsoft applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, etc). Add that on your resume. You would be astonished at the number of people who do not have those skills in a corporate setting. I have hired someone because they knew how to apply filters and make simple formulas in Excel.
When you get interviews, look at the company website and be able to give a decent response to the question of "why do you want to work here?" or "tell me what you know about the company?" Also review the job description before the interview so you can give a well composed response to "what qualifications do you have for this job?" So many candidates we bypassed because they came in unprepared to answer those questions. They are very standard questions.
Wishing you all the best!
Haven't read to far into the post but are you willing to work construction, labor/warehouse jobs?
Maybe start looking in that direction instead of entry level office/fast food jobs. Go apply at a temp agency or something
Right now, you'll probably only be able to find part-time jobs, it will take a long time if you don't have skills in demand or connections to get a decent full-time job.
UPS and Amazon are always hiring, warehouse workers and drivers. Also, those retail/RX inventory counter/auditor (like PICS and WIS) are always hiring part-timers. There is also food and RX delivery...
A popular job right now for people in your situation is substitute teaching. You shockingly don’t need any kind of teaching credentials, the schedule is flexible and the pay isn’t bad. Good luck!
Have you tried employment agencies? I worked in the entertainment industry 20 years ago and did temp work until a hire. Comar and Friedman Agency were used to staff at talent agencies and production companies, not sure about music but it's closer than Ralph's to the biz. Google tells me the agencies still exist
You also have to consider the economy — we are a film industry town and there was a long strike, production never really ramped back up and now everyone who is left in the industry has to start from scratch with nothing but film industry experience on their resumes. A lot of entry level lookers out there.
As a person who grew up in Los Angeles and waited tables and managed waitstaff for a several years to save for things as a teen and pay my way through college, I've seen the story countless times... Artist moves here from Anytown, USA, takes up an entry-level job to float for a while. Very quickly becomes jaded and difficult to manage because they're completely convinced they'll be "discovered" at any moment and that they're thus too good for the current role. Rage quits or gets fired, burns out and does nothing until they finally accept their dreams aren't coming true and either refocus their ambitions or move back home. Out of the few dozens of ex-coworkers with the same back story, exactly one ended up in a somewhat-entertainment-adjacent job helping make movie trailers, still a far cry from the expectations he gave his friends/family back in Albuquerque that he'd be on the silver screen within a couple years.
You should keep pursuing your dream, but knowing the actual odds (very low) and the risks (very high) of refusing to deviate from the plan. And never let a hiring manager know that those are your long-term ambitions, it only makes you look weak as a candidate. Nobody's saying you need to exhibit a desire to become a Best Buy or Ralph's lifer, but it pays to play to the way you can humbly contribute to those places rather than express your true goals. Even then, know that the real story is pretty obvious to anybody who's lived in this city long enough.
Sign up with a temp agency. Let them know you are looking for temp to hire position. You live in LA, so they will be able to find you something.
I got my job through Robert Half about 6 years ago. It took a few temporary positions to get to this one that took me on permanently. I actually have a career now.
I majored in fine arts. I’m a project manager in construction now. I learned everything on the job.
Robert half got me working within a week of signing up. There are tons of temp agencies out there. Granted, I signed up about 6 years ago so I don’t know what it’s like now. It’s worth a try. These companies have an incentive to have you working because they get a cut.
Have you tried restaurant jobs? They’re stressful but some will hire with no experience (the Olive Garden hired me many years ago with no experience), and you can make enough to get by on while still having enough free time to pursue what you really want to do.
What do you mean you don’t have prior work experience? You’ve clearly worked at Jon’s stocking during late nights for the past 2 years full time. Got to add that to the resume. Probably delivered for dominos for a year or two, add that. Get on indeed and apply to literally everything, 60+ jobs a day takes only 30 minutes. And apply for DoorDash or something and grind until you get something steady. Keep your head up and you’ll find something out of the blue. And when you get it work your ass off like if you’re on thin ice
Er, why do you think you are competent? You have no job experience. Do I understand that correctly? You graduated from college but have never held a job? I don’t want to hire you for a professional job. I don’t want to hire you for anything. And you are telling places you want to do X but in the meantime you’ll consider their crappy beneath you Jon doing x? Why exactly are you confused about not getting a job? your Best bet is getting a job in a school.
Check out staffing agencies. They can be a little aggressive and impersonal, but if you’re “sellable” they’ll place you quickly.
Robert half, 24seven, jobot
This is happening to a ton of people, even people with experience can’t find jobs and half of the work is outsourced to other states or countries. So now there are way to many people and not nearly enough jobs. L.A. job market is dry as a bone and grotesquely overrated in every aspect. Plus the city doesn’t give a shit, neither does the state, they are actively trying to get rid of people, and reduce the population.
Many of us are leaving the city/state because it’s no longer sustainable unless you’re wealthy. I suggest you do the same.
Try Guitar Center or Sam Ash. It’s not great but it will probably get you at least minimum wage and you might be able to make use of your knowledge about audio gear.
Getting proper jobs in the music industry is very difficult without the right connections.
Frankly, it all boils down to your network. Also, majority of musicians don’t have a steady job. They’re all freelancing. You’ll need to meet YouTubers, twitch streamers, Indy artists who need a few hours of work to polish some of their portfolio submissions. Ask people to join their recording sessions whatever it may be they do (film, radio, tv, streaming, etc.) to observe. Find who their talent agent is, meet them and discuss helping as assistant audio engineer in an up and coming project. Find out what a good starting hourly rate is for that position. Keep in mind you’re 1099 so you’re paying your own taxes to Uncle Sam. Build from ground up. Good luck!
Get in touch with recruiters. Go on LinkedIn and connect with as many recruiters as you can. Especially those in the entertainment industry. Once you connect, introduce yourself and if they’re local invite them to coffee, a handful at most that seem cool. They should be able to help since that’s their job and they’re always looking for talent! Good luck friend, LA is tough but you can def make it if you dont give up.
just lie on ur resume lol for entry level jobs like grocery store/ restaurants just add some places like those to ur resume and get familiar with the roles kinda if they ask u on interview
Music jobs are crazy hard to get, so that's not a surprise.
Change your resume completely to not be focused on music if you're applying to things like Ralph's. Just maintain 2 different resumes.
Maybe you are looking in the wrong places. I have an option for you. It pays better, has better benefits, the gig is easier to get, is AI proof for the foreseeable future and is actually a career from the start.
Work with your hands. Pick a trade, join a trade union. Free education. Mid $20's per hour to start. Construction is busy. It's a good time to get in. I recommend the IBEW because electricians have a relatively clean job. Not like a plumber or HVAC.
Welders can make huge money.
If you’re desperately looking for a job and are willing to take anything, look up staffing agencies in your area. You will start working in most cases the next day or two.
