Visual effects are for assholes and queerboys.

So, um, I need 3-4 years high level production experience to get a job, and I need a job to get experience...

HOW THE FUCK DOES THIS INDUSTRY MAINTAIN ITSELF?!?!?! 

Yeah, I excel at nutbariness. I'm probably gonna start actually sending applications and stuff out in about a week or two once I get my demo reel finalized. But I'm starting to seriously consider just taking a while off and step back from all this stuff and let myself recover. Just do some retail work or something. It's starting to look mighty tempting at the moment...

4 years of solid crunch time level stress is a long time....

No kidding man.  Sure there are internships, which can lead to an actual job, but most are unpaid, and many are "for school credit only."

See, I'm fine with that.  I can accept that a degree of B.S. goes along with applying for a job (and I recall Teague's advice of "Lie within your means"), but I'd feel better if I knew how much I could get away with.  I know there are all kind of resources for writing a killer resume / cover letter, but I'd really love to find class taught by someone who has actually spent a fair bit of time looking at them. 

Maybe Full Sail has some kind of resume writing workshop or something; there's certainly no class in the curriculum entitled "So here's how to actually go about finding a job doing what you've just spent a lot of time and money learning."

This website got me my job.

1. Not that your ego needs the stroking sir, but you are very good at...pretty much anything you decide to put half an effort into.  Talent goes a long way.

2. I was sold on DAVE back when you and Brian discussed DAVE vs. Full Sail in the Geekza days.  I even flew down for a weekend  to check the place out.  I would have preferred DAVE; it's a shorter than the Full Sail program, about half as expensive, and I really like the "Block" organization of the program.  But... since it's really more of a training program, and not an accredited educational institution, financial aid was a problem.  There was simply no way I could come up with $30k, cash or credit, so that pretty much put DAVE out of reach.  I'd still like to go if I ever came into some money, but I don't see that happening any time soon.

That said, I can't complain too much about the Full Sail program.  I don't imagine a degree will actually make a whole lot of difference when it comes to getting a job (another reason I wasn't bothered about the DAVE program), but there is certainly benefit in a more rounded education.  Anyone with a degree feel free to set me right, but from what I understand my greatest assets starting fresh out the gate are going to be my demo reel, and the people I know.

Eddie: Thanks for the tips sir.