Where the Jobs Are (and Aren't), Part II
Surprising hiring trends of right now through analysis of current entertainment listings
Hello, Strikegeist readers! I’ve been thinking a lot about jobs lately. I first looked at the job market a little over a month ago (the Part I, if you will), and I’ve only heard the phrase “Survive ‘til ‘25” bandied about even more since then. The deeper we get into 2024, the more uncertainty folks are starting to feel about employment.
Many creatives are in wait-and-see mode, as writers’ projects sit in development hell amid a post-strike backlog. And the cuts keep coming on the studio and network side, with Paramount Global slashing about 800 spots just a few weeks ago.
Spring’s green shoots were supposed to bring with them hope for busier times. Instead, there’s still some of the same handwringing we’ve seen for months now.
So where are those jobs people keep hoping for?
In this issue, we’ll cover:
A breakdown of current job listings for Disney and Warner Bros and what they reveal
The one plum creative job currently accepting applications at Disney
The move from development to data jobs in entertainment
An excess of entry-level jobs
Plus, the one streamer still actually hiring for meaningful creative roles
The Bad News: Creative Job Drought Continues
In a continuation of what we noted last month, the creative sector offers little in the way of open positions. There’s some room to run if you’re a producer, director, agent or manager, and you’re in luck if you work in marketing, distribution or finance. But if you’re on the hunt for a creative studio or network gig and poring over the job listings at the major entertainment conglomerates, as I did this week, you may be struck by what a tech town this company town has really become.
I took a look at two in particular, to start: Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery. One is essentially a founding member of old-timey movie magic that five years ago absorbed another veteran studio, and the other is also an institution that has been made even larger by a merger with a cable network giant. But both are legacy studios where creative people dream of working.