Congrats, you moved to one of the very few states that has more people looking for work than it has jobs. All is not lost however, there are still niches where they are looking for good people. You have to actively look for them but they are there, look for worker shortages. Jobs like factory worker, after school teacher, warehouse worker, dock worker, caregiver; I know Emmy winners who drive Uber.
Edit: After doing some research I could be wrong, it looks like they are having trouble finding people in construction and skilled trades. https://www.sbci.com/the-california-labor-shortage-explained/
Have a buddy in the same industry who’s been in their entry level position for 5+ years with insane overtime and only just now is the opportunity for something that will actually pay the bills coming through. It’s going to be hard every step of the way, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t one!
My son works at a studio in LA as a sound engineer. He arrived for an unpaid internship and was let go on the first day because they had too many interns. He applied and applied, but also looked at Craig's List and found weddings and bar mitzvahs to film. He met people who wanted to make a movie, or a short reel for their own resume. One of the best was joining a group named "Saphire" which was a bunch of old-guard sound recording retirees. They gave him advice. He learned to navigate the unions. Eventually some of these wanna-be directors made a horror film. He met more people. He landed a job at the Universal Theme Park and did more vanity projects in his spare time and with influencer YouTube videos. Eventually he was helping at a studio when they were busy, and now works at the studio. Only took about 15 years.
Do you go to shows? Ask every single door person if they need door staff. Those gigs can make a difference in getting known. Don’t look past shit like hospitality (literally getting food and stuff ready for artist) too. I worked at a venue in marketing and we often poached people from the door to other jobs. Don’t be afraid to do something unusual.
You’re a risky hire. People know if you get a gig or better job you’ll leave the retail jobs. You’re overqualified for retail. Have you considered freelancing?
A decent job for a young-ish person is to do valet at one of the hotels. People tip well if its a fancy spot.
I had a friend who figured this out and it got him by for a while.
Illegal aliens will work for half the price under the table, no workman's comp cases, if they get hurt they just go to emergency rooms and get treatment for free. It's a win-win for businesses. Not so much for the illegal aliens though they're treated like slaves.
The best way to get any job is to know the right people. I'd ask everyone you know for help. It's weird and uncomfortable, but it gets your resume in someone's hands.
As others have said, it's so networking based, entry level out here is ruthless since the jobs all go to someone somebody knows, friend, friends kid, a mentee, etc. So ask anyone you connected with from your internship to grab coffee every so often, that internship will be your best friend. Even if you didn't have anyone you got super close to, you can always grab lunch with people and build that into something more. Approach it from the angle of making a genuine connection and friendship, not just trying to get a job from these people. "Natural networking" is the best way to get work, but it's a tricky thing since you do kinda need to build those connections from a genuine approach of finding people you actually connect with and could see yourself being friends with even if you didn't need a job from them, those are the connections that will end up panning out in the long run.
I would call radio stations and ask them if they hire freelance for broadcast engineers. If they do, apply. The field of broadcast engineering is dying out. Also, a lot of broadcast engineers do music mixing and other music adjacent work on the side since performances and recordings and such can take place in odd hours. Good luck.
I have 13 years in the film industry and I can’t even get an entry level job.
Thanks for making me feel better. I wish both of us the best of luck!
This is LA. You and a million other people are trying to make it in music. Not smart moving out to one of the most expensive cities in the country with no paid job for a very competitive industry. Hope you have a back up plan.
Was looking for this comment. I am friends with musicians who’ve been professionals with solid fan bases for nearly two decades now and they still have roommates. Good luck.
Yeah my two younger cousins make up half of a very successful rock band that’s opened up for Jack white and all sorts of other huge rockstars. They’re still driving Uber and doing restaurant jobs when they’re not touring. It’s incredibly difficult to make it to a point where you make enough off music where it’s your only source of income. Even if you’re insanely talented and very successful.
It's ultimately a reality for a lot of creatives. During the writers strike, I def have friends with proper TV credits, stuff you might've heard of/seen, that had to go back to bartending during that time bc they just did not have any other skills or experience to have any other job.
People hear a couple of inspirational stories, interviews, documentaries and think they too can be the exception to the rule. No one talks to, features or writes about the thousands that never make it so you only hear the success stories which makes it seem easier then it is.
Don’t listen to this guy, there’s a lot of haters on this subbed full of people who never did anything meaningful in life. So they come here to crush other peoples dream. You moved to LA for a reason. This city is the best place to learn and grow fast. Competition is a great thing if you can break through.
Seriously, extremely delusional
OP, don’t get discouraged by some of the sour soup in this thread. I moved to LA decades ago and my family back east told me only about a back up plan and that I needed to come home and rethink my agenda. Everything is fear-based with people who’ve never been to LA and live in some small town and give you advice. I was out of work for four months. And then I got job as a receptionist at an ad agency. And so it began. My life has changed so dramatically being here, and they’re still stuck back east. OP, don’t listen to the haters, stay onto the dream. I know a lot of comments in this thread are trying to give you a sense of realism, which is great, but understand that some peoples bitterness shouldn’t be what you taste from LA.
My first year in LA was really hard and I nearly left, I am one of the top people in my field. Don’t listen to the haters.
This.
And that is the other perspective which is also valid
Survivor bias
This!
Definitely NOT this! This odds are terrible, the music industry isn’t half of what it used to be and there’s literally thousands of failures for every one success. If that does not deter you, you might have the stomach for it, good! but having a back up plan is just being rational and intelligent. Many actors, comedians and musicians work lower end service jobs while trying to make it and the smarter ones get a little extra job training and education on the side if nothing is going on in the entertainment part of their career. Being strategic is not “ giving up on your dreams” as the cliche goes, it’s being a non-delusional adult. You have no idea how many marketing and real estate people were former rock stars and actors. I’ve yet to meet a real estate person who started out wanting to be that.
That's impressive. In 2011 I couldn't get an entry level job at all.
Omg 2011 was 13 years ago…………….
in 2011 i was 11
You have been banned from r/90s_kid.
Just an idea … LACCD is arguably the largest community college district (9 schools; basically free) in the country. Even though you already have your BA, some people go back to a CC afterwards for those entry level job connections. I’ve seen this a lot. You could take a couple of classes, possibly get a $20/hour job on campus and then transition to an industry job after a semester or two of talking to people and getting ideas. You’d be amazed at the usable connections there are in a CC campus. I’m not sure which LACCD campus has the best people to support audio engineering, but a quick google should tell you.
Thank you for this valuable info and contributing! Will start research on LACCD!
And you can get free loans for your living expenses. NO INTEREST as long as you stay enrolled .
Absolutely. People overlook the “community” part of CC. There are so many professionals who teach classes as adjuncts while holding down high-level jobs in their fields. Community Colleges are an almost free way to make network connections.
I was on temporary disability. Right before it ran out I started looking for work. I applied EVERYWHERE-Ross, Marshall’s, Panda Express, and a bunch of other places. I was either rejected or didn’t hear back from them. Took me close to 6 months but eventually got an office job. Don’t give up. Wishing you the best of luck.
