It's ALIVE!

Your budget that is. As I think ahead to the summer show I think of something new every day and that thing could help or hurt the budget. I am constantly updating a rough budget and with every new idea it changes and with everything we spend it changes and becomes more exact. A budget will change so much it is not even funny.

Don’t get so set in your budget that it becomes hard to change.

Filling A Gap

Yesterday there was a piece in the Washington Post about the Washington Ballet. It was on the homepage so I clicked to see what it was about. The Washington Ballet lost an expected 1 million dollars which is about 1/8th of their budget.

In a stroke of geniuses and maybe luck, they came up with a unique collaboration with Design Army and photographer Cade Martin. They ended up producing a commemorative book with shots of dancers throughout Washington DC. The paper and printing were donated and the book looks to generate around $100,000 in additional income for the company. I have to say, from what I see I am interested in buying this book. It looks beautiful and knowing the money is going to a good arts organization really makes the $55 seem not so high.

Congratulations to the Ballet and their partners in coming up with a great way to begin to fill the gap and hopefully get some more buzz about their company. You can read the article at the Washington Post and go check out the Ballet if you get a chance.

Being Laid Off

Last week, I heard of another local theatre who laid off more employees in an effort to keep costs down. This is a trend we're seeing all over the country, and, unfortunately, maybe it's happened to you. Having been laid off myself, I thought I would share some of the things I did to look for jobs.

First off, check with your old employer. Chances are it was nothing you did, but just financial times that contributed to the loss of your job. So check with your old boss and Human Resources to see what is out there. (This is actually how I first heard about the job I have now.)

Second, ask your contacts if there is any position they might know of that is open. They might have friends who need someone with your skills. Use Facebook and other networking tools to reach out. Don’t be ashamed of being laid off. They are expecting 3 million Americans will be laid off this year.

Thirdly, I suggest you make a job out of finding a job. I woke up at 9:00 a.m. every day to look for work. I typed cover letters, edited my resume, and read books about finding jobs. There is a great book called What Color Is Your Parachute. It is a must read if you are job hunting!

Lastly, budget, budget, budget! Look at your severance package, any income you may have, and your savings. Sign up for unemployment fast. Take all this into consideration, and determine how long you can live on it. See what you can cut, and make a plan. I knew exactly when I would run out of money. My credit cards were clear, and I was going to use them as a last resort to move home if need be. It would have not been pretty, but I knew exactly when it was coming.

I was really fortunate to have found a job, but I was zeroing in a couple of job options near the end of my three month layoff. So remember to look everywhere and reach out to find jobs, and treat job hunting like a job. And most importantly, remember to budget!

Get Paid What You Are Worth

The other day I ran into someone who had been promoted in a job with a fairly large company. When I heard what she was making I about died. She was paid litterly double what the intern was making and yet she had the title Manager in her title. I won’t tell you what the rate was but is not livable in the DC area. I made me think back to some advice my good friend Jenni Bowman once gave.

“Ask for more money. Always. Unless you honestly feel excited about what they tell you they'll pay you. Make yourself a realistic budget and then do jobs that will pay you enough to live. If you do this you'll make more money faster.”

That was a quote she gave me to share with my Thespian Students at the MO State Thespian Conference. Jenni is so right. Make a reasonable budget for yourself and decide what you need to live. If you can’t make at least that much then you shouldn’t take the job unless you can find ways of other income while holding that job.

Ask if you are on the same playing field as people in other departments with the same type of job. That is a fair question and it is fair that you are within 2-5k of those people. We are work in theatre because we love it. But we already get paid below other industries so I encourage you to look hard at the salary and make sure you have enough to live.