Tripod Home | New | TriTeca | Work/Money | Politics/Community | Living/Travel | Planet T | Daily Scoop

Name: Rault Kehlor
Job: Produces Sesame Street based computer games
School: Princeton
Age: 24
The Verdict: He not only helps develop cutting edge, multimedia games, but he's on a first name basis with Kermit the Frog. Not bad for a first job.

For most of us, characters like Big Bird, The Count and Cookie Monster are merely the stuff of childhood memories -- not for Rault Kehlor. At 24, he deals daily with these icons of youth in the Interactive Technology Department at the Children's Television Workshop.

Rault is a production assistant for CD-ROM games that are produced by the Department for Creative Wonders, a subsidiary of Electronic Arts. He has worked on such memorable games as "A Visit to Sesame Street: Numbers" and the popular "Let's Make a Word." His cool job not only earns him a place at one of the most renowned educational media groups, but also lets him hang out with Big Bird. Well, the guy who plays Big Bird.

Right now Rault is helping develop a numbers game featuring Elmo, a task which allows him to work closely with artists, sound designers, and producers. On top of that, his office boasts a casual, shorts and t-shirt work atmosphere. And every two weeks the, the staff celebrates with chips, salsa, and beer. "I feel guilty telling people that I am happy at my job," Rault says, "because all of my friends are not happy at theirs."

Is working for the Sesame Street folks the fulfillment of a lifelong pursuit? Not quite. "I was just in the right place, at the right time," Rault recalls. He heard about the job through a friend, applied, and got it. Even though he brought little computer experience to his new hi-tech position, Rault thinks his basic Mac abilities, combined with an interesting variety of college extracurriculars, prepared him well for the job.

You won't find Rault's job in any career handbook. Locating and landing this unique kind of job, Rault says, is all about creativity, persistence and, frankly, a bit of networking." Try getting job ideas from unconventional sources, he advises. If you see a cool CD-ROM title, or any product you'd like to help create, go right to the source: get the name of the company and call them up. Rault says you just need to be persistent. "Bug people," he says.

Rault's persistence surely paid off, in more ways than his resume reveals. He's got a cool office (four computers), a 40 percent discount at all Sesame Street stores (great gifts) -- and if that ain't enough, he spends lots of quality time with Bert, Ernie, Cookie, and the rest of the gang.