A couple months ago, the publisher of this magazine (my boss) Terry Lowe rang me up to make a special announcement. “I want to get into the business of helping people in our industry in filling jobs. I believe there are companies out there who are on the verge of employing headhunters to find people to fill their management needs. We can help our industry.”
I thought to myself, “What a coincidence,” as I’ve been getting hit fairly regularly with emails from technicians looking for touring gigs. They were wondering how they can advance, how they can leave their present situation and move from one company to another who might just appreciate their worth. At the same time, I had management from two other companies reach out to me looking for people to fill touring roles this summer in both the lighting and video fields.
Serving the Industry
My initial gut feeling upon hearing this announcement was, “What the heck is Terry doing,” and “Isn’t this going to open a big can of worms?” I know other people that have tried and even succeeded in the business of placing people in employment situations in the live entertainment business…why the heck does he want to get into this business?
“I’m giving back to my community,” he answered. “People in our industry have been supporting me, while I supported them, for my entire career. I’m not starting a headhunter service, heck I don’t even think I’ll make money, other than to pay the one person running this site. I’m simply creating a job board.”
A job board. As in, the help wanted ads one sees posted in their local supermarket by the local kid looking to mow your lawn? Well, that just may be. That was my initial thought, so I needed to get an education. It seems headhunters basically fill managerial roles with high paid clients, then they get compensated by these employers by receiving a percentage of the final agreed-upon salary (paid by the employer, not the recent hire). It’s big business. The headhunters negotiate the pay for you. These are the people that mine applicants for jobs through LinkedIn, etc., and cold-call potential new hires to see if they’d be interested in another job for 20 percent more than they are currently making. These same headhunters have no interest in job boards, calling them free sites for people who don’t make enough money to interest an actual headhunter. As a headhunter friend of mine scoffs, “They are our enemy.”
So TimelessJobs.com was formed. Timeless is the name of the company that owns seven different magazines including PLSN, FOH and Stage Directions. Terry has a guy — David Rheins —who’s spearheading the campaign. He’s currently talking to companies in need of employees, to post jobs that they may need to fill. People can look at this board and decide what might be a good fit for them. There’s no cost to explore these opportunities, even if you take a job that’s offered. We’re not headhunters.
A Unique Niche
Last week, I got an email from a friend who works as an LD and light technician. He had just finished his last tour and was looking for the next one. He’s over 40 now, so I said to him, “You ever think of getting off the road?” He replied that if the right opportunity presented itself, he just might be enticed. I told him that there were two gigs that I noticed on the job board, that were available in the city that’s close to where he lives. One was a major arena looking for a house LD (he was certainly qualified in my book). The other was looking for someone to teach theatrical lighting at a university. That would be a job that could allow a person to teach the next generation and use their spare hours to work with their local IATSE. He was going to look into it.
It’s summertime folks. 2019 looks to shatter records for the most touring shows ever on the road. The economy is doing well enough that there are jobs everywhere and you don’t have to spend your summer working in a sweatshop for minimal pay. There are some companies out there offering to “earn while you learn.” Smart employers are willing to invest in their future technicians by teaching them skills and offering growing careers with the company.
So, whether you are in need of some new blood in your company, or you are looking to bust a move and climb a ladder that may not be available in your current employment, check out the new site — timelessjobs.com. They listed 63 jobs in their first week last month. It’s grown heaps since then. There are tabs to look at what’s out there or to place a job offer for an open position within your organization. Can’t hurt to see what’s out there.
For Nook Schoenfeld’s video intro to the July 2019 issue of PLSN, go to www.plsn.me/201907ednote
