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When starting out, you take the work you can get, so it’s not every day that you get to do something for a brand whose content you like and read regularly. In this case, we were talking science, engineering, and business, in the form of the Consumer Electronics Show.
I jumped to jump on board as a production assistant for The Verge (Vox Media) when they covered CES Las Vegas. If you’re not familiar, production assistance is a very common entry-level job for a media or production related career. Duties often mean “whatever comes up”. We helped set up the press trailer, drove reporters and interview subjects around the city and event, helped guide guests to their locations, handled equipment and supplies, and did paperwork. You observe, you help, you try to be professional and kind.
This was one of my first gigs. I don’t mind reflecting on it honestly, and learning from the past, so I’ll admit there were a few moments that revealed I was in fact not the best production assistant in history. Nothing egregious, and no lingering complaints, but when faced with some lack of professional behavior on the part of some of the other hired help, it ended up being me who didn’t respond in the best way. This was more of a personal letdown to myself… nothing ever came out or merited discipline or firing or anything like that. Just a reflection. There were some violations of safety rules, general lack of decorum, and unsubstantiated gossip, that surprised me to the point where I got emotional about things and took them too personally. I also let stress get to me… sometimes there would be confusing or conflicting instructions from various departments, and I didn’t quite have the knack at that time of brushing it off the shoulder. In fact, it’s still sometimes hard to do! I don’t say any of this in bitterness or regret… just as a takeaway for my continuing evolution, or for anyone reading this who may be interested in how things sometimes go.
Still love Vegas baby!