The Next Move
I started this blog as I was making the transition from college to the "real world" of business, living--but not always working in--Seattle as a consultant for McKinsey & Company. 125 posts later (none of which were written about my first job; the cause of this was 80% "I didn't have the time or energy" and 20% "I can't write about work because its protected by confidentiality agreements"), I'll be making another big change in direction, this time into entertainment. Last Sunday, I moved from Seattle to New York City; by the middle of the month, I'll take my first step (like everyone else in this industry, it seems) by starting work as an assistant at a production company.
As always during a time of transition, its important to take a step back and reflect on the bygone era. The good news is, I have zero regrets about having spent my last two years with the Firm (I wonder how long I'll refer to it as that? My guess: forever) as a BA and already greatly miss a lot of the people I worked with and became came to while I was there. I'll miss team room banter and ridiculous clients and extravagant boondoggles and the constant, never-ending stream of feedback that makes you simultaneously want to strangle the person giving it to you and hug them for caring enough to want to make you better; the "Oh, I'm starting to get this" moment that comes about 2 weeks into a project that finally allows you to overcome the terror of entering a completely new industry and being asked for advice from people who have as many years of business experience under their belt as the number you've been alive; the absolute feeling of accomplishment and relief that comes after a study you poured your heart and life into, helping clients who have become your friends and close confidantes, wraps up for good--and the utter satisfaction that comes from shredding all of the decks you no longer need, because they have copies of the work and it's theirs now, to do what they will with it.
In a nutshell, I'll miss the intensity of it all. It's addictive, and like any addiction, quitting will be marked by a series of unpleasant and unanticipated withdrawal symptoms. (For example, getting rid of the Blackberry and a data plan, a.k.a., the electronic leash, has already created numerous, near-fatal consequences such as ending up in not-so-savory areas of Brooklyn due to a lack of Google Maps.)
But it's time to try something else, to disembark from the intense roller-coaster of Corporate America and try a different ride in the Real World theme park. Welcome to Entertainment Land. Your first ticket is for a small Manhattan-based production company, with theme songs such as, "It's the Hard Knock Life" and "I Want to be a Producer" covered by the Underpaid Assistants, taking you through the glitz and grit of film and theater production in the insomniac city of New York. Fasten your seatbelts, keep your hands busy answering phones and your mind busy trying to remember all of the 'important' names you're supposed to recognize and don't, and above all else, enjoy the ride.
As always during a time of transition, its important to take a step back and reflect on the bygone era. The good news is, I have zero regrets about having spent my last two years with the Firm (I wonder how long I'll refer to it as that? My guess: forever) as a BA and already greatly miss a lot of the people I worked with and became came to while I was there. I'll miss team room banter and ridiculous clients and extravagant boondoggles and the constant, never-ending stream of feedback that makes you simultaneously want to strangle the person giving it to you and hug them for caring enough to want to make you better; the "Oh, I'm starting to get this" moment that comes about 2 weeks into a project that finally allows you to overcome the terror of entering a completely new industry and being asked for advice from people who have as many years of business experience under their belt as the number you've been alive; the absolute feeling of accomplishment and relief that comes after a study you poured your heart and life into, helping clients who have become your friends and close confidantes, wraps up for good--and the utter satisfaction that comes from shredding all of the decks you no longer need, because they have copies of the work and it's theirs now, to do what they will with it.
In a nutshell, I'll miss the intensity of it all. It's addictive, and like any addiction, quitting will be marked by a series of unpleasant and unanticipated withdrawal symptoms. (For example, getting rid of the Blackberry and a data plan, a.k.a., the electronic leash, has already created numerous, near-fatal consequences such as ending up in not-so-savory areas of Brooklyn due to a lack of Google Maps.)
But it's time to try something else, to disembark from the intense roller-coaster of Corporate America and try a different ride in the Real World theme park. Welcome to Entertainment Land. Your first ticket is for a small Manhattan-based production company, with theme songs such as, "It's the Hard Knock Life" and "I Want to be a Producer" covered by the Underpaid Assistants, taking you through the glitz and grit of film and theater production in the insomniac city of New York. Fasten your seatbelts, keep your hands busy answering phones and your mind busy trying to remember all of the 'important' names you're supposed to recognize and don't, and above all else, enjoy the ride.
posted by the Assistant at 3:20 PM
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