Alison McLeod

What is the most useful piece of career advice you got as a student, and who gave it to you?

The most useful piece of career advice I have gotten is from a mentor of mine while at the beginning of my career path: it's good to be uncomfortable; so put yourself in uncomfortable situations especially in your career because you might end of discovering something you'd like even more or actually figure out something you don't like.

How did you pick your career? Did you know all along?

I didn't know all along, I actually had picked many careers between my elementary school years through my first 2 1/2 years of college. It wasn't until the summer between the 2nd and 3rd years of college that I decided on theatrical design and technology. During that time I was convinced I'd be a sound designer or sound engineer but that was short lived when I decided to take time away from college at the mid point of my 4th year just shy of graduating. I was burnt out from my college program demanding me to sound design every show when they didn't have professionals to teach me/didn't truly offer me support, and I honestly was learning more at a campus job with the local convention center. So I took time away, I ended up working with a few local theater companies where from working various backstage crew jobs I fell into stage management on a show as assistant stage manager. I loved it! I had no idea it could be fun, in college I just saw the stage management students as overwhelmed which I didn't want to be a part of. After doing that show, I was lucky that the production managers for that company took a chance on me and let me stage manage their summer kid's musical while discovering a whole new craft. It was hard and I loved it. So after doing that show, I knew stage managing is my career. It has led me to do work and to be in rooms that I didn't think possible for me. I did end up going back to school to finish my bachelors after working professionally for a few years because it was an important stepping stone to me. Please know that your path to a career is uniquely yours and you don't have to do it the traditional way. Follow what makes your heart do a flip, boils your blood, gives you energy, or whatever you truly enjoy/brings a smile to your face. You can honestly do anything. I didn't know about stage managing as a kid though I liked theater and now I can't picture myself doing anything else.