So, when applying for a gig - what's your writing style?

[David.rhsc]

Not really certain this is the best section for this, but since I work "On the Set," my question pretty much applies to that, I guess.

I was just looking back at one of the emails I sent for a gig recently. (They called me up for an interview, and I wanted to refresh my memory at who they were.) Two things struck me about the note I sent them along with a simple-text resume (in the email, not as an attachment).

First:

That I write these rather informally. All of them are on the very short side, give my contact info, and point to the resume at the end of the note. This seems to have been the most effective when sending out apps to people I've not met. This one in particular I initially thought that I pushed the informality too far, but perhaps not.

Second:

I have the nasty habit of starting the majority of sentences with the word "I." I recall from my days in the world where formal cover letters were mandatory that this is a no-no. Here's where I need some help. Any useful phrases for starting sentences that describe your experience other than "I have," "I am," "In the past," and similar cliches?

Ideally, this sort of blind application wouldn't be part of my regular routine. But my limited contacts, combined with being in a very competitive market (lots of pros up here), and in a rather crappy economic backdrop, well, I still hit the internet looking for work regularly.

 

[Papertwinproductions]

A friend of mine stressed similar worries. I've, and i'm sure everybody else has, too.

If i'm too formal, i'll seem rigid. No personality. I'll be lost in the swamp of the other professionals who applied.

If i'm too informal, I'll seem unprofessional. They might not like the approach, and could quite well not take me seriously.

There's only so much an advertisement can display of his/hers character. The employers approach will undoubtedly assist the approach that you take.

When hiring (posting the ad) I'm formal. That covers the bases.

After recieving the reply, (and seeing their approach) I give the details formally, and decide whether or not to be informal (as we're all laidback goofs when we're not donning the business cap).

 

[David.rhsc]

Well, by "informally" I mean as opposed to the formatted business letter, attached pdf and plain text resumes, etc etc. I usually keep the language itself clear and brief and try to convey a little about my experience, accolades, and set demeanor.

In this particular one I quoted a couple of people (a director and a DIT) and wondered if perhaps that was crossing the line of informality for first contact. Seems to have gone unnoticed if today's meeting is any indication.

Interesting things:

This is the second gig that I've interviewed for where they specifically mentioned one of the DPs for whom I am lucky enough to work. The first time the line producer said "We really wanted <the DP's name> to shoot our show, but he wasn't available." and this time the DP I was meeting with only knows him by reputation but is friends with someone else who works for him often (as an operator though). In both cases it was virtually the first thing they asked me about.

The director is a professor at the college I attended, was teaching there when I was there, but I was never in any of her classes. At least I got to drop her a couple names of folks for whom I TA'd - but that was 8 years ago, so they likely won't remember me anyway.

Moral of the story? Ours is a very small world.