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The W - Pro Wrestling - Any of you ever try to get a job working for WWE?
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StingArmy
Andouille








Since: 3.5.03
From: Georgia bred, you can tell by my Hawk jersey

Since last post: 2957 days
Last activity: 549 days
#1 Posted on | Instant Rating: 6.43
Just curious. And I don't necessarily mean a job as a wrestler or as some other type of on-air talent, although I'd be interested in hearing THOSE stories too.

I'm sort of on the job market (self-employed, but occasionally browsing the classifieds for something different) and I decided to see if WWE Corporate had anything online that might interest me. There's not too much info on WWE's corporate job board but it's worth a look if you have a few minutes to kill. They seem to be looking for someone to join the writing team pretty often. Right now they even have an opening for on-air talent (play-by-play, it seems).

More interesting to me is WWE's LinkedIn Company Profile. Lots of neat little tidbits of info there. For instance, did you know that Bret Hart is WWE's senior VP of live event marketing? I didn't! And there's someone named Tiffany Runnels who also works in live event marketing, but I couldn't tell if she was any relation to the Bizarre One, the American Dream, or Dashing Cody.

There are currently over 300 WWE employees with LinkedIn accounts. It's pretty interesting to see all the different roles that have to be filled to ensure we get our 52 weeks of wrestling every year. If you snoop around a little, you can even find LinkedIn profiles for the people responsible for WWE's cool chyron as well as their awesome video packages.

Anyway, I applied for a web developer job. I have some other marketable (I hope!) skills too but that was the only opening that jumped out at me. I might be able to find a better job but I'd be lying if I said I never dreamed of working for the WWF or WCW one day. As such, I might be willing to take a pay cut or move to Stamford if I was fortunate enough to be offered a job. I'm not holding my breath, but it's fun to think about. =)

Any of you try landing a gig with WWE (or any other major wrestling promotion)? If so, any tips? Even though I'm not trying to be a wrestler, I'd hate to end up lost and frusrated like James1978 (The W).

- StingArmy

(edited by StingArmy on 12.8.10 2153)
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Mr. Boffo
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Since: 24.3.02
From: Oshkosh, WI

Since last post: 3895 days
Last activity: 3856 days
#2 Posted on | Instant Rating: 5.67
    Originally posted by StingArmy
    Just curious. And I don't necessarily mean a job as a wrestler or as some other type of on-air talent, although I'd be interested in hearing THOSE stories too.

    I'm sort of on the job market (self-employed, but occasionally browsing the classifieds for something different) and I decided to see if WWE Corporate had anything online that might interest me. There's not too much info on WWE's corporate job board but it's worth a look if you have a few minutes to kill. They seem to be looking for someone to join the writing team pretty often. Right now they even have an opening for on-air talent (play-by-play, it seems).

    More interesting to me is WWE's LinkedIn Company Profile. Lots of neat little tidbits of info there. For instance, did you know that Bret Hart is WWE's senior VP of live event marketing?

http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2008/05/25/featured_story/01top_05-25-08.txt says it's a different Bret Hart.



    The total was still about 3,200 people short. WWE wrestlers don't usually schedule matches at buildings with less than 5,000 seats, said Bret Hart, vice president for Live Event Marketing. While he has the same name as the retired Canadian wrestler Bret "The Hitman" Hart, his job on Saturday was promotion not punches.
Scottyflamingo
Bratwurst








Since: 23.6.10
From: Auburn, AL

Since last post: 3905 days
Last activity: 3634 days
#3 Posted on | Instant Rating: 2.77
I think I sent a resume for shits and giggles way back in the day. From what I hear, the last thing you should do is mention that you are a fan though.
StingArmy
Andouille








Since: 3.5.03
From: Georgia bred, you can tell by my Hawk jersey

Since last post: 2957 days
Last activity: 549 days
#4 Posted on | Instant Rating: 6.43

This is only slightly less mind-boggling than the fact that Michelle McCool is her real name.
    Originally posted by Scottyflamingo
    I think I sent a resume for shits and giggles way back in the day. From what I hear, the last thing you should do is mention that you are a fan though.

Really? Why? A lot of the jobs on the WWE job board, especially the on-air and creative positions, require that you be familiar with the product. And that makes sense.