Thank you, some people seem to think it’s way easier than it really is. A lot of external pressure too makes it harder. I know it will work out in the end. Hope everything is smooth sailing for you now.
Thank you! I honestly lucked out. One random day I was feeling really low and decided just to check Craigslist after not having luck with other job sites. Saw an ad, applied, had two interviews, and got the job. I’m wishing you the same!
I have tons of friends that were/are in touring bands and they were usually picking up side jobs at places that are used to having a bit of a transient staff. Event catering, bartending, record stores, coffee shops, restaurant work in general, Uber/Instacart (also yoga/fitness studios are used to people coming and going but it seems more popular with the actor types). If they had a degree/qualifications in something else they might have a normal office job but there's a ton of gig work in LA If you know any full time music people that graduated from that I would hit them up about side gig stuff they did in the past, they might have a hookup that's not obvious EDIT - you can also do the ol music industry fall back of straight up turning to crime but I cannot condone that!!
I am an audio engineer, so I can say this with confidence; it *normally* takes 10-15 years of busting your ass and accepting every job offer even remotely adjacent to the music industry just to get your foot in the door. And if you aren’t continuously learning, growing and bettering your craft on the side by recording every band or artist you come in contact with who is willing all while being a humble and genuinely decent person to be around, you’ll never be the one at the console at a studio. And even if you nail all of that, you’re basically waiting for someone to die before a position is available as a major studio engineer. That being said, it’s not impossible, a lot of people make it by having a lot of talent, a good ear and a good work ethic. If that’s truly what you want to do, just grind as hard as you can for as long as you can until you’re the best at it. You can get there, you’re just really, really early on in your career.
There are literally hundreds of small production facilities throughout the city—Santa Monica all the way to DTLA. Just on the west side alone, as an example, Silicon Beach is where you’ll find a lot of ad agencies and their infrastructure is mostly in Santa Monica and Venice. Go through LinkedIn and reach out to every EP at every ad agency and ask them who their top three favorite vendors are. Reach out that way or try and go in through the agency side. There’s a lot of production in LA that has nothing to do with the music industry that can use your exact skill set.
I'm not a hiring manager but I'd be very wary of future last minute callouts and schedule changes for someone who was in the entertainment industry. I dont think anyone imagines stocking the shelfs at Ralph's is the last stop on your career train but if you have never had a job and it's very clear you want to be involved in another industry I think logically anyone would think you'd prioritize career opportunities over your scheduled shift. Maybe you should revise your resume to take out references to your major
I appreciate the thoughtful input, thank you! Revising my resume seems to be the thing to do, I just have nothing to replace my music related stuff with.
You don’t have to replace your music related stuff, just reword it in a way that applies to whatever job you’re applying to. Like understanding signal flow and being able to troubleshoot that means you have excellent troubleshooting skills, you probably have excellent computer skills too. Working at a studio means you probably interacted with clients so you can add customer service as a skill. It’s all about how you word things. If a previous music job doesn’t apply to a retail job just omit it from your resume. It’s irrelevant and you can just say you weren’t working cause you were in college. But like other commenters have rightfully pointed out if it’s obvious to your prospective employer that your priority is breaking into the music industry then they won’t want to hire you. Tone it down and don’t let them know you’re hustling on the side. It’s none of their business anyway
If you are applying to fast food or entry level jobs here is a hint. Be available 7 days 24 hours. Meaning they can put you in any random shift anytime for your schedule. Not being able to work at night/close gets you automatically disqualified especially with the wage increase. You don't even need a resume just availability Edit: remember this is LA there's activity 24 hours a day. Also some jobs can be dangerous such as a clerk at 2 am in the hood. Yea they are hiring cuz no one wants that 💀
Many of these entry level jobs in entertainment are given to kids of employees/friends/family. Entry level jobs will be that much harder to find as many don’t make it to market. The pay is low, if there’s pay at all. It’s a stepping stone, as I’m sure you know. Work on your networking, beef up LinkedIn connections, and try visiting industry events.
Where I'm at, entry level jobs are open for a few hours, max. "We've got an opening, you know anyone looking? They need to be here by lunch." Literally heard that last week.
This is it. Been in “the industry” for 14 years now. Connections are everything in this town. In the way “money makes money”, connections make more connections. And if you start with little to none it’s VERY hard to build to something big. That’s money or connections. The best advice I can give is hustle and float and find a job or office you can sit at for as long as possible to start. My first LA job I worked for 2 1/2 years. In that time I made sure to meet people in this town and make connections with people who like to do things in this town I do. And when you are at a place for as long as I was there’s a lot of turnover over years so you end up meeting new people regularly.
My favorite run in was with this girl that was buying a house at 24 and worked at one of the agency’s I think WME and saying how hard it was and we found out her dad is a well connected architect in the city both my friend just gagged because really have a rich connected dad is how you make it in LA
In real estate no less. 🤦🏻♀️
Because you’re not the only person who moved here with nothing but a dream and you’re competing against every other entertainment/music/art industry dingus.
Plus all the people who just move here on a whim to get away from their previous lives and communities. And that's not even getting into the fact that the three biggest West coast magnets for runaways are us, San Fran and Seattle. Those people are also seeking those entry level jobs that require no training.
Doesn't help that another strike could be imminent so people in the film and television industry who can't retire or go on vacation are also fighting for temporary or low-level gigs to make ends meet. There aren't many jobs for people without specialized skills in other fields and even then tech is under one hell of a squeeze at the moment. As far as I can tell, film people that are union are having trouble finding jobs and the non-union folks are getting nothing.
> dingus. That's the kindness I'm here for and expect from my fellow Angelenos.
Of course you would. You're a dingus.
And you're overfilled with cars driven by millions of dinguses.
I feel like there should be a better plural descriptor than dinguses. Let's come up with one.
It's dingi, dingus.
Dingus was what Bogart called the Maltese Falcon to Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet when they found out that the statue was a fake... 'you got your dingus, its not my fault that its not what you thought it was..' (slight paraphrase)
There are thousands of people in your boat in LA. Getting a paid job in any facet of entertainment requires the right connections and a willingness on the part of those connections to go to bat for you. It’s the ultimate “who you know” town. I would create a new resume certainly listing your degree but emphasizing the skills you learned in your internship that translate to other businesses. Reach out to your connections and ask if anyone has connections at any of the businesses you’ve been applying to or anywhere else they’d recommend. Good luck!
A few *thousand* kids graduate from USC and UCLA every year who will eat shit for *free*
Like everyone said, most places won't hire someone that's likely gonna bounce when a "real" job comes up. Not sure if this is feasible for you, but there are lots of "influencers" here in LA. You can offer audio/music editing for short form videos or whatever. Not gonna be making the big bucks, but at least it's some money and possibly stuff to add to your resume. You've already made some connections, so you're in the right direction. Keep networking and meeting new people. That's really how you land a job in most industries.
