I have yet to bear children so I am not sure what its like to be proud of your kids but I do have this "kid" at work that I am extremely proud of this week. Three years ago, when I first transferred to my current studio due to "the merge" I was one of two people who made up the international marketing team. I am sure many of you remember me complaining how crazy I was. Anyhoo, during that time when we were setting up our team, this young girl walked into my office to interview for the internship position I was hiring for.
I have been working with interns for as long as I can remember and before that, I worked with young kids at movie theatres. In all my years and in all those kids I had never met a person like the girl who walked into my office that day. It took all of two seconds for me to know she was talented and she was a star. After meeting with her I called off all the other interviews and told HR to hire her. She was a rock star intern! Later when we were adding people, she was offered freelance work and then when we got a VP and we fought the good fight to add her to our overhead as an assistant. She may not have reported directly to me after the VP hired her but she continued to help me out on a daily basis.
Two weeks ago, a really good opportunity arose in the industry at another studio. Like a really good position. Everyone in our office knows this girl is looking (because she wants to learn more than she already knows) including our boss. We are a tight knit group and look after each other. Anyhoo, everyone gives her advice. Are you sure you want to leave? Do you really want to be an assistant and switch studios? Blah, blah blah At first I didn't think it was a good idea she go out for this. I was concerned she would be making a lateral move that wouldn't get her anywhere but as I was driving to work one morning and thinking about it I decided it was a good idea and I told her to give it all she got.
So she comes back from the meeting with the HR rep at this other studio and tells us about the job. The job isn't about being this high profile person's assistant but more of being a mentee to a person who has a ton of knowledge. Heck, after she told us about we all asked how we could submit our resume! hehe Anyway, I have never seen the girl more excited in my life.
When she called to tell me how her HR interview went I happened to be at lunch with my mentor. I remembered how she had helped me and I remembered how I got my job at that pre-merge studio. I remembered how people in the industry wrote letters on my behalf to my would be boss recommending me. So I decided I would write a recommendation to this big industry person. And my mentor, who used to work at this studio said she would call her friend who works at the studio and have her put in a good word for our girl.
I just so happened to have this big person's email address in my contacts. I couldn't remember how I had met this person in the past (in the past this person was in Creative so it was natural we could have crossed paths before he was promoted into his big time gig) and wasn't sure I did, as I could have taken the info from my bosses contacts but I was determined to write a letter for "my kid." So after lunch I sat down and wrote a letter and sent it directly to "the big guy" and only to him. I figured if he was hiring someone to mentor he must be a good guy and perhaps a good guy would read a note from this random girl who he may or may not have met in the past.
So the next day, our girl is at her swearing in ceremony, as in, swearing in to become a citizen of the Untied States when she gets a call from the HR Dept. At first she was heart broken because HR said they had received hundreds of resumes for the position (everyone in Hollywood applied for it) and that it would be 4 weeks before she heard anything about the next step, if she was selected to go to the next step. They said if you get a call from us before it means you haven't been selected. But HR surprised her by saying that they wanted to schedule an interview as "the big guy" wanted to meet with her personally. She freaked out and called me immediately thanking me for writing my letter. All I could do is smile and be glad the world works. And then I freaked out and thought she better do good or this guy is going to remember my name!
Her interview with "the big guy" was yesterday afternoon. We spent all day Thursday helping her prep and quizing her. Everyone in our department helped. She did so much research and had this amazing portfolio we'd knew she could do no wrong. Now, my idol has always been Sherry Lansing and I think, I pretty much spent my twenties telling everyone I knew that I was going to be Sherry and run a studio someday. My girl has told me that she see's me as her mentor and so, a few years ago, she starts telling everyone she is going to be Stacey Snider. I had to smile at the same enthusiasm I used to have (you know the pre-bitter days, hehehe) At this point, I am probably going to be going to be asking her for a job! hehe
She comes back from this interview yesterday afternoon and she believes it has gone very well, or rather we tell her it went very well after she describes her interaction with this guy. She was with him for an hour and a half. Anyhow, she tells this guy how she has idolized Stacey and this guy who is obvious into her tells her well, I happen to know her. He asks her if she has ever met her and she says she got close to her once because we work with her but she has never met her. Then "the big guy" says he knows her well and he will have to set up a meeting so my girl can meet her! When we all heard that we freaked out! Even if she doesn't get the job she fricken' gets to meet her idol!!! "The big guy" was like don't you let me forget to set that up. "The big guy" even lets our girl meet his assistant who has been with him forever and they talk on and on.
Both "the big guy" and the assistant mention my letter and "the big guy" tells my girl that he never usually read those things but there was something in my letter and he kept reading. Even the assistant mentioned how nice my letter was. When my girl came back from the interview she gave me the biggest hug. It was pretty cool that this guy read my letter (cause I am kinda known fro writing really long Jerry Maguire letters - that I am sure no one reads) but more importantly, I was super, super happy for my girl! I have never in my life been so proud of someone as I was of her. I couldn't stop smiling all day and I am smiling now as I write this.
This guy has to meet with a few other people but she is one of a very few being considered. She was the first he meet with, as he said he had never received so many nice reviews (yeah! our blitz creek of recommendations worked - this other guy, in the US that had worked with him also wrote a note). I told her, now all the other candidates have to live up to her! Our team is so excited for her, although my boss, I think, was a little sad at the thought of her possibly leaving. He gave her a hug though after she came back. That is how good this girl is, you know that even though you'd be loosing a superstar, it's better to let her go and have the opportunity to be bigger superstar.
