E3 Group

E3 Group are now recruiting on behalf of the Thomas Cook Group for 2009 Winter and 2010 Summer entertainment positions. Auditions are set to take place this November in London and Manchester in December for a variety of exciting jobs as part of an overseas team.

E3 Group, the global provider of entertainment services to Thomas Cook worldwide, has a long history of working with the tour operator giant; providing complete entertainment solutions to its hotel properties including partner chain Hi! Hotels. For details on how to attend the audtions and apply, visit our E3 Careers page.

The team at E3 Careers are always thinking of innovative ways for talented entertainment professionals to audition for a contract. It’s no longer viable for our team to miss the opportunity of employing the best staff because of geographical, cost or timing issues. As a result our new Recruitment and Training Manager has come up with the ingenious solution of holding virtual auditions. Candidates are auditioned online through Skype video conferencing software. The auditions are carried out just as they would be in person with a dance, vocal and presentation skills section together with a general interview. Candidates can download a video instructing them on how to perform the dance routine required for the audition. Candidates are then judged by the same criteria as they would be at live auditions and given feedback accordingly. This method of audition cuts costs on travel for both auditionees and the E3 team, helping out our troubled environment and recognizing the pressures of the current economic downturn.

For information on how to apply for a virtual audition, please call our offices on 0845 83 82 822 between 9am and 6.30pm Monday to Friday.

Here at E3 we have used our extensive knowledge of the entertainment industry to identify certain characteristics which we think will help entertainment professionals get on in the world of showbusiness! We have called these our “Showbiz Values”.

These values enable us to clarify our expectations of everyone we work with and employ. To really get on at E3, we hope our new recruits will all perform what we call our “Starring Roles”. “Starring Roles” are people who meet our expectations and really shine. Our truly exceptional employees are what we call our “Oscar Nominees”. If you’re an E3 “Oscar Nominee”, you’ve definitely made it in the entertainment business as far as we’re concerned! However, what we don’t like to see is “Amateur Dramatics”.

Each of our “Showbiz Values” offers examples of what we consider to be “Amateur Dramatics”, “Starring Roles” and “Oscar Nominees”. Our values are as follows:

SENSE OF SHOWBUSINESS

Oscar Nominees
* Passionate belief in what you do
* Every detail is important
* Desire to be the showstopping best!

Starring Roles
* Always enthusiastic
* Loves the opportunity to shine
* Not afraid to take the lead

Amateur Dramatics
* Late for rehearsals or shows
* Bickering behind the scenes
* Lacking in energy & enthusiasm

HONEST AND OPEN TEAMWORK

Oscar Nominees
* Anticipates others needs
* Always approachable and open minded
* Cares a lot about other people’s happiness

Starring Roles
* Genuinely friendly
* Respects others
* Helps others

Amateur Dramatics
* Intolerant of others
* Doesn’t interact
* Thinking only of yourself

OUTSTANDING TALENT

Oscar Nominees
* Demonstrating talents to the highest level
* Helping others develop their talent
* Always finding ways to improve your skills

Starring Roles
* Keen to progress and develop
* Keen to learn new skills
* Supporting your colleagues ambitions

Amateur Dramatics
* Complacent about your talents
* Doing things only “for show”
* Condescending towards others

WINNING RESULTS

Oscar Nominees
* Totally targets driven
* Unstoppable desire to succeed
* Determined to surpass quality standards set

Starring Roles
* Determined to meet set targets
* Keen to deliver great results
* Copes well under pressure

Amateur Dramatics
* Self centred approach to winning
* Disinterested in group targets
* Unconcerned about set standards

BURNING PASSION

Oscar Nominees
* Role models the E3 Showbiz Values
* Always going the extra mile
* Never giving in or failing to believe in what you do

Starring Roles
* Caring and taking pride in what you do
* A sense of ownership over your work
* Strong sense of initiative

Amateur Dramatics
* Gives in easily
* Blames others
* Easily frustrated

INNOVATION IN EVERYTHING WE DO

Oscar Nominees
* Contributing bright ideas
* Encouraging creative thought and activity
* Always looking to develop and improve the situation

Starring Roles
* Strong sense of individuality
* Open to new ideas
* Willing to implement change

Amateur Dramatics
* Closed off to new ideas
* Prefers the easy option
* Slow to adapt to changes

ZEALOUS ABOUT CUSTOMER SERVICE

Oscar Nominees
* Unfaltering commitment to the customer
* Always trying to improve the customer’s experience
* Listens to and understands the customer’s needs

Starring Roles
* Keen to interact with the customers
* Cares about the customer’s experience
* Able to deal effectively with customer complaints

Amateur Dramatics
* Rude to the customers
* Unwilling to PR or communicate
* Disinterested in the customer experience

If you feel like you could be one of our Oscar Nominees, we’d love to hear from you! Drop us a line at: recruitment@e3grouponline.com or visit E3 CAREERS, our job site.

