The Professional Blues
on July 18, 2011 at 7:37 pmAn open letter–
Since I graduated from Drake University this past May, I have sent resumes to God-knows-how-many potential employers and either receive one of two things: nothing or a politely worded rejection letter. (To those of you who write this form-style rejection letters, thank you, they’re generally very gentle in the letdown). Thus, I have become most…melancholy.
I just applied for a few jobs at Zenimax, the company that owns Bethesda (Oblivion, Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, the upcoming Skyrim) in the hopes that maybe–just maybe–I can get my foot in the door as a professional. At the same time I am working towards my grad school requirements, but with this heat and the weirdness involving the comic and personal lives lately, I haven’t written nearly as much as I would have hoped.
I realized, however, that I turned in a semi-professional sounding resume. Really, I hate how boring it sounds. Most of my work experience stems from food service or my one-time stint as a pharmacy tech. I now work as a sales associate. All of my employment has been part-time (the pharmacy would nearly get me to full-time hours on some weeks, which was usually nice).
I feel like I’m caught in a perpetual Catch-22: You need a job to get experience but you need experience to get a job and you need a job to get experience…. (etc., etc., etc., ad nauseum).
I’ve sent copies of Ever Night script to them as well as my resume.
Things I did not include or mention on my resume:
- I am an avid gamer. I played the holy love out of World of Warcraft and actually miss it. Now that I have more time, I’ll probably play more again. Well…after I get further on my writing.
- I read voraciously. I didn’t always because I loved creating my own stories and I never ever wanted to sound ‘just like’ someone else. But I know how to make my writing blend with another’s when necessary.
- [This was on the resume] I have a B.A. in Writing with a Minor in Film Studies from Drake University. I also got a good portion of the English department to read this very webcomic–and some had never even heard of a webcomic before!
- I am passionate about what I do but caught in that awkward stage of life: mid-twenties. I’m going so many directions right now but I know five things for sure: I love to write and create, I will always continue to improve and learn until I die, imagination is the best tool I can wield, my family and friends have not always been supportive but I love them and cherish their very existence, and if you give me a chance…I could help make the worlds your games create shine even brighter.
So now I’m going to hashtag, tweet it at Zenimax/Bethesda, and hope to get some kind of answer. Or at least noticed.
I’m not giving up on the comic by any means. I still edit and revise and re-vision/revision my work. I still love writing; I’m still working and polishing to have my prose work published (when I’m ready). But I have bills to pay, things I’d like to do, and a desire to possess my own space again (with no ill intent meant towards my (generally) very loving and supportive parents).
Maybe I’ll point this out to Blizzard and a few others. Who knows? Maybe most people won’t notice—
But maybe, just maybe, someone will.
And on that, I can hang my hopes.
~<3 Stasia
Hi Stasia: Good luck in your effort to work at Bethesda, Blizzard, etc. Don’t get too discouraged about the rejection letters, it’s a competitive job market but we know you’ll find something that’s fun and rewarding soon. Like you said, somebody is bound to take notice of your talent: The web comic is great. Regards, ~Drake U. Digital Media Team
well as a fellow part time member of the roughly 28.6million unemployed (from latest U.S. labor dept. report 9.2% of ~311million) can only say i feel your pain with the “Catch22″ all too well after graduating last year…
don’t know much about the graphics design, art, tech world but joining a professional labor union has helped me stay afloat so far, maybe there’s something like that for your profession? – if you don’t have awesome roomates i think it’s a bad idea to move out so soon unless it’s absolutely needed for work, just too many extra expenses (do what asians and middle eastern kids do)
Sorry actually though ure webcomic is little cliche so far
, but just read your blog and wanted to leave some support to some1 in same situation. In between part time contracts probably submitted at least 1000 paper, electronic, email and phone apps myself over 16 month span but getting same letters u getting.
Activision Blizzard, Inc. is good choice – their stock is riding well inspite of all the global economic mayhem, but don’t give up hope in applying to their competitors, use everything (craigslist, monster, newspaper, indeed, etc!) Anyway good luck!
I appreciate the sentiments. I am doing what I need to do but I hardly believe the comic is cliche. I think people throw that word around a bit too much without knowing what that means exactly; there are only so many story bases to work with and it’s hardly followed any other pathway.
