An Entertaining Career
After graduating from high school, I was clueless about what I wanted to do. I didn’t want to be like all the girls I knew and get married right out of high school just to get out of their parent’s house. I was searching for a career, or at least an exciting adventure.
Although college was an option, I didn’t like the idea of wasting a year trying to figure out what I wanted from life by talking to a school counselor or taking advice from roommates. Instead, I tried talking to people about their own careers and trying different jobs to learn what my skills were and to build more skills.
Fortunately, I was able to talk to an acquaintance of my father who was a mentor for an entertainment program. The program was called Get a Mentor and provided an apprenticeship for eager students. It paired a student with a working professional in the radio, film, or TV broadcasting industry.
I had always been interested in film editing , although I had no prior experience. I set up an appointment and I discussed my finance and mentor options with Get a Mentor. I was able to work around my job schedule so I could pay for the apprenticeship. I was also set up with a mentor that I respected and with whom I worked well.
After a few months of classroom and on-the-job training, one of the contacts my mentor had introduced me to offered me a job. Now I am working in the film industry while all my friends are still in school and paying thousands of dollars to discover what they want to do with their lives. The best part is, I have work experience and I am not in debt for my schooling.