Experience is often valued because of the lessons prior jobs have theoretically provided us with. While hearing about those lessons isn’t a replacement for actually experiencing it, we thought it would be very helpful to create a space where sharp and generous members of the community can come together to share stories and lessons learned at prior jobs for the benefit of others.

Jingyuan (John) Li

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned came during a time when I was juggling multiple freelance projects, trying to gain a foothold in the industry. I was eager to say yes to everything, driven by the fear of missing out on opportunities. In the process, I ended up working with a few people whose intentions weren’t as genuine as they first appeared. At first, I didn’t think much of it—I assumed everyone had the same collaborative mindset. But over time, I started to notice how those dynamics drained me, creatively and emotionally. I wasn’t being heard, and worse, I was being taken advantage of. Read more>>

Nicole Davis

The most important lesson I learned in a job is to never give 100% of yourself and your time to someone else’s vision. We often spend more time at work then at home. Giving of ourselves to others that make them money and look good, often in toxic environments and neglect ourselves and true passions. The worst advise I got was to get my degree and go and work for someone else. If only those around me had advocated that the degree was proof I was qualified to do the task at hand but I could do it for myself. I think I would have found solace a lot sooner in pouring more into my craft in a way that suited me. Read more>>

Andrew Federman

Sometimes the hardest lessons are learning what you DON’T want to do. For me this was working as a cinematographer in the film industry. Coming out of college I had convinced myself I wanted to be a filmmaker and work in the film industry with a focus on lighting and cinematography. I moved to New York City and immediately found an entry-level job in the locations department on an independent film (Todd Solondz’s “Happiness”). For the next nine years I worked in the feature and documentary film world, first in the camera department (film loader, assistant camera) and also in lighting/electric department. Hungry to get behind the camera, I found some opportunities in the much smaller crews creating documentary films. Read more>>