Here at E3 we think we know a thing or two about the audition process. We’ve been running major recruitment drives for some of the biggest names in the entertainment and leisure world for over 10 years now. In that time we have auditioned literally thousands of entertainment professionals, hopefuls and not so hopefuls. We also get asked a lot about what constitutes a good audition. So, here it is. E3’s official hints and tips for giving your best on the day.

1. Always be WELL PREPARED. Make sure you know who and what you are auditioning for. If possible, try to find out who is on the audition panel. This will help add a personal touch if you get the opportunity to chat with them.

2. Look presentable, first impressions count! Ensure you dress smart and your hair and make up is done. Don’t go over the top unless asked to dress in a specific style, but NEVER go simply in rehearsal wear. Make sure you look (and smell) your very best. Don’t wear dowdy colours. Bright and cheerful colours will help you stand out.

3. The way you enter the audition space is paramount to your success. BE CONFIDENT, make eye contact, give a warm, genuine smile, be attentive and look pleased and excited to be there (even if you don’t feel it!)

4. RESEARCH the company and the job before the audition. Prepare a few questions to ask at the audition to demonstrate you have looked into it. It’s important that you come across as informed and excited about the role you’re applying for.

5. GIVE A 100% in all parts of the audition. Even if you’re tired or feel that one particular section of the audition is not your strongest discipline, go for it! It’s your one opportunity to shine, so make the most of it. Often you will be judged as much on your enthusiasm and drive as you are on skill set.

6. NEVER ever make excuses for yourself. Never use phrases such as “I’m not really a dancer” or “singing isn’t my strongest point, but I’ll have a go”. Believe in yourself and just give it your very best.

7. STAY CALM! Some nerves are good and even the most accomplished performers have wobbly moments. However, think about methods to ensure your nerves don’t get the better of you. Breathing and vocal techniques are a good use of time before your audition.

8. Prepare your voice! Use a good quality VOCAL WARM UP CD on a regular basis and especially on the night before your audition. Shameless plug here - E3 have developed just the thing. If you don’t have a good quality vocal warm up CD, give us a call and we will organise one for you.

9. Make sure you choose the best material for yourself. For example, choose two songs that are contrasting and show off the range of your vocals. Don’t make the mistake of being self indulgent and just singing something that is popular or something you like. Also, EDIT YOUR TRACKS so that you quickly reach the piece of the song that shows off your voice in the best way. It’s no good having a wonderful song if you don’t reach the crescendo till four minutes into the piece. Often judges will only listen to part of your songs due to time constraints - bear this in mind! So make sure you cut those long intros or instrumental breaks.

10. REHEARSE your material thoroughly whether it’s a dance routine or a presenting piece. Learn your words and practice them religiously. If you forget them, don’t stop! Make them up……but look confident!

11. Always be prepared to do that little bit extra. For example, if you’ve been asked to do two songs; always have a third one prepared in case they would like to hear more from you.

12. Make sure you have plenty of rest the night before. Judges are invariably experienced professionals. They WILL be able to tell if you look tired or intoxicated from the night before and this does not bode well with your potential employer. Drink plenty of water and eat healthily in the days leading up to your audition. This will make a huge difference to your skin tone, giving you a healthy glow, sparkling eyes and, consequently, much more confidence.

13. Also relax, enjoy and be yourself! Getting your own personality across is another key factor to achieving success at your audition. Judges see a thousand ‘audition faces’ but what they really want to see is YOU (and there IS a difference). Remember, if you make a good impression and they like you as a person, they are far more likely to remember you.

14. Lastly allow plenty of time. Always give yourself enough time to cover any train delays or traffic that may occur on your way to the audition. Getting there early will always work in your favour.

Follow these tips and we reckon you’ll give a fab performance at audition!

Good luck!