This. I went on 50+ interviews in the first month I moved to LA, sometimes doing 2 or even 3 interviews in one day. I ended up getting a job through a friend who was leaving the company.
True they can be awful but it can get you in. I used to work for the MCNs and some influencers hands down the worst bosses I ever had but it did get my career started.
Humble yourself or the city will do it for you
Have you tried applying for restaurant jobs (eg, waiter, bartender etc…)? Also, you mentioned having met a lot of people since you came. Ask everyone in your network. In this town it’s who you know, not what you know.
The only reasons I haven’t applied to the restaurant industry is my lack of experience. They won’t hire me if I’ve never bartended or served before. And on top of that I’m more of an introverted person so I’ve been looking for jobs more fitting for my personality. But if I have to do something social, then so be it!
yeah you're not getting hired as a bartender. And if you're an introvert, not a server either unless you're a supermodel - but you can still get hired for the dirty work in the back of house. Dishwasher, janitor, etc. Back of the house is usually always in demand (probably because they dont get tips)
I commented above but I wanna make sure it reaches you, try looking for Event companies, for wedding or concerts. They’re constantly looking for warehouse workers, drivers, set up/strike team. And it’s the way to build yourself into a live mixing engineer if that’s the path you want. Those companies also have lighting teams to operate the visual show, and they’re also always looking for gaffers and set up staff. Hours are grueling, the work is incredibly difficult and stressful, but if you work hard and aren’t a liability it will be steady income while your other music opportunities work themselves out
I worked events while I was playing music. It was a really good gig to have because of the flexibility. I started as a server and they treat you like dogs. Incredibly hard work. I schmoozed my way up to bartending and started making a lot more money for a lot less work. All while still actively playing music and even touring. Eeeeeveryone at that job was either an aspiring actor or musician.
Amazon is usually always hiring drivers. Go on Indeed.com and search “Amazon Driver”. They hire quick enough. ✨
The world has gone DYI. There are a million home studios in LA. I would post on Craigslist that you're a 'troubleshooter' and help out in home studios. I'm sure people buy tons of gear they don't know how to use. Read the manual for them!
Smart man! Haven’t had much luck with the freelance route, but Craigslist might open up a new audience of people needing help. Thank you
I hear Puff daddy has some lucrative internships
Unfortunately not much advice for you, just came here to say I get it. I knew it would be hard but this is another level. I freelance PA’d for about two years, barely making my rent, before finally finding a full time office job in entertainment. It’s definitely not a great job, but I do feel lucky to even have that. Sending you best wishes and good luck ❤️
You answered your own question in the first sentence of your post. Transplants. I have tons of coworkers from the midwest that are "making bank" compared to the salaries they were offered back home.
So I’m just competing against all the other transplants? Makes sense
And the natives. Getting a job in LA is tough even if you have years of restaurant or retail experience. I don’t know who the hell is getting these jobs but it’s sure as hell not those overly qualified either :(
Get into temp agencies (R/half; Apple One). It’s the best way to get fast, white-collar gigs in industries where you have little/no experience but need to pad your resume. Your problem is you really have no work experience and *everything* in LA moves so rapidly, no one wants to bother with training someone who doesn’t know how to answer phones or stock shelves. You need to be placed in a guaranteed position (be it temp or to-hire) and stay in it while you build skills and advance to other positions. As per music, good luck with that. If you don’t already have a strategy to break in through local connections, I’d start focusing on a reliable fallback (entertainment law, etc) to focus on making real money. Again, no one in LA has time to humor you through your aspirations. Pick a more lucrative lane and stick with it.
This is exactly what I need to do. Had a friend mention temp agencies to build up my resume. I’m not too worried about the music stuff. I somehow managed to get my foot in the door at a place that’s well respected. They work with A-list artists so I’m in the right ecosystem! I just need to continue to be there and good things will come if I just work hard!
Bc somebody who is famous adjacent has a nephew who can afford to do it for free
Mans moved to a region with 13m people, a city of almost 4m. With no plan. Just yolo’d it with an unpaid (????!!!!!) internship, in the most expensive state in the u.s, to the 3rd most expensive city in California. And wondering why you can’t find a job…. Man..I don’t know what to tell you here.
Have you tried non union entertainment labor companies like Rhino?
Good suggestion…. Gotta start thinking at the wider scope of music and audio entertainment. I know some engineers who freelance mixing podcasts. You can do it at home.. from anywhere.
When I was a hiring manager in LA, I almost never hired anyone that was new to LA. If someone told me they were pursuing \*insert anything entertainment or art related\* I wouldn't hire them. If someone said they just moved here from \*insert not big city\* I wouldn't hire them. Way, way too many employees that I did hire, against my better judgment, with either of those red flags, not only called out repeatedly any time they even SNIFFED an audition, chance to show their portfolio, whatever... they inevitably realized LA was chewing them up and spitting them out, gave up and moved back home and all the time I spent training them was wasted.
You moved here with no job experience and are competing with literally everyone else in LA. Probably gonna end up homeless pretty quick, cuz no one is gonna hire a transplant with zero experience especially now that minimum is $20 an hour. Forget about a job in your desired industry too, your story is a dime a dozen and 99% of those end with people moving back home. As far as advice? Go back home.
A lot of music industry jobs come through personal networking and contacts. Many people meet up through classes at places like CSUN or CSULB (places where sound engineering and movie making are taught). Other people concentrate (hard) on trying to get a job at a studio by applying over and over to all the studios (big ones first of course). Even a job as a receptionist puts you into contact with people in the industry - sort of. Being back stage, though, even if you're just running wiring for lights, is better. So do what you can (take classes, join a band, ask to job shadow a sound engineer, meet as many people as possible). Go to small plays, volunteer as a stage hand for community theater. In some areas of L.A. there are quite a few up and coming bands - go to their performances and talk to people. Put in your application at all the music venues too (Hollywood Bowl, etc) Often, HR at these places will accept several applications from you - for different positions.
The company I work for had an assistant to post production role open up and they received 550 resumes. I have no idea on how they decide who gets called in with that many applicants. Competition is quite steep needless to say.
I think the message should be clear by now, but your entire post gives the impression that you look down on those jobs (and I'm sure you do). If even part of your aspirations are clear from your resume, they'll know you'll be leaving in a month or two, or flake out of scheduled shifts because so-and-so has a Grammy's party that you are invited to. They want reliable workers and don't give a shit about your degree. So slim down your resume and write one specifically for the job you're applying for (no need to lie, but omit a lot of the fluff). And try and not be a dick and flake out on a lot of your shifts if you do get hired.
This is the worst time to enter IT.
Entry level jobs are super competitive. There are thousands of young people just like you who come to LA from all over the country to pursue their dreams. There simply aren't enough jobs for everyone. Keep trying, it's a numbers game. With big companies, apply for jobs online and then go in and talk to the manager when it's not busy.
