Makeup Artist

Todra Payne, Makeup Artist

Today’s Cool Jobster arrives via my Twitter feed (you do have a Twitter feed, don’t you?) When someone new starts following me on Twitter, I always take the time to check out the follower’s home page and see what he or she is all about, and in the case of Makeup Artist Todra Payne I’m glad I did and I’m happy she agreed to be interviewed for My Cool Job today!

I must say right up front that I’m not a “can’t leave the house without my face on” makeup wearer these days, although I suspect I did severely impact the world’s supply of black eyeliner back in my teens and early twenties (see photos of Joan Jett circa 1985 and you’ll get the idea). I’ve never had much of a knack for applying makeup to my face, but I have been lucky enough to have been “done” by a professional makeup artist a time or two and I’ve always been blown away by what a huge change in my look and my attitude a small amount of mysterious “goo” makes when applied by someone with experience, artistry, and a passion for helping people to feel good about themselves.

Todra Payne is certainly one of those people with a passion for what they do, whether she is conducting a teaching seminar for company employees on how to look their best, working one on one with a spaz like me that can’t figure out the difference between a bronzer and a brow pencil, or glamming up celebrities and models for a magazine photo shoot.

So is being a Makeup Artist as glamorous and exciting as they make it look on the reality show “Blush” (and am I the only one that wants to drown contestant Maxi in a vat of foundation)? Let’s find out from today’s Cool Jobster, Todra Payne…

When people ask you “what do you do?” how do you describe your job?

I usually say, “I’m a displaced celebrity makeup artist.” When I lived in NYC, I worked with celebrities, top models, and skinny, rich women who were always “on the scene” – the ones who don’t actually do anything, but are always photographed by the media for being fabulous. Now I work a lot with “regular” women (and men) – people like myself – who want to learn how to bring out their best look, but don’t have $1,000 to pay for a

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Bear With Me…It’s Going to Get Interesting!

Meet my new baby, arriving next week via UPS!

Hello readers!

I know it’s been a few days since I last posted a Cool Job, but I’ve got a project in the works that I hope will be worth the wait. I’m going to combine my new cinematic “skillz” with my love of cool jobs and if all goes according to plan, in a few days you should be able to WATCH the next Cool Jobster answer the interview questions right here!

Please be patient, and while you wait for this new chapter in MCJ history to begin, you can check out The Complete Cool Job List above, or just click on over to Carrie (Like the Movie) where you can watch a few videos and have a little fun! I’ll keep you posted on my progress with the movie: Step One is waiting for my fancy schmancy new video camera to arrive, so if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to sit by the mailbox!

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Casual Friday: You won’t get the job, but you will LOL

I know that many of you who read this blog ask yourselves when reading an entry on this site, “Gee, how can I get a cool job like that?”   Well, I’m here to help.

There are many things that have to fall into place in order to land and keep that dream job: a great resume; some mad interview skillz;  great rapport with the person who is interviewing you for the position; and of course someone qualified to show you the ropes at your new position so that your talents can shine through.

I’ve taken the liberty of carefully selecting some educational hilarious videos that will guide you through the job-hunting process.

The Perfect Resume

Let’s start with creating the perfect resume.    If you’re like me (or the creators of this video), you’ll spend more time worrying about what font to use than what information you actually present…

Oh, and don’t ever lie on your resume — it can get you into trouble when you’re asked to back up your claims with proof during the interview process.

How NOT to Act on a Job Interview

Now that your future boss has selected your resume and requested an interview, how should you conduct yourself?  If you want the job, avoid acting like these guys from Comedy.com.

Try to Create Rapport with the Inteviewer…

If you’re over 30, or a big fan of British comedy, then you’ll remember this classic sketch in which John Cleese interviews Graham Chapman for a management training postion.

Now That You’ve Gotten the Job, You Can Look Foward to Your Training!

If you’ve managed to avoid all of the pitfalls in the above videos and landed that dream job, you can look forward to being an albatross hanging around the neck of the experienced employee who has the task of training you.   If you’ve ever wondered how they train folks at the Internet Help Desk for your local web provider, here’s your chance to find out courtesy of 3 Dead Trolls in a Baggie.

So there you have it — advice and answers from around the Net about how to successfully get that perfect job.    And if it doesn’t work out for you, I recommend that you spend some time here buying swag for your cubicle.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

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Pro Skateboarder

180. Varial. Ollie. 360 Nollie Big Spin to Disaster. Doug Brown not only does all of the above moves as part of his cool job — he also finds time to work on his music career, volunteer for the Skate Straight Program, and fill us all in on the ups and downs (and ins and outs and grinds and rock n’ rolls) of being a Pro Skateboarder.

On a personal note, I should mention that I have a 13 year old son who has yelled out, “Hey, watch this!” to me about seven million times since he got his first skateboard. I imagine that Doug Brown’s family probably had a similar experience during the many years he spent honing his skills before hitting the pro circuit. Thanks for telling us about your cool job, Doug!

1) When people ask you ‘what do you do?’ how do you describe your job?I assure them it is a real job and I’m lucky and never set out to be in this position. I tell them its a lot more than just skateboarding and it involves traveling, and responsibilities like doing demos, speaking engagements, and you have to have thick skin and be able to take criticism.

2) What are the things about your job that you love?
What’s not to love? I’ve been skating for over 20 years and I would be doing this

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