Job searches are nothing to laugh at — or are they?

Whether it’s organizing a pager race (an event where vibrating pagers race across finish lines) or stand-up comedy in Iraq, UW alumnus Drake Witham has always had the ability to make people laugh.

After working for several years as a serious journalist for the The Dallas Morning News, Witham packed his bags and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in comedy.

Witham graduated in 1996 with a degree in political science and communication. However, growing up watching comic geniuses like Jerry Seinfeld and Eddie Murphy, comedy has always been a part of his life.

“It’s something that I think I always wanted to do,” Witham said in an e-mail. “I was always able to make people laugh, and I always loved stirring it up: pranks, jokes, being a smart ass. There’s times to be serious, but humor has an amazing way of connecting and uniting people. I don’t know what the motivation is behind it, but comedians are always analyzing situations to see what’s funny.”

Other jobs on Witham’s résumé include berry picker, nighttime janitor, SAT proctor and editor of The Daily.

“Other than journalism, they’ve all led to great material,” Witham said.

Many of his jokes come from various temporary positions he has held because they basically pay you to not care, Witham said during a comedy sketch.

As an SAT proctor, Witham was assigned to sit at the front of the room to make sure test-takers didn’t cheat.

“I don’t really care if they cheat, because I’m temp,” Witham said during a show at Comedy Underground in Seattle. “But I’d say to the kids, ‘You know what, kids, I didn’t cheat. And look where it got me.’”

Witham said his parents were always supportive of his choices.

Using a dry sense of humor mixed with perfect delivery and sarcastic wit, Witham has had the opportunity to perform at various venues, including Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham, The Late Late Show, Comedy Underground, and in Iraq with Comics on Duty, a comedy program for the U.S. Armed Forces.

In 2003, Witham took home the first place title in the Seattle International Comedy Competition.

However, life as a comedian isn’t always easy.

“The most memorable and strangest was the Laundromat I did when I first moved to L.A.,” Witham said. “Like the other 10 million comics there I had to fight for stage time. … There were about 40 people there — maybe half of them spoke English. [It was] a horrible show but a great experience.”

For those who want to try a hand at comedy, Witham advises them to just go for it.

“Anyone that asks about comedy wants to try it,” Witham said. “Write some jokes, find an open mic and try it out. You’ll figure out pretty quickly if it’s for you or not.”

Don’t be afraid of the crowd, either.

“All you need to do is unite them with something they can relate to,” Witham said. “I try to start with something local and then go into proven material. Usually it’s great, but there are times when it’s like being a substitute teacher. They think it’s their job to test you, and until you prove you can handle it they’ll keep trying to throw you off.”

Be prepared if you plan to drop your current path for comedy.

“I thought you had to be in New York or L.A., which isn’t true,” Witham said. “I had little money saved up, ran through it quickly while trying to start a comedy career and found that my college degree made me qualified for a temp job. But it forced me to get better fast and figure out how to make money in this job. Being in L.A. has also made it easier to get on TV.”

For other less conventional jobs, don’t be afraid to pursue it.

“Find something you enjoy doing, and don’t be afraid to switch careers,” Witham said. “I started in journalism when I was 15 years old and started comedy when I was 30 — pretty late in the game. I think the quote from my mother was something like, ‘Why not try out for the NBA?’ But I love doing it, and I’ve figured out how to make a living at it.”