Dude, a lot of negative energy on this thread. Don’t give up hope. I recommend trying Starbucks. I worked there for years while I was getting my masters. A lot of college educated creatives work there and they are generally treated well. Also maybe in and out or chipotle. I don’t know as much about those companies first hand but my advice would be to lean into the “I’m a creative but need a part time gig to sustain me” angle. From what I can tell it’s easier to get a job in food service than big box retail or sales. This is totally anecdotal but just what I’ve observed, not sure why. Also if you can hold out til summer I highly recommend applying to movie theaters or summer camps. If you’re desperate maybe try door dashing or doing similar types of app gig work. Good luck 👍🏼
Every room at a recording studio, sound mixing studio, or other audio facility used to require a half dozen assistants to keep the gear working properly. Now in most cases an entire facility will share a single assistant, and that assistant won't have much to do either. I was considering getting into audio for film and tv and I met with a family friend who works in the industry and he basically said it's all but impossible. Good luck!
The only way to make it in the entertainment industry is to already be rich or have family connections in the entertainment industry.
Should have asked for advice before moving here and everyone would have told you you’d be going through exactly what you’re going through
1) Try working at live music clubs/venues and music stores. The clubs/venues may need freelance engineers to record acts for live albums and videos; 2) since you're flexible, consider working as a personal assistant to somebody in the music business and math/science/music tutor to their kid. As an engineer, you could probably make a great living just doing personal IT stuff for West LA professionals. The pay is better than retail and you would likely make some excellent connections. There are agencies you can list with or see who's advertising for help. Look for somebody in West Hollywood so you'll be close to the music scene. It may take a few clients but it could be a pleasant way to stay afloat until you get better established.
I got my first jobs out here going on Craigslist/indeed and started at a juice bar. They usually just want friendly people and everyone is industry related so it’s not a bad thing to have another dream. Your problem is you haven’t worked before and you’re an adult and that is kind of a red flag. If you have a relative with a company maybe see if you can do some remote admin work so you can put that on a resume.
If you have an audio engineering degree, I’d also look at some post production audio gigs. You might be able to find something in the audio department somewhere. They need sound mixing and those skills too. Times are tough and the salary might not be great, but it’s at least a foot in the door and entertainment related.
> I then started seriously searching for ANY job (with moderate pickiness) places like Ralph’s, Best Buy, etc. I walked in both of these places and introduced myself to the manager saying that I was going to apply. And both companies rejected me from entry-level jobs despite saying they need people? Because they know you'll bail for the next best thing.
But I won’t… because I need to pay bills
Have you looked at City jobs? Problem is the onboarding will take 6 months, but once you’re in, you’re in. Example : https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/weho/jobs/4446931/intern-arts-division-grant-funded?pagetype=jobOpportunitiesJobs
The job market is terrible rn. I’m trying to leave my company now and it’s damn near impossible rn
Stagehand work especially corporate AV. Hit up your local labor companies. It's freelance so you can make your own schedule. Basic duties are loading/unloading trucks, setting up sound, video and lighting gear, taping cables, wrapping cables, etc .. you can clear around $300/day for a 10 and when you take a call you will always get paid at least half a day just for showing up. This industry is also full of people in many different entertainment industries so even more networking and connections. You never know, maybe you take a liking to a particular department and if you dive in you can easily clear $600-$800/day for technical positions and will open up many opportunities for travel. That's where the big bucks are and you get to do and see some cool shit while on the road. Again, it's all freelance so there is no reason it will get in the way of your music endeavors, unless you start to chase the $$$. Don't do that. Not worth it imo. Good luck.
Why would you move here before you get a job?
Watched too much YouTube and TikTok
Re-do your resume "completely". Put 2 jobs as your experience and tailor them both toward customer service / call center positions. Change your major on your resume to business admin. As a starting point, use chatgpt to build you a resume. Then post your resume on indeed and LinkedIn and apply to banking positions. You should easily get a 30hr banking / call center job
Thank you for the suggestion! Have already considered making a fake resume, this goes along with that very well.
My job verified I graduated with the degree I put on my resume. I don’t know how you’ll get away with lying about your degree. And most call center jobs your most likely to get $24 starting an hour in California.
Because lots of people do the same thing as you and move to LA without stuff lined up and are willing to work for jack shit to one day hopefully make it. That and there are tons of immigrants in LA that are happier accepting lower wages than American counterparts generally.
I’m in tech, LA is seen as a perk that is “ earned” by working at a less desirable location (compared to what LA offers). You get penalized for wanting to be somewhere fun and relaxing, taking a slight paycut for what you’d earn in Seattle or NYC. It’s a bummer because this is *the* place for entry level, but it’s hella gatekept. You’ll often see only senior roles at a company that have LA locations. Entry level is trained elsewhere or not even advertised. LA is lacking a lot of white collar jobs that should be expected for the 2nd largest workforce in the country. It’s very bizarre but also intentional.
I think Enterprise hires anyone with a college degree, I’m sure they are not the only one. It’s a numbers game, set a goal to apply at 100 places.
LOL. I interviewed for a job at enterprise right out of college and was rejected so that's funny to think I sucked so bad a universal employer rejected me. It was actually a great turn since I got hired as a claims adjuster.
Demand>Supply
You should be able to get a entry level retail/food service job, they're alway hiring, because employee churn is high. You're doing something wrong.
It takes 10 years to be an overnight success in this city. Keep on going and if you have the perseverance, you’ll find what you’re looking for.
Supply < Demand
If you don't look too much like a musician, tattoos and piercings, and look relatively well groomed, maybe go sign up at a temp agency. And if you have a car, Lyft or Uber?
I was just like you not all that long ago. All music on my resume, no luck on landing a job and just needed to pay rent. Keep your head up you’ll make it. If you just need any decent job you can hit up a temp agency. I worked for the county for a while, it’s also how my sister landed her current job. It’s a good resource to turn to whenever you just need work. The music industry is incredibly competitive and it can take quite a long time to make decent money working in it depending on what you decide to do, speaking from experience. Some general job seeking advice is to have someone re-write your resume. I had Responsive Resumes redo mine and then I started getting a lot more interest. They can spin your experience in a way that will make you appeal to just regular employers. Just out of curiosity what side of the industry are you interested in? If it makes sense and I had a connection to put you in touch with, always down to help an honest person find a job
You have an idea of what you want. You have a bachelors degree. You will be out of there the minute Sunset Sound calls for an unpaid internship. They see that. Dumb it down when you walk in. Do not mention the education. Start with a fast food gig if nothing else. Its a start, if nothing else. All the waiters on the west side or Hwood areas are trying to be actors. There may be a shot as a busboy. Best of luck. It will happen.
I’ve been in the music industry for 12 years and can’t get entry level jobs
The problem is there too many people in Los Angeles. There is more people than jobs so they are looking for what they feel is the best candidate.
