Breaking Into Your Dream Industry

Breaking Into our Dream Industry
When You Lack Superstar Skills
By Sarah E. Needleman

Jeremy Atkins enjoys many of the benefits of a successful comic-book illustrator, though he doesn't have a shred of artistic talent.

Mr. Atkins, 30 years old and a collector of comics since childhood, gets free passes to trade shows, discounts on his favorite toys, and the chance to hobnob with such industry luminaries as Frank Miller, creator of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. The perks come with his job as director of publicity for Dark Horse Comics Inc.

If you're passionate about a certain industry but lack the skills commonly associated with its most visible leaders, you can try to pursue a career working on the sidelines. Being behind the scenes may offer more than just the opportunity to score freebies and gain exposure to your dream industry's superstars. The career choice may also help you enjoy what you do for a living as well as pay your bills.

Eric Doyne says he originally abandoned his goal of working in sports after his attempts at becoming a professional athlete failed. "I really gave the [bicycle] racing thing a go in college," he says. "I won some races, but I realized I wasn't a Lance Armstrong." Mr. Doyne also studied journalism in school, and after graduating in 1999, he says he landed an entry-level public relations job at a large agency. In his fourth year there, a colleague enlisted his help on an account for a bike company, and "a light bulb turned on," he says. "My job went from being just any job to one that I felt incredibly passionate about."

Now, as the owner of a small public-relations firm called Dispatch, 31-year-old Mr. Doyne handles publicity for companies that sell biking and other sports products. He says he takes client meetings on ski lifts, helps run professional sporting events and often receives free gear and apparel. "I always have the latest and greatest stuff," he says.

Think broadly in terms of the types of employers to target within your favorite industry. For example, if you want to work in high fashion, look beyond the runway or design studio to jobs at clothing warehouses, licensing agencies and consulting firms, says Dan Lagani, president of the Fairchild Fashion Group in New York. Magazine editors, he says, "literally have a front-row view of the world's greatest fashions six months before any consumer ever sees them."

It's important to demonstrate your passion for your dream industry in a professional manner -- and avoid coming across as a drooling wannabe. "Nobody is going to hire a groupie," says Flip Flippen, author of "The Flip Side: Break Free of the Behaviors That Hold You Back" (Springboard Press, 2007). "Employers aren't looking for fans; they're looking for producers."

Start by joining trade groups and attend the conferences, seminars and other events they host, says Alexandra Levit, author of the upcoming book, "How to Score THAT Gig" (Random House, 2008). By citing your membership to these organizations on your resume, you'll also boost your credibility, she adds.

Networking is especially critical if you're pursing a job at a high-profile company -- no matter what department it's in, adds Ms. Levit. "Everybody wants to work for them, so they don't need to try as hard to get qualified applicants," she says. "They'd rather have people who they know, people who come in through recommendations."

Developing a solid network can take several months, so don't quit your job while you're harvesting leads, warns Ms. Levit. "Start pecking away at the industry by getting to know what the situation is before making that leap," she says.

Volunteer opportunities are also a way to make connections and learn the ropes, says Cynthia Shapiro, a career coach in Los Angeles. "You'll show that you are willing to give extra of yourself for the industry," she says. "That's what makes people sit up and notice."

Upon landing a job interview, be sure to express your enthusiasm and knowledge of the industry without going overboard. A candidate for a midlevel sales job at the McFarlane Toys was declined an offer after gushing about the manufacturer's founder, Todd McFarlane, creator of the comic book Spawn. "He knew everything about Todd -- every public appearance he's made, every comic he's had a hand in," says Melanie Simmons, executive director human resources, for the Tempe, Ariz.,-based firm. "It was almost stalker-like."

Upon landing a job in your dream industry, keep it cool or the stint might be short-lived. On his first day of work at McFarlane, a retail sales associate showed up with a stack of comics for Mr. McFarlane to sign, says Ms. Simmons. "He didn't last very long," she says.

Keep in mind that working in your favorite area could potentially sour your interest in it outside the office. Stanley Tang says he couldn't stand to watch a baseball game on TV after coming home from his former marketing-production job at MLB.com, the online home of the Major League Baseball Association in New York. "I got totally burnt out," says the 34-year-old. "I was surrounded by television screens that were showing 10 to 15 games a day." A longtime Yankees fan, Mr. Tang says he's happier now working for ESPN Inc. as a technical producer because he's assigned projects that pertain to a wide range of sports. "I deal with ones I've never even heard of like competitive eating," he says.