Empathy appreciated, but I know what the comic is and isn’t because I know the story. *shrugs* We’re not really that far in. No cliche elements.
Sorry. It may seem that way at first, but sorry, it’s not.
I so feel you there with the bad job market. The comic is not stereotypical and the person who left you the comment about their fucking life story and how the comic is a cliche–
YOU’RE A FUCKING MORON. WHAT THE FUCK IS IT A CLICHE OF?!
Keep doing what you’re doing.
Apokolypes, who the hell does a supportive comment while at the same time, ripping on something? WITH A FUCKING SMILEY FACE.
I don’t really think you understand the meaning of the word.
If you’re going to say something is cliche, perhaps you should both mention what it is a cliche OF and maybe wait until it’s in.. I don’t know… in the meat of the actual story? It’s still in the first chapter, there’s nothing for you to make a judgement call on to begin with.
Also, learn how to type. You have a keyboard, use it properly. :/
FFS man… anyways, you girls keep it up. Screw other people.
Something will come up for you, Miss Stasia.
Good luck Stasia! As someone who, well, fell off that horse in her life in any number of ways and is finally going back to university to get herself a completed degree, I know what it’s like struggling to find work in the field you’ve trained for and really actually enjoy doing. Especially in this job market it can so easily just be absolutely depressing, especially when you *do* have both a degree and a fairly strong portfolio to show.
While it might not be “professional” (and I don’t even know where that line sits anymore for web comics, really) I think producing, writing, and running an ongoing comic and site should *easily* be something featured in your resume and portfolio, assuming you feel the work and style won’t be off-putting (and I can’t at all see where that would be the case). If you’re proud of what you’ve done here (and I love it so far) then show off! Whether it is considered amateur or not, it’s still a perfect example of actual work you’ve done, and a successful real project at that.
Also, while I don’t know how it is in writing, I do know that not all of the game studios really want to hear that their applicants are recovering WoW addicts, at least not for some positions =P Not that you put it that way, but we all know how that goes D: If you use a more modern resume format (which are often ideal when you don’t have a ton of field relevant job experience to showcase) I’m sure you can find a good way to work in how enthusiastic you are about gaming and game related story design
Either that or just make sure it goes into the cover letter for any relevant companies (probably what I would do if it were me).
“But I know how to make my writing blend with another’s when necessary.”
I think that’s a great point to push, because so many times what companies seem to be looking for in entry level positions are people who are flexible to learning how that company does things in general, and are capable of and willing to take significant direction on the work they’ll be doing. Especially in team environments.
So once again, good luck!
~Kait
I don’t suppose you have a LinkIN account set up? It can be useful in building the business network needed to get your foot into the door. It can be amazing sometimes what contacts your friends and coworkers possess… without realizing it. With that contact, with one or two degrees of separation, you can often get your foot in the door enough that they provide you with an interview instead of just a form letter.
I wish you good fortune, because it lasts longer than luck.
Rob H.
Thank you very much to all the kind and warm comments.
I meant to reply sooner but, you know, I get busy with other things. 
Anyway, no I do not have a LinkedIn profile because I really don’t have need of one. *shrugs* Not enough “professional” experience that really counts for anything. I did not do any internships through college because there weren’t any (and when there were, I wasn’t informed).
So unless barista/dishwasher/cashier/sales associate is worth a damn to anyone as far as “paid work” is concern, I’ve got zilch that matters. Trust me, every job hunting site keeps bringing up results including food prep and minimum wage cashiering with an “Oh golly gee ain’t that a great fit for ya?” when I’m beating my head against a wall. (And yes, my resume is current, and yes, I do have a resume just not posted here).
This was more of a shout out post; I was being a bit gutsy. I’m pleased my university managed to spot this (that tickles me pink, seriously). Right now, however, I’m focusing on grad school again. I can’t keep chasing for jobs that aren’t intending to hire for another couple months and not tell you ’til the last possible second yea or nay (or just be a douche and say nothing at all) because by then I might be gearing up more noticeably for grad school.
So thank you again for all the comments. I do appreciate it.
I’m just still in a ‘professional blues’ state because being poor just sucks that hard. <3
~Stasia