Six months ago, I was hounding TAFE to let me into a teaching course, now I have my dream job in the Entertainment Industry.
In 2023, I moved from Sydney to Melbourne. I had a contract job working with a production company that was awesome, I was a development assistant for the animation department and I thought I was made for this job. Unfortunately due to internal reshuffling, I was ghosted for six months and didn’t have a way to make money. This started a snowball of bad luck that coincided with my Saturn Return and a hectic bout of burnout (long time coming). I ended up having to borrow thousands of dollars from my parents as I waited for Centerlink to approve my unemployment status (which was made infitently harder because of the ghosting), I worked at a call centre (where I also had to report gross inappropriate behaviour about our trainer), I worked in a warehouse packaging posters (thank u sound merch) and worked in before and afterschool care. Over those two years I started to seriously doubt if I could ever hold down a job in the industry. Especially after my combined Autism/ADHD diagnosis, it seemed like having a job that wouldn’t make me pull out my hair where I could actually live up to my potential was not possible. Even having a job that would accomodate my needs as a neurodivergent, often chronically ill bebe seemed absurd.
It was in June this year that I was applying to Melbourne Polytechnic (again) to see if they would take me this semester to start my Certificate III in School Based Education Support - something that I had already started online to be able to work in before and after school care in Victoria. Luckily at the same time Haven’t You Done Well and Never Too Small were looking for people for a placement program funded by Screen Australia. Before I knew it I was canceling my enrolment to Melbourne Polytechnic and getting that sweet $250 service fee back.
I started working with Lee Naimo as my boss - something a little strange as he had probably seen and (politely) rejected the multiple comedian-led projects I had submitted to Screen Australia when he was the head of online. Lee has become a great mentor and collaborating with him across Grouse House has been so fun! Four months since I’ve started and I’ve already produced three seasons of two new web shows, two seasons of Grouse House’s most watched show “THE MOST UPSETTING GUESSING GAME IN THE WORLD” and have worked with over 20+ comedians in that timeframe.
Haven’t You Done Well is the first Millenial-led company I’ve ever worked for and it’s also the first company where someone hasn’t lost their temper at me (COINCIDENCE!?!). I am so lucky that they gave me a shot and I got the chance to prove myself to be a totally capable producer. It also gave me a chance to work in an environment where I understood my needs as an autistic person and they have been exceptional!
Last year I kept asking myself “Why am I doing this? Is it ever going to pay off? Will I always be on Centerlink? Why did I get into comedy again?” and now I can proudly say to my parents “HEY I HAVE THIS JOB NOW - FULL TIME WORK FOR SIX MONTHS” which I’m sure they’ll just thumbs up react to but at least they know those thousands I ‘borrowed’ will be coming back.
This rather wordy life update is for anyone going through a hard time wondering if the career they chose was the right decision. Maybe your career wasn’t the right decision but if you like it enough and stick around long enough maybe you can build up enough goodwill, skill and passion to get noticed. It’s so hard to hear that, especially when the well feels dry, but keep telling people your dreams! They might be able to help you out. I’m very grateful to the people who have been supportive of my career/cool stuff and very fuck u to the people who made it harder.
My first show: Special Interest Quiz, is available to watch now on the Grouse House Youtube Channel :)
