Anyone who is job hunting in this economy, and that appears to be most of us, knows that it’s a buyer’s market out there, so to speak. With so many people desperate for work, employers can ask for specific qualifications, to an absurd extreme. Want to be an assistant manager at McDonalds? “Must have a master’s degree in business management with a bachelor’s degree in customer service with a minor in do-you-want-fries-with-that. Oh, and 30 years of experience. All others need not apply.”
Okay, that’s a slight exaggeration, but you get the general idea.
I think that by having such exacting standards, most employers are doing themselves a great disservice. They are eliminating a lot of very outstanding and talented people before they even know they’re there. Personally, I see dozens of jobs every day that I know I could do quite well, but I can’t even get past the job requirements to prove it. I’d be an asset, but they’ll never know that. Inexperienced but capable people can produce some amazing things in this world.
Case in point, the movie Beasts of the Southern Wild. From the product description on Amazon.com: “Teeming with magic, beauty and pure joy, this crowd-pleasing winner at the Sundance Film Festival has emerged as one of the year’s most acclaimed films. Newcomer Quvenzhane Wallis delivers an “Oscar-worthy performance” (Philadelphia Daily News) as Hushpuppy, the six-year-old force of nature in an isolated bayou community. When her tough but loving father Wink (Dwight Henry) succumbs to a mysterious malady, the fierce and determined girl bravely sets out on a journey to the outside world. But Hushpuppy’s quest is hindered by a “busted” universe that melts the ice caps and unleashes an army of prehistoric beasts.”
This movie is beautifully done. It, too, is a force of nature. And for the first time, I wish I had looked at the special features included on the DVD before watching the movie, because if I had, I’d have had the pleasure of being even more impressed. Because every single actor in this movie has never acted before. Ever. And the director, Benh Zeitlin, has never directed, and the production company, Court 13 Production, was actually a group of the director’s relatives with no experience in the industry. They moved into an abandoned gas station in New Orleans, and the guy who plays the pivotal role of the father, Dwight Henry, actually owned the bakery across the street.
Due to their lack of experience, they did every single thing in an unorthodox way, and they produced a masterpiece. I highly recommend that you see this amazing movie. You won’t regret it.
Experience? Here’s where you can stick your experience.
Little Hushpuppy confronts her demons in Beasts of the Southern Wild.
The View from a Drawbridge 