The Industry Connection

Interview with Antonio Hairston, VP, Recruiting and Diversity Outreach at WME

AvA: How can potential employees stick out in their application process? 

Hairston: Some candidates see many different [open] roles, and think that if they apply to more roles, they will stick out more. That process doesn't resonate with recruiters as favorably as candidates may think. 

Potential employees want to be thoughtful in the roles they are applying to. That doesn't mean you can't apply for multiple roles at a company, but you should refine your search and think about positions that specifically align to your skill sets, previous work experiences, a school project that you've done or volunteering. This will allow you to be able to speak intelligently and thoughtfully during the screening process.

[I’d also recommend] making an effort to connect with either an agent or an assistant on LinkedIn, and ask questions about their work environment and their jobs. Try and understand some of the pitfalls or challenges that may come with that particular role, as well as the positive aspects. 

 AvA: How should candidates prepare for an interview? 

Hairston: Think about the energy that you're bringing to that conversation. Recruiters are looking for that passion, they're looking for that enthusiasm and really want to hear about your interests. Going beyond that, [they want to know] your point of view, the type of content that you find meaningful or impactful, and why. Having a frame of reference and a point of view is helpful because it helps sell yourself in a way that doesn't solely rely on your resume.

AvA: What skills or areas of focus do you see becoming more important in the future? 

Hairston:

(On skills): The art of being able to effectively communicate via email and roll calls is a bit of a lost art, because that's not something a lot of the new generation is used to with cell phones and texting. There's a skill set and a formula that comes with it. So honing in on your skills when it comes to the proper etiquette of rolling calls and email communications is as important as ever. 

(On areas of focus): As you think about assistants who may be looking to become agents one day, I think crossover talent is the wave of the future. As we went through the pandemic and the strikes, there have been many stories [of talent] increasingly evolving into multi-hyphenates. An artist may now want to expand into digital, podcasts or developing brand partnerships. 

AvA: What are some ways people interested in entertainment can learn about different career paths? 

Hairston: Always be professionally curious and really take time to understand and learn the landscape and spectrum of entertainment. Oftentimes people will say “I want to work in entertainment.” I think taking a step back and asking yourself what that specifically means i.e. What realm of entertainment do you want to work in? Do you want to work in production? Do you want to work at a major studio? Do you want to work at a talent agency? Then within each of those segments, what does that look like as well? Is it behind the lens? Is it front office staff? 

Take the time to understand those factors, and don’t place it on a recruiter to define for you. A common mistake that some applicants will make is telling a recruiter “here is my resume, tell me what you think I should do.” That's one of the quickest ways to not get a response from a recruiter, because you're now putting the work and the burden on them to navigate your career for you. 

Locate a couple of areas that you really want to hone in on, and why you think they speak to your experience and skill set. That gives a clear path for the recruiter to help you navigate. 

 AvA: What is the best way to get your foot in the door to start your career in the industry?  

Hairston: Get comfortable being uncomfortable, and step outside the norm of what you're used to. Find industry events, and places that stretch you to meet people. Give yourself an intentional goal to walk out of this event having made three meaningful connections. Always introduce yourself and start practicing your elevator pitch, because you never know who will be in a room. 

Industry panels and reading the trades can also help you define your passion areas, and enable you to speak intelligently about them. 

AvA: What are some unique factors of the employee training process at Endeavor?

Hairston: Endeavor has such a wide variety of business units across what we call our flywheel. We take an approach of understanding that there are different specific needs that each business unit requires, and fundamentally develop [training] for our individual contributors there.

We also provide resources for them, and make sure we are tackling the individual needs of each segment and business unit.

Another key area of focus are our efforts to train and develop participants of our global summer internship program. We provide opportunities for mentorship, career planning sessions, team projects and exposure to senior leadership.

AvA: How is Endeavor tackling diversity and inclusion in their recruiting efforts?

Hairston: We've really taken more of our approach to reimagine how we are stepping outside of traditional recruitment norms. We want to meet people where they are, so that we can expand their ideas of what we do and how we do it. So we try to extend our reach to music festivals like Honeyland, film festivals like Tribeca or American Black Film Festival, or opportunities that are not your traditional career fair or traditional info session, such as our partnership with NALIP - National Association of Latino Independent Producers. 

AvA: Tips for the interview process?

Hairston: Come prepared with having obviously researched the company and being well versed in the things that we do. Be thoughtful with the types of questions that you're asking interviewers. Think about some of the unique questions that will set you apart. Maybe you've done some background research on that particular hiring manager themselves and understanding their career path. 

Most importantly: be yourself. Express yourself and show up authentically as who you are. It's not a rehearsed scenario of just regurgitating things that you think we want to hear. But you will find that when you just sort of let go, and just be yourself, that's when we can really connect with you and see you as being a value added player on our team.

Open Jobs and Internships

💼 = Job | 🎒 = Internship

💼 Administrative Assistant, Creative - Sony Music Publishing - LA - Apply here

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💼 Stage Manager - Universal Studios Hollywood - LA - Apply here

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💼 Day to Day Manger - Alternate Side - Remote - Apply here

💼 Sofar Sounds just posted a bunch of new openings

💼 Label Coordinator - S-Curve Records - NYC - Apply here

🎒 Summer Emerging Talent Associate Program - WMG (300 Elektra Entertainment) - NYC - Apply here

🎒 Social Media & Brand Awareness Intern - TwoShot - Remote - Apply here

🎒 Intern - Huxley - London - Apply here

🎒 Music Distribution Intern - Create Music Group - LA - Apply here

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This newsletter is written by Warner Bailey (connect with me here). Edited by Malik Figaro. 

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