Career advice anyone?

**Option hunter** · 02-25-12, 10:25 PM

So, I'm realizing that the career goal I had in mind just isn't suited for me. I'm figuring I'm going to have to change my Major and Minor. I would just like some advice as to the ones I have in mind.

I was thinking of Video Production as a Major, focusing on Video editing. I learned to use Windows Movie Maker in my freshman year in high school, and have been using it on and off for a while now. Recently, I got my hands on an after market video editor (Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD) And I'm finding more and more that I really like it. The College I go to has a course for that, and I can also get a Certificate specifically for Video Editing. The only problem with that is that it requires art courses, a couple specifically as drawing courses, and I've never been very good at drawing. I have an artistic mind, I've just never been very good at drawing anything.

My Minor I was going to set as Creative Writing. This is my second biggest hobby, right below gaming. I'm involved in several sites where I do Creative Writing on a daily basis, and I'm very good at it. I'm currently in the process of turning my hobby into a Career, even, because I'm writing a book, and I'm going a long at a fairly decent pace with it (6 chapters written, one typed). I'm not a good essay writer, I find it hard to write argumentative papers that are so loved by college writing classes. But I'm a very good writer in general, I have great grammar and great spelling. On really good days, I write upwards of 40 paragraphs in one day, all Creative Writing. The only problem is that my College doesn't offer a course for it.

Anyone have any advice for me about these fields. I would love to ask questions of anyone who has a job in Video Production, or who even took classes for it.

**Blood_Thirst** · 02-26-12, 12:19 AM

I can't say one way or the other. But I would suggest the Video Editing and keep the writing on the side. See how your book goes and take it from there. It sounds like you have the writing thing down so you may not need any classes for that. Once you finish an editor would probably be able to tell you if you're lacking somewhere.

**Awesom-O** · 02-26-12, 02:04 PM

From the very little I know, Final Cut Pro is what the A/V industry uses. Apparently, Apple is trying to defy this software by developing their own which is nothing close the FCP and is pissing off the industry.
I have a couple friends that are in A/V, both of which work for their local universities. It's a grueling gig, but it pays the bills. The one who works at the UofA does all video editing and instructs from within the library. The other peep works at Columbia mostly as a facilitator and teaching students how to troubleshoot and edit their projects (movies).
You have me as a fb friend, hit me up there and I'll hook you directly up to these folks and you can drill them for any and all questions yourself.

Meanwhile, consider applying to a position for A/V in your area. This experience will get your feet wet and you'll soon discover if that is the right path for you rather changing your degrees. I'm a strong believer with getting a job in an area of interest first then work up into the desired position. IMO, Whether you have undergrad done or not, you'll have to do this process regardless.

**Stick07** · 02-28-12, 11:05 AM

No idea dude. Those are tough questions that I ask Jesus about. haha I will say I use the Adobe suite for my video productions that I am paid to do for the church and I like it, and I have very much enjoyed doing it. The cool thing about both of your interests is that you don't necessarily need a degree or need to go to school for either of them... they are a technical, creative skill-set that you can acquire on your own through simply doing for a while and teaching yourself through resources such as books and the interwebs. I, personally, would still want to take some classes over it though, at least at some point, because I tend to be a thorough person and like to know all there is to know about things I am interested in.

Anyway, sorry for not answering your question. lol

**Stephen Haddad** · 02-28-12, 11:26 AM

I have no idea about video editing or any of that type of stuff but I do know something about creative writing. I went and got an MA in English and concentrated in Creative Writing for a while so I'll share what I learned. 1) It is VERY difficult to make money as a creative writer especially if you are interested in writing anything other than genre novels. You can't just send in your manuscript, you have to work your way up. You'll need an agent to get books sold and you'll need publishing history to get an agent. You can get this experience by writing short stories, poems etc and shopping them around to various journals (99% of which don't pay anything at all anymore) You can not make money this way like you could 30 or 40 years ago when all the magazines published fiction and paid for it, but you will still have to get your stuff published there before anyone who does pay will take you seriously. Once you do get published you will be expected to tour which means give public readings of your work. Alot of people really enjoy this part but if you are the type who is bashful about that you're gonna want to get over it fast. Some writers (like cormac mccarthy) refuse to give these readings, but they are the exception and their fame is in spite of this fact and not because of it. If you are interested in writing genre fiction this is a little easier. Genre publishers will often offer contests where winners will get book deals etc but you are way less free to write as you'd like. You are also writing for a specific audience in this case which is good in a sense because you know there is a market for your books (and so does the publisher) and bad in a sense because you are restricted to the norms of that market. 2) Writing Creatively is not the only way to make money with creative writing. Creative Writing is one of the few fields where a masters level degree is terminal and well respected within academia. You do NOT need a PHD to be a professor of creative writing you only need an MFA (Not an MA like I have but an MFA) MFA programs are significantly shorter than PHD programs but as with publishing generally, they expect you to have a body of published work before you enter. 3) a lot of wriiters shit all over creative writing classes but I think they are a great way to develop your skill. 95% of the people in the class will give you feedback that is not worth anything but there will be some people who you will come to truly respect as writers and will be very constructive in their criticism which will help alot. You will also have a great opportunity to meet people who will be agents, publishers etc...

