No. 272 - Boardwalk Empire

I was listening to an interview on the radio this morning with Terence Winter, creator of a new HBO series called Boardwalk Empire.

I learned that the show is set in Atlantic City, New Jersey, during the Prohibition era and that it was adapted from the novel, Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City by Nelson Johnson. The series debuted this month.

I also learned that Terence Winter is an Emmy Award-winning screenwriter, television and film producer most famous for his work on The Sopranos.

What I found most fascinating about the interview was Terence's back-story. Whenever I have the opportunity, I tell students (especially those in college) that they should do everything possible to put themselves in a position to stand-out among other candidates applying for a job. This would certainly include making sure they do one or more internships while in school. After getting their first job, I advise them to be the best employee, again going above and beyond, to make sure that they are an asset to the company.

I heard in the interview that Terence went to school to be a lawyer and after two years of hating his job in New York City, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a screenwriting career. But he got stuck in a Catch-22 situation. He was told to get any work he needed an agent, and agents wouldn't take him on as a client unless he had previous work experience. Eventually he found a list of agents that were taking new clients and he recognized the name of a guy he went to law school with. He called but the guy said he wasn't a real agent and had no clients. So Terence worked a deal with the guy to open an agency under this guy's name, with a mailing address, and a voice mail box. Terence would do all the work and this guy would get 10% of any work he got, as the agent's fee. The guy agreed. Terence then became not only the screenwriter, and the agent, but the messenger too, delivering his scripts around town. It worked. His career blossomed from there.

This is exactly what I mean by going above and beyond. Jobs will not just appear, especially in today's economy. People need to get creative. This guy certainly went above and beyond and it seems to have paid off for him.