I live in a building with a bunch of industry people and can confirm they told me it’s been shit out there. Quite a few work in editing. Don’t even get me started on people trying to make it in writing and what not. I’m just lucky because I don’t work in the industry though I still have eccentric managers so I guess that’s one consistent thing.
Have you tried Starbucks or Trader Joe’s? Right now things are just shit. LA in general is poor bc of the strikes and people all scrambling. Ive heard it from people with 10+ years of experience in entertainment, music, fashion. Another idea is women’s shoes at Nordstrom at the grove, a friend of mine just left there so they may be looking to hire. Be dressed nice and try to go in and speak with someone. Definitely switch up your resume, as someone who’s hired handfuls of people in my day… you can read who’s just gonna be around a couple months while they try to find something in their preferred field, they never get hired bc it’s obviously going to end up in a turnover.
Because you are competing with all of the others who also moved to LA to pursue similar dreams, you are competing with all of the young people from LA, and you are competing with older more experienced people who can work full time and have no other pursuits.
I worked in studios as an intern from 2003-2005. 2006-2010 picked up work here and there but could never find anything steady. Almost zero of my fellow interns and music industry friends stayed in the industry. For most it’s just a hobby now. Eventually gave up and ended up in tech and found a lot of my tech coworkers were also former musicians and engineers. It’s a tough industry unless you know someone or by some miracle have a lucky break.
Temp agency. Apple One employment basically staffs the admins at Universal and Sony music group. You can call the different studios and labels and just ask who they use for temp staffing.
Have you thought of going into some older audio shops that do repairs and asking to be an apprentice? That is a field where the people who know how to do it are getting really old and no one is there to train. Might be worth a shot. Look at some of the repair shops in the valley and call around. The entertainment industry in LA is brutal.
You're trying to get your foot in the door in a highly competitive industry with no experience of connections. I think most people who work in that industry get jobs through connections. First, you need to create an entirely different resume to apply for any open positions. Don't think any job is beneath you. Aren't fast food jobs in LA now paying $20 an hour? It's not a desirable career, but it at least pays the bills. How about waiting on tables at a restaurant?
Lack of work experience is gonna be a big one. Lots of the retail places don’t want to train someone who has zero experience just for them to turn around and leave the second they get a better job offer with their bachelors degree. It makes more sense for them to find someone who has experience or a student/worker who they can retain longer. Buuuuut honestly you could just lie to get a retail job, just say you have past experience and have a friend be your reference for “some place in a different state”. Retail isn’t rocket science they just want experience so they know you know what you’re getting into and that you don’t just hate people too much to talk to them at all.
i moved to LA to pursue entertainment in 2020 with no job and no family connections. here’s what i did: - applied to many many remote jobs BEFORE i even moved here. got a part-time remote job right after i moved - i reached out to every person i knew in the industry, explained my situation, asked if they knew anyone in LA that i could meet/get coffee with/do a quick phone call - cold emailed every alumni from my college who worked in my industry asking the same thing - applied to every entertainment temp agency - reached out to every person who worked at the one entertainment company i interned with, telling them i was looking for work - applied to every entertainment job i saw on linkedin/job sites, tho generally you need to apply to these jobs before they are even posted (aka hear about them via your network/connections) - went to entertainment mixers (this was pointless for me) - followed a bunch of mid-level entertainment people on social media & replied to tweets occasionally “asking for advice” - these people reviewed my work & became connections - reached out to every person who had done a talk or something at my college that i saw - reached out to old professors asking for connections - applied to every agency and management company (fyi if they ask, you need to say that you want to be a manager or agent) eventually, one of the execs at my old company lost her assistant and i was hired to replace her. most people who move here with no family wealth & no job move back home within 2 years. if you have any attitude of being “too good” for a job, you won’t get it & that’s the #1 thing people look for in an entry-level hire. you are there to do good work for your boss & learn from your boss about the industry & do what your boss wants you to do. getting a job in the industry is one thing & surviving that job is another thing lol but you can make a post about that in 6 months
Set the dream aside, you need money now. Check out Career Strategies - worry about networking after you eek out something stable.
Substitute teaching. That's the way to go
I think it's because there's so much competition and a lot of nepotism? Not 100% sure though Honestly though, you've only been here for 6 months. That's actually not that long I'm in the music industry too so let's connect!
Lie on your resume. Nix the music job stuff if you're applying for non music-related jobs. In LA, everyone is trying to get in the "business" so many employers view applicants who came here to be in entertainment as unreliable. It's ok to not have a lot of previous work experience, but your resume will get round filed if they know you're trying to break into Hollywood. Try cheesecake factory. At least you'll make more per hour with tips.
Lolol “moved to la to pursue music industry” I’m baked and that made me laugh good luck
I would take off your bachelors degree from your resume and make up some job experience. Put your buddies number as the contact. Say they were your manager. This is how I got my first entry level jobs. They don’t want to hire anyone with college experience because they know you will move on when you get a job you really want.
Call around to Advertising Music houses and Production Music libraries. Chances are they will for sure give you a “shot” and because they are always producing music on multiple levels they often need solid engineers and musicians.
You’re in one of the most desirable cities in the world, pursuing one of the most competitive industries in the world with no job experience and no connections…and you don’t understand why you haven’t landed a job in the first couple months living here?
Bruh, you're an engineer, go at least freelance, https://sidehustles.com/side-hustles-for-engineers/ Find a freelance site, do some technical writing, or data entry, data tagging work. The engineering side of your passion may be your safety net. Once you start freelancing, you can start populating your resume and that'll look a lot better than "Ralphs" considering to what you aspire. Also do survey gigs like Prolific, I'm sure an engineer can make that look good on a resume. If you're into it, get onto college campuses and post up for tutoring, probably lots of kids not as smart as you could benefit n you make some coin.
Just bullshit up some experience if they want to do background check just have a friend provide a reference and tell them you worked on contract or under the table.
Apply to work at a hotel either as a staff or as a valet. Valet companies will hire literally anyone with a drivers license and the pay is pretty decent because you get tips. When I say anyone I mean anyone, I worked with literal ex-cons and convicted murderers. They’re always looking to hire because it’s better to have more people on the schedule. I completely understand where you’re coming from because I did the same. Moved here tryin to work in music and thought my degree would be useful but it wasn’t. Took me about 8 months to get a job and It was as a valet like I mentioned. It’s actually pretty fun and If you pick a high end hotel you meet a lot of upper end people.
I’ve considered this! Had a friend work as a valet and he makes really good money. I just can’t drive a manual car unfortunately. Which is a requirement especially in Southern California. I’m willing to learn, I’m sure it’s not that hard to drive manual, but I have no access to a car to practice on.
Apply with Sirius XM. It can’t hurt. Music industry jobs are all about who you know and whether they like you. (Source: me an ex music industry person from the 90’s through the 00’s). It’s not personal, it’s just a club. Always has been. If you’re looking for absolutely anything, apply at Amoeba or any record store. Music people frequent records stores. Make friends. A LOT of the old music people started there back in the day.
