Sean Mikesh '25 is the first student to be featured in the 2024 “Career Moves” series, which highlights the achievements of Elon students and alumni who credit staff in Elon’s Student Professional Development Center with helping them achieve their professional goals.
The Road to Elon
For Sean Mikesh ’25, the path to his internship at Clear Talent Group wasn’t easy, especially in the highly competitive acting field. Sean has been acting since sixth grade, starting in community theater. His first role was as a member of the Lollipop Guild in “The Wizard of Oz.” From that experience, he knew he wanted to pursue art and acting.
“Whether it was in front of the camera or behind it, there’s a lot you can take away from acting with the push and pull of the industry,” Mikesh said.
Sean’s college search revolved around his acceptance into an acting program, so he had to wait until after his auditions to make a decision. Elon’s acting program is highly selective. At that time, only 16 students were chosen from about 500 applicants. Ultimately, Mikesh chose Elon for its combination of the college experience, conservatory-style training and beautiful campus. It was everything he needed to learn about himself and grow.
SPCD to the rescue
Resume help
Mikesh turned to the Student Professional Development Center (SPDC) for assistance in locking down a resume for a job, not just a performance role. The SPDC helped him make the resume more specific to his goals, offering tips like determining what to include and how to format it. The key was learning how to word things to make them more appealing and to tailor the resume to highlight specific skills.
Internship search
After refining his resume, Sean considered sending it to talent agencies. The SPDC connected him with Brad Lemack, director of the Elon Los Angeles program. The center also guided him in refining his internship search, suggesting tools like IMDb Pro and other industry databases. Mikesh had to actively contact people and search for internship opportunities, almost like going on a treasure hunt to find the right ones.
Reaching out
Mikesh says the experience gave him a sense of initiative and encouraged him to reach out to potential employers through emails and phone interviews, creating as many connections as possible.
In the end, Sean felt well-prepared because he “put in the work.” He realized he could make the process enjoyable, and he believed that preparing ahead of time helped him discover exactly what he wanted.
Internship at Clear Talent Group
Mikesh’s work with SPDC and Lemack, along with his drive, helped him secure a summer 2024 internship with Clear Talent Group, a full-service talent agency in Los Angeles.
Throughout his time at Clear Talent Group, Sean reviewed and edited client profiles/pitch pages, researched upcoming talent, tried his hand at script coverage and proposed designs for Clear Talent’s Instagram posts.
Mikesh always felt like a valued member of the team. Reflecting on his experience, he explained that Clear Talent’s culture aligned with his personal values and career goals. Sean was enthusiastic about the scale and openness of the company and never felt excluded from company leadership.
“Once I got there, I felt like I was really part of something special,” said Mikesh. “I hit the gold mine.”
Mikesh appreciated the balance between the boutique, personalized feel of the company and its ability to maintain that energy across both coasts. He valued how Clear Talent Group treated its employees and clients, offering both a personal touch and a big-entity experience. For Sean, this balance was the “perfect middle ground” as he navigated his career.
He appreciated the opportunity to ask questions and absorb both hard and soft skills that will serve him well in the future. Mikesh learned a great deal about the industry and felt empowered to take his time with projects, soaking up as much knowledge as possible.
Advice for Students
Mikesh’s advice for students utilizing the SPDC is simple: “Make the appointment and do whatever you can to prepare. Don’t tie yourself down to the actual meeting.”
He emphasized that SPDC appointments are always tailored to help students.
“Be open-minded and take what you need—find what works for you and stay on the right path,” he said.
He also encouraged students to remember that faculty and staff might be able to give you access to the connections you need. Engaging with both the SPDC and faculty can enhance the support students receive.