One of the reasons we chose this business, is because it seemed like it would always be fun.  I mean think about it, the idea that we would never be chained to a 9 to 5 desk and have to wear a jacket to work has to be fun, right?  For the most part, all of this is true.  I can only think of two designers who wear jackets to work (you know who you are).  Working in this industry can be a blast, but it is totally what you make of it.  Depending on the exact field you have chosen, you can find yourself at resorts, on cruises, or in nightclubs.  Sometimes it’s a beautiful theatre, and other times it’s a festival.  All of these can be really fun environments to find yourself in and most likely, you will remember some aspect of it for the rest of your life.  Then a touch of reality sets in…..

Shows like this can be a blast, especially when the atmosphere is good.

Every show has its challenges and no matter how cool your surroundings are, you are going to have to deal with those challenges.  There is nothing like coming in the morning after you programmed all night only to hit locate on the console and nothing happens.  We’ve all been there, and it sucks.  All of a sudden your amazing surroundings just turned into the worst place on the planet and your first emotional response includes a cold drip of sweat down the back of your neck.  Troubleshooting is a bear, but when you figure out what the problem was, it’s all good again, right?  If you just traced down the problem and fixed it, sure.  If you went about it screaming obscenities the entire time, not so much.  Don’t forget that you’re not the only one in the room and if just made a complete spectacle of yourself in front of your team and everyone else, it can be hard to recover from that.   Keep your problems to yourself and only include people who need to know.  This keeps the stress to a minimum and the drama on the stage.

If you are in a place where they let you enjoy the amenities, I highly recommend it.  Take advantage of every perk you can.  Take lots of pictures and enjoy the moments.  Make lots of friends and build up your contacts.  If you can keep it all fun, or as much fun as possible, you will have a much better chance of picking up the next gig.