The LOL's of casting/ hiring people

When I used to be the one looking for a job, I always wondered what people thought of my responses. What I could do better, what I was doing wrong or right. Then, when I had to post for jobs and casting for photo shoots, I realized how difficult, annoying, comical and interesting it is to get responses from people that want the job you are offering.


Some people reply with:

- almost nothing like- "I'm interested. Here's how to contact me." (delete)
- a question like "so what exactly do you want?..." (like I have time to answer every question- and some of these don't even have any info, they want you to respond first before they send info.)
- "can you change the date that you posted for the shoot?" (uh no, I can find 50 more people that can make that date I asked for)
- "I would like to work with you if we can negotiate on more pay" (who do you think you are?)
- " I need you to fill this out for me and tell me exactly what you need" followed by a long list of questions. (I'm 100% more likely to respond to someone who didn't want me to spend 20 min. on a survey.)
 - It is stated in the post that I need people to interview on Tues and Wed. - "Can I come in on Thursday for an interview?" (Obviously if I asked for Tues & Wed., I'm probably already making the decision by Thurs.)
- A million replies to person casting. (likely, the person who posted the job is sifting through 100 people and is extremely busy, also they are likely not the person making the final hiring decision)



Responses to when I ask for someone local in LA:

- some people just send their info anyway and never even say that they are located on the east coast
- "I may be in another state but I work well remotely" (yeah but that's not what I asked for)


Some tips on replying:

- You don't want to be the last person to interview. Maybe not the first, but definitely within the first day, especially if it's for a gig that's time sensitive on picking someone.
- Reply with a little info about yourself, what you do and a hook as to why we should hire you, but not too long. And attach your resume in the same email.
- Don't ask questions about the job in your first response to the post.
-  It's helpful to change the name of the email you send back instead of using "re: Looking for Photographer in LA" (everybody responded with that and it's hard to tag which email you sent)
- Don't call, unless asked to. And if you do, only call once, not 5 times. (It's annoying, I'm busy)


When your coming in for an interview:

- Ask what to bring (always a resume, and a portfolio if it calls for one in your job)
- Ask what to wear (most likely dress conservative, unless you know you are interviewing with someone from a really alternative artsy type of job)
- If your job has something to do with computers and you need to show examples on a computer, be sure to bring the computer or iPad with you. Don't assume the client has one right there to use.


Whatever you do, don't make someone have to jump through any hoops for you. Hiring and casting people is a pain in the ass most of the time anyway. It's best to just get your interview time and date, show up on time, look like a million bucks and have a great personality and portfolio.