Unless I'm overlooking something, I think you got some bad information.

- StingArmy
Excalibur05
Knackwurst








Since: 19.1.02
From: Minnesota

Since last post: 2915 days
Last activity: 2783 days
#5 Posted on | Instant Rating: 4.25
A few years ago, I sent in a resume for one of their writing positions.

Apparently, they didn't like the idea of Tough Enough Jessie main eventing Pay Per Views or forgetting Smackdown exists, though.



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Andouille








Since: 7.11.02
From: Riderville, SK

Since last post: 115 days
Last activity: 115 days
#6 Posted on | Instant Rating: 9.72
    Originally posted by Excalibur05
    Apparently, they didn't like the idea of Tough Enough Jessie main eventing Pay Per Views.
Waaaah.



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Since: 2.1.02
From: MD, USA

Since last post: 3571 days
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#7 Posted on | Instant Rating: 6.64
i would never want to work there, but i do have an acquaintance who works in the video dept who gets to blur out the scratch logo all day from old footager.



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rv581
Goetta








Since: 2.12.02

Since last post: 4926 days
Last activity: 4097 days
#8 Posted on | Instant Rating: 2.40
About 5 years ago, I swung a deal with the WWE: The PR agency that I worked with would produce a WWE-branded tour in the host city of their monthly PPVs. If the PPV was on a Sunday, we'd be in that town on a Friday to do a media event at a fan-friendly establishment that hypes the show. Basically, the value to the WWE was that it wouldn't cost 'em a whole lot of extra money (they just needed to cover the hard costs, supply approx. 10 of their stars, promotional materials, etc.) and they'd get a ton of publicity. The value to us was that we could then leverage the WWE name & charge other brands (video game companies, cell phones, etc.) who wanted to reach this audience to make money on top of the costs. I can't get into specifics about the agency or the events, but it was a nice little program. We estimated we could sign 3 or 4 brands to participate & clear approx. $10K per event. Not huge money, but with 12 events a years, you're talking a $120K annual account.

WWE agreed to it. We even reviewed which talent they'd be providing (Big Show, Kidman, JR, Dudleys... my memory is a little spotty here, but I definitely remember JR and Kidman). So it's a done deal, right?

Then, it suddenly occured to the WWE that if they ordered 10 of their talent to be in that host city 2 days ahead of time, they'd hafta pay their own talent more money to cover time/lodging/etc. And that killed the deal.

So long story short: Never worked with 'em. Well, they've provided talent/etc. for some celeb events I've promoted, but that ill-fated tour was the closest I got to anything official. Not that it was my life's ambition to work with 'em, but it woulda been kinda fun. Y'know?



"Who ate my sandwich???"
lotjx
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Since: 5.9.08

Since last post: 1681 days
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#9 Posted on | Instant Rating: 1.55
I sent a resume a few years ago for the video department since I have a B.A. in Mass Communications and it was around the time that multi-media video editors were becoming the new thing. I think that was a requirement andI worked on one in college which were back in the day awesome now its on every computer in the world. I am not sure if I mention if I was a fan or not, but I have heard if you mention you are a fan its not looked to kindly one. Its not like Lucasfilms were being a fan is pretty much a requirement considering the amount of time spent with the license.

I still think the writer requirement of having the 5 plus years of soap opera experience is retarded since most of the writers tend to be ex-wrestlers anyway. I would think being a fan would be a positive in that regard. Someone who knows the history and the characters. Yet, I can't imagine some fanboy trying to fit into that locker room or thinking they would have a snowballs chance in hell of fighting Steph and the other vets on storyline ideas.
dMp
Knackwurst








Since: 4.1.02
From: The Hague, Netherlands (Europe)

Since last post: 265 days
Last activity: 10 hours
#10 Posted on | Instant Rating: 5.78
    Originally posted by lotjx

    I still think the writer requirement of having the 5 plus years of soap opera experience is retarded since most of the writers tend to be ex-wrestlers anyway. I would think being a fan would be a positive in that regard. Someone who knows the history and the characters. Yet, I can't imagine some fanboy trying to fit into that locker room or thinking they would have a snowballs chance in hell of fighting Steph and the other vets on storyline ideas.