-- Ms. Needleman is associate editor at CareerJournal.com.

Email your comments to sarah.needleman@wsj.com.

-- May 22, 2007

启航梦想之旅

启航梦想之旅：即使缺少成为巨星的本领

　　作为一名成功的漫画册插图画家，杰里米·阿特金斯(Jeremy Atkins)总能乐在其中，尽管他丝毫没有什么艺术细胞。

　　阿特金斯，现年30岁，自小就是一位漫画收藏家，曾获漫画商会的免费通行证，以及所钟爱的各种玩具的折扣待遇，甚至曾与漫画界的权威弗兰克·米勒(Frank Miller)——《蝙蝠侠：黑暗骑士归来》("Batman: The Dark Knight Returns"）^[1]的创作者——相酬酢。这些机遇的获得与他作为黑马漫画(Dark Horse Comics Inc, 美国最大的独立漫画出版商之一——译者注)的宣传部主管的职务密不可分。

　　假如你十分热爱某一事业，但又很缺乏成为这个业界领袖所公认必备的技能素质，那么你可以尝试去寻求一种以此为副业的边缘职业。工作于幕后，不仅让你有机会获得更多的免费赠品之类的东西，更是增添了你作为自己梦想事业上一位巨星的曝光率。选择这样的职业，既能让你享受自己所做之事，同时也能为生活支付足够的账单。

　　埃里克·多尼(Eric Doyne)说，他最初决定放弃运动生涯的梦想，是在他希望成为一名职业运动员的努力遭到失败以后。“我确实在大学里曾经尝试过（自行车）赛车”，他说，“我也曾胜过几场赛事，但我也已意识到，我并不是阿姆斯特朗(Lance Armstrong, 1999年至2005年间，在抗癌成功的身体状况下，实现环法大赛车手七连冠——译者注)。”多尼在大学里的专业是新闻学，自1999年毕业后，他就在一家大型代理机构的初级公共关系部门任职。工作四年之后，他的一位同事请他帮忙处理一家自行车公司的事务，于是“灵光乍现”，他如是说，“我的工作，从一份毫无所谓的职业，突然变成充满了难以置信的激情。”

　　如今，已经是一家名为派遣(Dispatch)的小型公关公司的老板的他，现年31岁的多尼从事面向自行车与其他运动产品销售公司的宣传工作。他透露说，他正开会组织探讨滑雪场雪道的问题，协办专业的体育赛事，同时经常收到免费提供的体育器材与运动服。“我总是拥有最时新与最出色的器材。”他说道。

　　作为领导阶层来说，想要实现自己梦想事业，就需要想得更长远更全面。举例来说，假如你想在高端时尚业界有所作为，就必须比一般视野看得更远，突破设计工作室的局囿，还需要进而涉及服装仓储、认证机构以及咨询公司等等工作，仙童(FairChild)时尚集团的总裁丹尼尔·拉格尼(Daniel Lagani)说道。“毫不夸张地说”，他认为，“杂志编辑拥有世界上最为前沿的时尚理念，这比普通消费者看到时尚成品时要早六个月。”

　　凭着专业的精神来证明你对这一事业的热爱，也是极为重要的——这也避免了给人留下的印象仅仅是一个狂热昏头的粉丝而已。“没有人愿意聘请一个纯粹的狂热者”，《反观：远离阻碍你的不良举止》("The Flip Side: Break Free of the Behaviors That Hold You Back" : Springboard Press, 2007)^[2]一书的作者弗里普·弗里潘(Flip Flippen)称，“老板们不会雇用纯粹的爱好者，他们只会聘请真正的制作人。”

　　应当从深入一个贸易集团起步，并出席各种会议、研讨会及其他公司举办的活动，即将出版的新书《如何评分》（兰登书屋, 2008）("How to Score THAT Gig" : Random House, 2008；准确书名应当是"How'd You Score That Gig?"——译者注)^[3]的作者亚历山德拉·李薇特(Alexandra Levit)说。她认为，还可以通过举证自己与自己简历上列出的各种组织之间的关系来增加自己的可信度。

