Show Me Your ID

Esteban writes in: I’ve been a PA for a while in the reality tv circuit and today was actually my first coffee run something that I imagined would be smooth and a little late coming. The production coordinator handed me the company card with his and the company’s name on it. The barista said it […]

A Random Collection of Resume Tips

After helping over a hundred people with my resume service, I’ve noticed certain mistakes seem to crop up repeatedly. So, here’s some tips in no particular order: Don’t include “social media proficiency” or something like that under your “skills.” Old people read that as “spends all day on Facebook.” Or possibly Myspace. Because, you know, […]

How to Carry Coffee

Huh. Learn something new every day. Reader Brian writes in– Wouldn’t it be great if you could carry more coffee and carry them with ease? My trick: I call it the Lot of Latte. What I do is I take the lid of a printer paper box and stick two coffee holders inside. Then I […]

It’s Always About the Food

On my new show, I’m responsible for [glossary slug=’craft-service’]crafty[/glossary] in the morning, lunch midday, and coffee in the afternoon. If it’s a late night, I’ve got to cover dinner, as well. It sounds menial and tedious, largely because it is. But that doesn’t make it unimportant. As one coordinator told me (many times), “It’s always about […]

The “Strong” Pot of Coffee

As the “early PA,” I’m the first one in the office each morning. Like the class president of Mrs. Jewls’ class, it’s my job to turn the lights on. (Important job! No one else is capable or qualified!) It also means that I have to brew the first pot of coffee. This has transformed me […]

Colorize

This morning, the showrunner’s assistant came in the office and asked our intern, “Which pot has the decaf coffee in it?  The orange or the brown?” The intern replied, “I think orange is always decaf.” “It is.  That was just my polite way of making sure you knew.” Makes me wonder how many questions he […]

The Hardest Part

(It’s the waiting, for all you non-Tom Petty fans.) Ever walk into a Starbucks, and the line is short, and you think to yourself, “Yes! I’ll get my coffee before the end of the decade,” and then the guy in front of you whips out a scroll as long as your arm, like he’s about […]