How Ameres Got Hired as the Assistant to 2 Writers

Getting a job assisting a writer is a really big deal, so you can imagine my excitement when Ameres Groves texted me that he was hired to work for the TWO creators of "Shaka: King of the Zulu Nation" for Showtime, Olu Odebunmi and Tolu Awosika!

I've known Ameres for almost 2 years (he was a "Career Strategy" coaching client) and he is one of the most thoughtful, engaging, and positive people I know! It's no surprise that he got this amazing position. I wanted to let you all in on a little secret of how he did it.

Here's how Ameres is growing his career and how you can too:

1. WORK IN REPRESENTATION: First, he was an assistant at the talent agency UTA (Dean Fluker), and later, he was the assistant to managers Evan Cavic & Kevin Parker at Artists First where he gained assistant experience, learned about the business side of entertainment and how things really work.

2. TAKE INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS: Like many of us, Ameres was furloughed during COVID and moved back to his hometown, but that didn't mean he stopped working. Not only did stoke his creativity by creating his own podcast, but he actively took informational meetings! Informational meetings aren't just for students, you will take these kinds of meetings for the rest of your career. Not only did he connect with his existing network during COVID, but was a Coffee with KP regular, not only sitting in on these group informational meetings via Zoom, but he asked thoughtful questions and connected with every single guest!

3. DO GOOD WORK: Doing great work is the prerequisite to getting your next job. Evan Cavic from Artist First represents the writers. Not only was Ameres in a position to learn about the opportunity (I'm pretty sure it wasn't on a job board), but he had the support of someone who knew his work well! Bam, he got hired! This is how most jobs in entertainment are filled; by someone the executive already knows and trusts. You build professional trust every day you do your job well.

4. FEED YOUR PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL LIFE: I believe that the MyGrads community is a beacon to the brilliant, ambitious, humble, kind, creative people that make up next Gen Hollywood. It's a thriving young professional community. But let's not forget the importance of having a personal life of hobbies, interests, friends, family, and loved ones. When times get rocky (as it did for a lot of us over COVID), having an integrated personal and professional life can be the positive difference in your life. As a matter of fact, I'm happy to report that Ameres and his love Katherine got married recently! Ameres knows how to nurture the professional and the personal. Congratulations to the bride and groom!

As Ameres can tell you, working in entertainment is a marathon and not a sprint. When you have the fundamentals down, your career starts looking up!