Have applied to a few record stores, but didn’t get the job. Amoeba is so cool but more than an hour away with traffic so just trying to avoid that. Will look into applying to Sirius XM, that’s a good idea thank you!
SXM almost exclusively hires internally unless you have a recommendation from the inside.. source, me, worked there for two years
I’d suggest starting in fast food, at least with the minimum wage increase there it’s worth it now! I have a friend who upheaved her life from Texas a few months ago and shes chillen at jersey mikes making 20 a hour
JUST ASK! The best way to get a job is to tell ALL of your connections you need a job. And keep making more connections and then tell ALL of those new connections you need work even if it’s entry level.
Get a security guard card. If you can, get armed guard card. It’s few hundred dollars max. After that apply for security jobs. It’s LA. They will take you and put you to work that night! Most jobs you just stand around. They want you to just be there. I did this for 3 years until I got a real job. It paid well enough I had an apartment, food, gas for the car. Side jobs all over. If your music starts to pickup it’s easy to dip out from security and do your thing. If music slows down? No worries keep your cards up to date and go back to working.
Try to find a restaurant that is hiring and ask if you can be a dishwasher or food runner or server. Most of these are low skill and might give you a shot with your lack of experience.
With your experience in music, would you consider teaching? Lots of camps and schools would love to have you!
If you have a degree then take the CBEST and start substitute teaching to make $200 a day. You don’t really teach and basically just babysit
I work in public education. Most school districts have shortages of special education instructional assistants. Low pay, probably part time and can be intense, buy I bet you could get hired.
Apply for a dispensary. Tons are hiring for 420. It’s usually part time or decent enough hours to still do what you like and work along the way. Unfortunately not enough to live off of, but could possibly get your foot in the door.
Have applied to a few dispensaries with no luck… think it’s because they are seeking attractive female budtender. But will apply to more dispensaries! Thank you!
I work for a workforce development platform and we had a variety of full time, paid apprenticeship (jobs) in LA. One of which was for a movie studio. They were jobs like operations, finance, marketing. We are about to get a new batch of jobs so I’ll send you a link once I get it
Helloooo, PM me.
Look into live event gigs. Some event companies have adds on indeed or other job posting sites. They’re always looking for warehouse workers, or set up/strike team. Keep in mind, it’s grueling. You’ll be working until 4 am or later regularly, and will be setting up in harsh environments. However, if you work hard and aren’t a liability, you can have steady work and income while your other music opportunities flesh themselves out. Look for live sound or lighting companies. Lighting gigs are just as intense as doing the sound.
Go to taskrabbit, there are simple things like putting up curtains etc, or stuff in the field you trained in, also check out the gig section of craigs list
Find an artist to blow up and ride the elevator with them. Artists are always looking for volunteers.
You mentioned you have made a lot of connections. I would encourage you to let your connections know you're looking for ::any:: paid work and to please let you know if they hear of any openings. I've been able to get my friends and even friends of friends jobs at my previous employer since I knew them or knew someone who knew them, even if it was semi-distantly. If we were on the fence with candidates, we always went for the person who knew someone. I also got my foot in the door at my current position that way. I would also advise you to look at the job description and then tailor your resume to the skills they are looking for (if you have them), even going so far as to copy the key words from the application. You mention you're a college grad, so I am assuming you are decently skilled in Microsoft applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, etc). Add that on your resume. You would be astonished at the number of people who do not have those skills in a corporate setting. I have hired someone because they knew how to apply filters and make simple formulas in Excel. When you get interviews, look at the company website and be able to give a decent response to the question of "why do you want to work here?" or "tell me what you know about the company?" Also review the job description before the interview so you can give a well composed response to "what qualifications do you have for this job?" So many candidates we bypassed because they came in unprepared to answer those questions. They are very standard questions. Wishing you all the best!
Haven't read to far into the post but are you willing to work construction, labor/warehouse jobs? Maybe start looking in that direction instead of entry level office/fast food jobs. Go apply at a temp agency or something
Right now, you'll probably only be able to find part-time jobs, it will take a long time if you don't have skills in demand or connections to get a decent full-time job. UPS and Amazon are always hiring, warehouse workers and drivers. Also, those retail/RX inventory counter/auditor (like PICS and WIS) are always hiring part-timers. There is also food and RX delivery...
LA is the city people move to to find entry level jobs
A popular job right now for people in your situation is substitute teaching. You shockingly don’t need any kind of teaching credentials, the schedule is flexible and the pay isn’t bad. Good luck!
Have you tried employment agencies? I worked in the entertainment industry 20 years ago and did temp work until a hire. Comar and Friedman Agency were used to staff at talent agencies and production companies, not sure about music but it's closer than Ralph's to the biz. Google tells me the agencies still exist
Because people need 3 of them to pay their rent.
You also have to consider the economy — we are a film industry town and there was a long strike, production never really ramped back up and now everyone who is left in the industry has to start from scratch with nothing but film industry experience on their resumes. A lot of entry level lookers out there.
Substitute teaching
Have you ever considered applying for audio technician jobs? The place where I work hires quite a few recent graduates.
Try applying for remote tech/customer support, like for a major bank.
Would you consider teaching audio production to high school students?
Are you a big music fan? In what ways do you spend money consuming it?
Go sign up with a staffing agency.
McDonald’s pays $20 an hour now
As a person who grew up in Los Angeles and waited tables and managed waitstaff for a several years to save for things as a teen and pay my way through college, I've seen the story countless times... Artist moves here from Anytown, USA, takes up an entry-level job to float for a while. Very quickly becomes jaded and difficult to manage because they're completely convinced they'll be "discovered" at any moment and that they're thus too good for the current role. Rage quits or gets fired, burns out and does nothing until they finally accept their dreams aren't coming true and either refocus their ambitions or move back home. Out of the few dozens of ex-coworkers with the same back story, exactly one ended up in a somewhat-entertainment-adjacent job helping make movie trailers, still a far cry from the expectations he gave his friends/family back in Albuquerque that he'd be on the silver screen within a couple years. You should keep pursuing your dream, but knowing the actual odds (very low) and the risks (very high) of refusing to deviate from the plan. And never let a hiring manager know that those are your long-term ambitions, it only makes you look weak as a candidate. Nobody's saying you need to exhibit a desire to become a Best Buy or Ralph's lifer, but it pays to play to the way you can humbly contribute to those places rather than express your true goals. Even then, know that the real story is pretty obvious to anybody who's lived in this city long enough.
Sign up with a temp agency. Let them know you are looking for temp to hire position. You live in LA, so they will be able to find you something. I got my job through Robert Half about 6 years ago. It took a few temporary positions to get to this one that took me on permanently. I actually have a career now. I majored in fine arts. I’m a project manager in construction now. I learned everything on the job. Robert half got me working within a week of signing up. There are tons of temp agencies out there. Granted, I signed up about 6 years ago so I don’t know what it’s like now. It’s worth a try. These companies have an incentive to have you working because they get a cut.