I thought most writers were soap/comedy writers these days, while the "producers" (agents) are ex-wrestlers.
Isn't that why we always bash the writing?

I think the reason they wouldn't like it if you wrote you're a (long time) fan is because probably in this day & age they assume you'r either a mark (OMG! Can I get Vince to sign my shirt?) or a smart (Hire me, I know what's wrong with your product, HHH needs to job.)

Obviously saying "familiar with the product and the history of the company" means the same thing, but sure sounds better.

And are you sure it's a requirement to work at Lucas?
George must be afraid of fanboys, since so many of them hate his guts. :)



Avatar Mud
lotjx
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Since: 5.9.08

Since last post: 1681 days
Last activity: 1520 days
#11 Posted on | Instant Rating: 1.55
With Lucasfilms, I am not sure you have to be in love with the series, but you have to know it. Lucasfilms handles video games, TV shows and a whole of bunch of stuff where you are going to need prior knowledge to work on it. Its not like WWE where they have third party companies doing the video games and so on. Plus, if you are not a fan of the product, I would assume the workload would either turn you into a fan or make you hate it to the point you would start slacking off.

The people working for George and Co. probably don't go around saying the "Prequels suck" or "Han shot first." Most of those guys have to go out and sell the product, so I am sure they may privately say that, but not in public. If you did have a person like that, I am not sure how good of a seller they would. a good Sales person can sell anything, but most sales people don't have to deal with a rapid audience who critique every little thing online either. Plus, almost everything dealing with Star Wars now a days has to do with the prequels like the Clone Wars cartoon and the merchandising, so having some of those fanboys in there would not be a good thing. Everything I do hear from the Lucasfilm guys is that they were fans first and were lucky to get it or clawed their way into the company.

As for the WWE, if I remember correctly the agents who do the matches are mostly ex-wrestlers like Arn, Slaughter and Steamboat, so that is part of the writing as well. Yet, Michael Hayes is a writer like Steph. I do agree that some familiar with the product would be better suited then a soap opera writer with no clue. I remember back in 2002-2006, it seemed like those people were part of a revolving door, so I don't know if that requirement has changed or not. I just remember when they advertised that part of the requirement and hired one or two of those people, the writing just got worse especially after Heyman left. It could be just a coincidence though, but it was just weird how that all happened around the same time.



(edited by lotjx on 13.8.10 0851)
Mr. Boffo
Scrapple








Since: 24.3.02
From: Oshkosh, WI

Since last post: 3895 days
Last activity: 3856 days
#12 Posted on | Instant Rating: 5.67
At some point, I remember hearing about a guy who was fired as a writer, and they said basically that he was too much a mark for the product. And what that meant was that he actually cared about continuity from more than a month ago. I seem to remember some story about having a white board filled with who had fueded with who.
dwaters
Bierwurst








Since: 16.10.02
From: Connecticut

Since last post: 1399 days
Last activity: 1379 days
#13 Posted on | Instant Rating: 3.44
Yes, only a few months ago. Still have the form letter response.

Thought I might have a chance being a fan already living in Connecticut with a Bachelor's in Writing for TV/Radio/Film, but not so....

Name dropping writer Brian Gewirtz and that you went to the same college at the same time gets you nowhere apparently...
Big Bad
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Since: 4.1.02
From: Dorchester, Ontario

Since last post: 1927 days
Last activity: 1495 days
#14 Posted on | Instant Rating: 5.75
    Originally posted by Mr. Boffo
    At some point, I remember hearing about a guy who was fired as a writer, and they said basically that he was too much a mark for the product. And what that meant was that he actually cared about continuity from more than a month ago. I seem to remember some story about having a white board filled with who had fueded with who.


The 'whiteboard guy' was the late Chris Kreski, who is generally credited with the high quality of WWE programming in 2000 once Russo and Ferrara left. Looking at his Wikipedia page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Kreski), his past credits include a helluva lot more varied and interesting stuff than soap operas --- Beavis & Butthead, Daily Show, MTV's award shows back when they were interesting, etc.
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Man, I'm gonna be unpopular... The women have made huge leaps and bounds over the past two years. I'll grant them that. But the only women around who seem capable of putting on a good match with good chemistry are Molly, Trish and Jazz.
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