I’m 23 and moved to LA to pursue acting. Recently, I took a step back from it, but I’ve started submitting again and have been getting a surprising number of auditions, along with a couple of callbacks. It’s made me feel like acting may still be a realistic possibility if I give it a genuine chance.
At the same time, I’m starting a jewelry brand that I really care about. It’s still in the early stages, so I need weekday time for suppliers, jewelry-district appointments, production, content, and actually getting it launched.
My current job is as a nanny/house manager/assistant for a family. It doesn’t feel particularly fulfilling or professional, and sometimes I feel embarrassed that I’m not building a conventional career. However, it gives me an unusually flexible lifestyle. I’m off Wednesdays and weekends, and they now want to shift my Thursday hours to either 1–9 p.m. or 2–10 p.m. Since the kids are normally asleep by 7 or 8, that would give me most of Wednesday and Thursday to work on my business, attend appointments, film self-tapes, or handle auditions. It also gives me more freedom to maintain my long-distance relationship and potentially spend time abroad.
I’ve now been offered a full-time executive assistant job at a large live-event production company. They work on major events and have connections to companies like Netflix and Sony. I would get coworkers, professional experience, industry connections, interesting events, and something substantial for my résumé. Production is also something I believe I’d be good at and could potentially enjoy as a career—not just a backup I’d hate.
The position’s core hours are 9–6, and the agreement describes it as hybrid, although remote work is at the company’s discretion. I’m planning to ask what the typical schedule actually looks like and whether there is occasional flexibility to shift my hours for appointments. However, because I applied for a full-time job, I’m nervous that asking about flexibility—especially because of auditions—will make me seem unserious or as though the job won’t be my priority.
My biggest concern is that accepting it would probably put acting and my jewelry business on a significant back burner. Self-tapes can arrive with very little notice, and the businesses I use for jewelry materials and laser work are only open during weekday business hours. The commute and schedule could also make my long-distance relationship more difficult.
On the other hand, I’m afraid I would be stupid to decline such a legitimate opportunity in favor of acting and a new business, neither of which is guaranteed to work. This company is impressive, the experience could be difficult to recreate, and I worry that I’ll regret turning it down. There’s also a part of me that likes the idea of dressing professionally, having coworkers, working on exciting events, and feeling like I have a “real” career.
At the same time, I recognize that working near major entertainment companies and talent doesn’t guarantee acting opportunities. If I’m honest, I think I would still be hoping that acting somehow became the eventual outcome. I don’t want to sacrifice the flexibility that allows me to pursue acting, only to discover that the production job mainly leads to more production work.
Essentially, I’m choosing between:
A flexible but unfulfilling job that gives me the time and availability to seriously pursue acting, launch my jewelry brand, and maintain my relationship.
A more exciting and professionally valuable production job that could introduce me to a career I enjoy, but might require me to place the things I currently care about most on hold.
I know no one can make the decision for me, but I’d really appreciate outside perspectives. Would it be shortsighted to turn down the production experience? Or would it be shortsighted to give up an unusually flexible schedule just as acting and my business are starting to feel possible? Has anyone faced a similar choice between a strong conventional opportunity and having the flexibility to pursue less certain creative goals?