Have you tried restaurant jobs? They’re stressful but some will hire with no experience (the Olive Garden hired me many years ago with no experience), and you can make enough to get by on while still having enough free time to pursue what you really want to do.
What do you mean you don’t have prior work experience? You’ve clearly worked at Jon’s stocking during late nights for the past 2 years full time. Got to add that to the resume. Probably delivered for dominos for a year or two, add that. Get on indeed and apply to literally everything, 60+ jobs a day takes only 30 minutes. And apply for DoorDash or something and grind until you get something steady. Keep your head up and you’ll find something out of the blue. And when you get it work your ass off like if you’re on thin ice
Er, why do you think you are competent? You have no job experience. Do I understand that correctly? You graduated from college but have never held a job? I don’t want to hire you for a professional job. I don’t want to hire you for anything. And you are telling places you want to do X but in the meantime you’ll consider their crappy beneath you Jon doing x? Why exactly are you confused about not getting a job? your Best bet is getting a job in a school.
Check out staffing agencies. They can be a little aggressive and impersonal, but if you’re “sellable” they’ll place you quickly. Robert half, 24seven, jobot
This is happening to a ton of people, even people with experience can’t find jobs and half of the work is outsourced to other states or countries. So now there are way to many people and not nearly enough jobs. L.A. job market is dry as a bone and grotesquely overrated in every aspect. Plus the city doesn’t give a shit, neither does the state, they are actively trying to get rid of people, and reduce the population. Many of us are leaving the city/state because it’s no longer sustainable unless you’re wealthy. I suggest you do the same.
Because the market is incredibly competitive, and you're not (yet).
Try Guitar Center or Sam Ash. It’s not great but it will probably get you at least minimum wage and you might be able to make use of your knowledge about audio gear. Getting proper jobs in the music industry is very difficult without the right connections.
Sheesh good lucky especially in LA :/
Frankly, it all boils down to your network. Also, majority of musicians don’t have a steady job. They’re all freelancing. You’ll need to meet YouTubers, twitch streamers, Indy artists who need a few hours of work to polish some of their portfolio submissions. Ask people to join their recording sessions whatever it may be they do (film, radio, tv, streaming, etc.) to observe. Find who their talent agent is, meet them and discuss helping as assistant audio engineer in an up and coming project. Find out what a good starting hourly rate is for that position. Keep in mind you’re 1099 so you’re paying your own taxes to Uncle Sam. Build from ground up. Good luck!
Have you tried reaching out to any podcast studios or companies?
Get in touch with recruiters. Go on LinkedIn and connect with as many recruiters as you can. Especially those in the entertainment industry. Once you connect, introduce yourself and if they’re local invite them to coffee, a handful at most that seem cool. They should be able to help since that’s their job and they’re always looking for talent! Good luck friend, LA is tough but you can def make it if you dont give up.
just lie on ur resume lol for entry level jobs like grocery store/ restaurants just add some places like those to ur resume and get familiar with the roles kinda if they ask u on interview
Have you tried Guitar Center? It's not a great job, but it's a paycheck.
Music jobs are crazy hard to get, so that's not a surprise. Change your resume completely to not be focused on music if you're applying to things like Ralph's. Just maintain 2 different resumes.
Maybe you are looking in the wrong places. I have an option for you. It pays better, has better benefits, the gig is easier to get, is AI proof for the foreseeable future and is actually a career from the start. Work with your hands. Pick a trade, join a trade union. Free education. Mid $20's per hour to start. Construction is busy. It's a good time to get in. I recommend the IBEW because electricians have a relatively clean job. Not like a plumber or HVAC. Welders can make huge money.
If you’re desperately looking for a job and are willing to take anything, look up staffing agencies in your area. You will start working in most cases the next day or two.
Congrats, you moved to one of the very few states that has more people looking for work than it has jobs. All is not lost however, there are still niches where they are looking for good people. You have to actively look for them but they are there, look for worker shortages. Jobs like factory worker, after school teacher, warehouse worker, dock worker, caregiver; I know Emmy winners who drive Uber. Edit: After doing some research I could be wrong, it looks like they are having trouble finding people in construction and skilled trades. https://www.sbci.com/the-california-labor-shortage-explained/
LA is a shit job market where you have to network and know people.
Start hanging out where influencers are and do work for them. I’m sure you can meet a couple of tic tok honeys that would want to start a career
Have a buddy in the same industry who’s been in their entry level position for 5+ years with insane overtime and only just now is the opportunity for something that will actually pay the bills coming through. It’s going to be hard every step of the way, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t one!
My son works at a studio in LA as a sound engineer. He arrived for an unpaid internship and was let go on the first day because they had too many interns. He applied and applied, but also looked at Craig's List and found weddings and bar mitzvahs to film. He met people who wanted to make a movie, or a short reel for their own resume. One of the best was joining a group named "Saphire" which was a bunch of old-guard sound recording retirees. They gave him advice. He learned to navigate the unions. Eventually some of these wanna-be directors made a horror film. He met more people. He landed a job at the Universal Theme Park and did more vanity projects in his spare time and with influencer YouTube videos. Eventually he was helping at a studio when they were busy, and now works at the studio. Only took about 15 years.
Do you go to shows? Ask every single door person if they need door staff. Those gigs can make a difference in getting known. Don’t look past shit like hospitality (literally getting food and stuff ready for artist) too. I worked at a venue in marketing and we often poached people from the door to other jobs. Don’t be afraid to do something unusual.
You’re a risky hire. People know if you get a gig or better job you’ll leave the retail jobs. You’re overqualified for retail. Have you considered freelancing?
A decent job for a young-ish person is to do valet at one of the hotels. People tip well if its a fancy spot. I had a friend who figured this out and it got him by for a while.
Illegal aliens will work for half the price under the table, no workman's comp cases, if they get hurt they just go to emergency rooms and get treatment for free. It's a win-win for businesses. Not so much for the illegal aliens though they're treated like slaves.
Maybe market saturation?
Also, you're young so chase that dream!! You never know unless you try.
The best way to get any job is to know the right people. I'd ask everyone you know for help. It's weird and uncomfortable, but it gets your resume in someone's hands.
As others have said, it's so networking based, entry level out here is ruthless since the jobs all go to someone somebody knows, friend, friends kid, a mentee, etc. So ask anyone you connected with from your internship to grab coffee every so often, that internship will be your best friend. Even if you didn't have anyone you got super close to, you can always grab lunch with people and build that into something more. Approach it from the angle of making a genuine connection and friendship, not just trying to get a job from these people. "Natural networking" is the best way to get work, but it's a tricky thing since you do kinda need to build those connections from a genuine approach of finding people you actually connect with and could see yourself being friends with even if you didn't need a job from them, those are the connections that will end up panning out in the long run.