Project Details: Refer to Description & Script

I was talking to a talent in Live Chat this week, and was >asked the question, "How do you know what jobs are best to be selective with?". What I told this talent should be shared with everyone. I firmly believe from the script and project description alone, you are able to see the education, and experience level of your potential employer, if you read 'between the lines'. Taking a look back, one of the things I once did when I started at Voice123 was making projects look comprehensive. This was a mistake. I found out all I was doing was imposing my experience, and education on the project, but not that of the actual voice seeker.

Think of it this way, 'The way we write says a great deal about what we know and how we think, professionally.' If you see something written in a project description, and/or a script, that raises an eyebrow, chances are you just may know more than you think about the seeker behind the job posting. I have found that incorrect selected project parameters do not show seeker inexperience. It may very well be human error while using the Voice123 project posting form, which leads many times to projects being replaced.

I recommend to try this the next time you read the project details. Refer to the script provided, and the project description. Ask yourself these questions:

• Does this project description appear professionally written, and thorough?
• Can I professionally identify with the way he/she writes, and the references used?
• Is the script poorly spelled, as well as, the project description?
• Did the seeker write in capital letters, or use negative descriptions to get his/her point across?
• How many people is this person directly inviting vs. How many have they requested using SmartCast, and how many projects have they posted?
  

Here is why I tell you those questions are important:

• A project description not well-written, or thorough, may indicate someone is using the system for the first time, they are rushing, or they may not know what they want. The longer you work in this industry, the easier it is to know what to say to get what you need.
  
• The way a person writes, and the formal tones he/she uses, lets you know where a person may be from. Reading a description that triggers the inner voice, 'I know where this guy is coming from', is a good sign.
• A person who writes in a negative tone to get what he/she wants is actually displaying experience of some sort. This is a good thing because the person is telling you, 'I have heard auditions before, and I need something else.' There is a backdoor to opportunity in cases like this, BUT it does tell you that the seeker may have less patience than others.
• If a person requests SmartCast, and directly invites an equal amount of people, and has never posted a project before, you may be dealing with a 'talent search' more than a direct opportunity.
  

A final word about 'budgets', as I know that is a concern for everyone:

• The Internet online casting world is young. Working online involves a great deal of trust in someone or something you cannot see. This is why online companies do 'trial services'. I say this because, if you see that a script is professional, and so is the description, you may be dealing with a person who can turn into a long-time client, and that very budget you see is more of a 'guess-timate'. Once they get to know you, the job could turn into something much bigger. As well, working online internationally means dealing sometimes with what a buyer can afford in his/her country.
  

The key to all of this:

• When in doubt, refer back to the way the person writes a description and script.
  

Above all, I would like to close by saying, 'No rule is absolute.'

• For example, viral videos and social networking have become huge opportunities for exposure, compared to when I started when jobs posted for videos going straight to YouTube, usually meant it was a college student experimenting.Times change and there is an exception to every rule, but the exceptions are not the rules.
  

The more you know, the better you can make educated decisions that work most of the time. If you would like to ask me more about this topic, post a thread about it on Voice123 Premium Forums.

Thank you always!



Steven Lowell
Public Relations Manager
My Blog