‘you were their second choice’
A silver lining?
I prefer streets paved with gold.
But life doesn’t usually let us win every voice-over job and so it went today as I was advised, “you were their second choice”.
If you’ve been in voiceover for more than a day (and I’m not sure what percentage that is at the moment) you’ve likely been told at some point you were a prospect’s second choice for a voiceover job.
If you’ve been up for a job in almost any industry, you may have been told you were a second choice.
It happens. Now what?
Well nothing really. The bus left without you so you need to see about getting a different ride.
Sure, you can punch a wall or kick a dog (I’m personally OK with the wall option but not the dog…ever) but it doesn’t fix anything.
The real answer is that if it festers too much inside you, you need to get mentally tougher or quite seriously quit the voiceover business. The voiceover business is a business filled with rejection. Which is why it’s so great when you do land a new VO job.
As Pollyannaish as it might sound, it is not a bad thing to come in second. First is best but third is worse.
The point is your performance was really, really good. However, left up to the SUBJECTIVE (look it up) ear of a producer, they liked one other voice better. You cannot control that. No one can.
So if you can’t get over learning you came in second on a voice gig after more than about a minute, start working on your resume because you will need to look for a new job. I mean it. Get out of voiceover, for your own good.
Everybody else…move on. As I know you already have. Good job.
And congrats on that audition…you truly nailed it.
