In the summer of 1958, Sheinberg arrived in California where he accepted a teaching position at UCLA School of Law. In 1959 while awaiting the results of his California Bar Examination, he joined the legal department of Revue Productions, the former television subsidiary of MCA Inc., and the predecessor of Universal Television, and began his career in the entertainment industry. In the late 1960s, Sheinberg had seen Steven Spielberg's first short film, "Amblin", and signed the director, then 20, to a contract. Sheinberg gave Steven Spielberg his first job in 1968. Having the benefit of being guided by Lew Wasserman, Sheinberg acknowledged that an essential part of being a mentor is having confidence in the people you're guiding and mentoring. Together they transformed Universal from a second-string studio, dependent on its television productions, into a major player.