I would say (as far as creative writing goes) do it... it will make school much more enjoyable for you, but plan to work hard to get where you want to be. Don't think that everyone runs out with a creative writing degree and gets some huge contract or instant notoriety. You will likely work 2 jobs... the one that pays you and the one you enjoy.

**Stephen Haddad** · 02-28-12, 11:37 AM

If I were you I would take a look at the writers market books for whatever you are interested in writing... they will list all the publishing houses/journals, their requirements for submission, their pay, and info about them.... Then I'd buy a bunch of stamps and envelopes and start sending out stories.... DO NOT get discouraged when you get rejected (and you will get rejected and often every writer does) kind editors will leave you constructive criticism so take it into advisement and submit again and again and again and again

**Cebelius** · 03-01-12, 11:47 AM

I guess I get to be the one to say, uh... look at what the market will bear and consider your dream job with respect to whether or not you can get someone to pay you for it rather than just assuming someone will do so once you have the skills. That isn't the way the real world works. I know a lot of people who are very good at doing something they love and are unemployed or struggling because what they love won't pay the bills.

I wanted to be a writer out of high school too and the only thing that saved me the effort was the fact that a conservative in college does not take a liberal arts degree. :P So I wound up in engineering before I joined the service, and after that I followed the markets. Technical work is in demand, so are trades, particularly engineers and welders, and those jobs pay very well.

Look at what kind of life you expect to live outside of work, and then look at the average rates for the career fields you're interested in. You may MAKE it as a writer and find that you're miserable because you don't have the money to go on any vacations or get a decent ride or buy a house.

So my career advice is to look around at who is hiring and see WHAT they're hiring, and consider those as careers first before you follow everybody else in just doing what you want and then desperately hoping someone will pay you for it. Shit may in fact work out if you do things that way... but it's not something to hang one's hat on.

**Option hunter** · 03-01-12, 09:55 PM

Thanks for the Advice everyone! Really appreciate it.

@Stephen
I appreciate you telling me all that, and it was really illuminating. I didn't know half the stuff you told me, so I really appreciate you telling me all of it.

@Ceb
Thanks for the advice, Ceb, and I already knew all that. But the way I see it, if I pursue a career field simply for the fact that it is in demand, then I'll end up miserable anyways. Sure I'll have money and a house and a nice car and vacation money and all that, but I'm the kind of person that has too do something that I enjoy doing. If I don't, I'll just be miserable anyways. Which is why Creative Writing is the Minor, and Video Production is the Major. I already understood from the get go that writing would be a hard career to make it in, which is why I chose something more practical for a Major.

**Cebelius** · 03-02-12, 01:36 PM

Originally Posted by Option hunter

@Ceb
Thanks for the advice, Ceb, and I already knew all that. But the way I see it, if I pursue a career field simply for the fact that it is in demand, then I'll end up miserable anyways. Sure I'll have money and a house and a nice car and vacation money and all that, but I'm the kind of person that has too do something that I enjoy doing. If I don't, I'll just be miserable anyways. Which is why Creative Writing is the Minor, and Video Production is the Major. I already understood from the get go that writing would be a hard career to make it in, which is why I chose something more practical for a Major.

I applaud your recognition of reality though I think you overestimate the amount of misery a profitable job, rather than one you picked first for your own personal enjoyment, may bring. Speaking as one who has been ousted to the tv room as a child whilst parents had screaming matches in the bedroom night after night over money, the scarcity of which later contributed to a divorce... speaking as one who has been at times so poor and so indebted himself that he was living out of the back of a truck, I can say with some authority that the nature of the work is not so important as the result. Remember that you are not living to work. You are in fact working to live, and one would prefer to live well than poorly. Don't beggar yourself for the sake of any career, no matter how much you may enjoy it. If you don't find your chosen profession to be as profitable as you had anticipated, don't fear to change tracks.

Be flexible, and live well. Regardless, good luck.

**Option hunter** · 03-04-12, 07:23 PM

More solid advice. Thanks.

Ceb, I have no first hand experience on that matter, so I thank you for sharing yours. I may be doing exactly as you said, under estimating the joy from having a profitable job and the money that goes with it. But I still want to go for what I like doing before I settle for something that is just profitable.

Video Production is a very general degree, so the way I see it, I'm keeping my options very open while still going for something that I like too do. And I've never been one to just stick with something when it's obvious that it's not going to work like I thought it was. So I could very well change my Major to something else if I feel like I should.