　　假如你想要谋求一个高知名度公司的职位，无论对于哪个部门，人际关系网络都是个极其重要的关键，李薇特补充道。“所有的人都想进入公司工作，公司出于甄选的困难考虑，便会放弃从申请人中筛选出合格者”，她分析说，“因此他们宁肯任用他们所认识的，或者由他们推荐所得的人选。”

　　构建一个牢固的人际关系网络可能需要数个月的时间，因此在略有所得之时千万不要辞去手头的工作，李薇特劝诫说。“在跳槽之前，还需要通过分析行情来逐渐搜集关于这一行业的信息”，她建议。

　　志愿服务工作的机会也是建立联系和拓展网络的一条途径，一位洛杉矶的职业生涯指导辛西娅·夏毗罗(Cynthia Shapiro)认为。“你将得以证明自己是愿意为自己的事业付出额外的努力的”，她说，“这正是令人肃然与引人注目之处。”

　　在应对职位面试时，务必确保你所表达的对这一行业的热情与知识是得当的、不过火的。麦克法兰公司(McFarlane, 世界最大的玩具生产厂商之一——译者注)的一名中级销售职位的应征者，在滔滔不绝地谈论这家玩具制造公司的创立人托德·麦克法兰(Todd McFarlane)——漫画《再生侠》(Spawn)^[4]的创作者——之后，求职申请被拒。“他自以为知道托德所有的东西——包括每一次他的公开露面、每一本他参与的漫画”，亚利桑那州坦佩地区(Tempe, Arizona)人力资源部的执行董事梅兰妮·西蒙斯(Melanie Simmons)认为，“那实际上把事情弄得一团糟。”

　　在着手做你心目中理想事业的工作时，则一定要保持冷静，否则工作热情将无法持续得长久。“一位零销部助理在麦克法兰公司上班的第一天，就拿出了一沓漫画请求麦克法兰先生签字”，梅兰妮说，“他并没能在公司待得太久。”

　　请记住，即使是在你最挚爱的领域里工作，也会潜移默化地消磨你对它的兴趣。斯坦利·唐(Stanley Tang)称，他已经无法忍受天天从MLB.com网站(Major League Baseball Association, 美国二大职业棒球联盟之一，美国全国棒球协会和盟国棒球协会在线网站——译者注)做完市场营销工作后，回到家在电视上观看棒球比赛。“我已经完全失掉了兴致”，这位34岁的先生抱怨道，“我简直被四周晃着每天10到15场比赛的电视机屏幕给团团包围。”作为一名纽约Yankee棒球队的铁杆球迷，唐认为他更喜欢眼下在ESPN公司(Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, 世界最著名的体育电视网——译者注)担任技术监制的工作，因为他被分配到的任务总是涉及各种各样的体育运动。“我甚至需要处理我从来没有听说过的古怪事，比如吃东西比赛”，他说道。

——本文作者Needleman女士为CareerJournal.com网站之副总编辑。
　　您若对本文有任何看法，烦请致信 sarah.needleman@wsj.com 。

——2007年5月22日

【译者注释(Notes)】
1、本文中的非通行人名一律采用音译与原文加注的方式，部分人名给出了简单注释，并加下划线

2、本文中涉及的公司名称采用音译(或意译)与原文加注的方式，部分知名公司给出了简单注释，并加下划线

3、本文中涉及的书籍因缺少通行的译名，故其名称一律采用直译

4、本文中提及的所有书籍按出现顺序依次列表如下，其后均给出了amazon.com网站的链接，可供预览部分章节：
[1] Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (by Frank Miller, 2001)
　链接：http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Knight-Returns-Frank-Miller/dp/156389341X

[2] The Flip Side: Break Free of the Behaviors That Hold You Back (by Flip Flippen, 2007)
　链接：http://www.amazon.com/Flip-Side-Break-Free-Behaviors/dp/0446580783

[3] How'd You Score That Gig?: A Guide to the Coolest Jobs-and How to Get Them (by Alexandra Levit, 2007)
　链接：http://www.amazon.com/Howd-You-Score-That-Jobs/dp/0345496299

[4] Spawn (by Todd MacFarlane, 1997)
　链接：http://www.amazon.com/McFarlanes-Spawn-Animated-Robert-Forster/dp/6304698763