I am so excited for her and have my fingers crossed tightly for her. Please keep her in your prayers, as this is a very good opportunity for her! My girl has grown up, I am so proud. I told the hub this is what it must be like to feel proud of your children. So now as I wait for the process to play out, I am thinking I need to start writing some recommendation letters on my behalf... if I am ever going to run my studio!!! I better get to work! hehe
I have been working with interns for as long as I can remember and before that, I worked with young kids at movie theatres. In all my years and in all those kids I had never met a person like the girl who walked into my office that day. It took all of two seconds for me to know she was talented and she was a star. After meeting with her I called off all the other interviews and told HR to hire her. She was a rock star intern! Later when we were adding people, she was offered freelance work and then when we got a VP and we fought the good fight to add her to our overhead as an assistant. She may not have reported directly to me after the VP hired her but she continued to help me out on a daily basis.
Two weeks ago, a really good opportunity arose in the industry at another studio. Like a really good position. Everyone in our office knows this girl is looking (because she wants to learn more than she already knows) including our boss. We are a tight knit group and look after each other. Anyhoo, everyone gives her advice. Are you sure you want to leave? Do you really want to be an assistant and switch studios? Blah, blah blah At first I didn't think it was a good idea she go out for this. I was concerned she would be making a lateral move that wouldn't get her anywhere but as I was driving to work one morning and thinking about it I decided it was a good idea and I told her to give it all she got.
So she comes back from the meeting with the HR rep at this other studio and tells us about the job. The job isn't about being this high profile person's assistant but more of being a mentee to a person who has a ton of knowledge. Heck, after she told us about we all asked how we could submit our resume! hehe Anyway, I have never seen the girl more excited in my life.
When she called to tell me how her HR interview went I happened to be at lunch with my mentor. I remembered how she had helped me and I remembered how I got my job at that pre-merge studio. I remembered how people in the industry wrote letters on my behalf to my would be boss recommending me. So I decided I would write a recommendation to this big industry person. And my mentor, who used to work at this studio said she would call her friend who works at the studio and have her put in a good word for our girl.
I just so happened to have this big person's email address in my contacts. I couldn't remember how I had met this person in the past (in the past this person was in Creative so it was natural we could have crossed paths before he was promoted into his big time gig) and wasn't sure I did, as I could have taken the info from my bosses contacts but I was determined to write a letter for "my kid." So after lunch I sat down and wrote a letter and sent it directly to "the big guy" and only to him. I figured if he was hiring someone to mentor he must be a good guy and perhaps a good guy would read a note from this random girl who he may or may not have met in the past.
So the next day, our girl is at her swearing in ceremony, as in, swearing in to become a citizen of the Untied States when she gets a call from the HR Dept. At first she was heart broken because HR said they had received hundreds of resumes for the position (everyone in Hollywood applied for it) and that it would be 4 weeks before she heard anything about the next step, if she was selected to go to the next step. They said if you get a call from us before it means you haven't been selected. But HR surprised her by saying that they wanted to schedule an interview as "the big guy" wanted to meet with her personally. She freaked out and called me immediately thanking me for writing my letter. All I could do is smile and be glad the world works. And then I freaked out and thought she better do good or this guy is going to remember my name!
Her interview with "the big guy" was yesterday afternoon. We spent all day Thursday helping her prep and quizing her. Everyone in our department helped. She did so much research and had this amazing portfolio we'd knew she could do no wrong. Now, my idol has always been Sherry Lansing and I think, I pretty much spent my twenties telling everyone I knew that I was going to be Sherry and run a studio someday. My girl has told me that she see's me as her mentor and so, a few years ago, she starts telling everyone she is going to be Stacey Snider. I had to smile at the same enthusiasm I used to have (you know the pre-bitter days, hehehe) At this point, I am probably going to be going to be asking her for a job! hehe
She comes back from this interview yesterday afternoon and she believes it has gone very well, or rather we tell her it went very well after she describes her interaction with this guy. She was with him for an hour and a half. Anyhow, she tells this guy how she has idolized Stacey and this guy who is obvious into her tells her well, I happen to know her. He asks her if she has ever met her and she says she got close to her once because we work with her but she has never met her. Then "the big guy" says he knows her well and he will have to set up a meeting so my girl can meet her! When we all heard that we freaked out! Even if she doesn't get the job she fricken' gets to meet her idol!!! "The big guy" was like don't you let me forget to set that up. "The big guy" even lets our girl meet his assistant who has been with him forever and they talk on and on.
Both "the big guy" and the assistant mention my letter and "the big guy" tells my girl that he never usually read those things but there was something in my letter and he kept reading. Even the assistant mentioned how nice my letter was. When my girl came back from the interview she gave me the biggest hug. It was pretty cool that this guy read my letter (cause I am kinda known fro writing really long Jerry Maguire letters - that I am sure no one reads) but more importantly, I was super, super happy for my girl! I have never in my life been so proud of someone as I was of her. I couldn't stop smiling all day and I am smiling now as I write this.
This guy has to meet with a few other people but she is one of a very few being considered. She was the first he meet with, as he said he had never received so many nice reviews (yeah! our blitz creek of recommendations worked - this other guy, in the US that had worked with him also wrote a note). I told her, now all the other candidates have to live up to her! Our team is so excited for her, although my boss, I think, was a little sad at the thought of her possibly leaving. He gave her a hug though after she came back. That is how good this girl is, you know that even though you'd be loosing a superstar, it's better to let her go and have the opportunity to be bigger superstar.
I am so excited for her and have my fingers crossed tightly for her. Please keep her in your prayers, as this is a very good opportunity for her! My girl has grown up, I am so proud. I told the hub this is what it must be like to feel proud of your children. So now as I wait for the process to play out, I am thinking I need to start writing some recommendation letters on my behalf... if I am ever going to run my studio!!! I better get to work! hehe
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