As incredible as the job can be, acting as a career is a wild roller coaster from the moment you decide to start until your final curtain call.  Whether you prefer to be on stage, want to be on television, or dream of the silver screen, there are some basics every actor should know when getting into the business.

Here’s advice for every aspiring actor who’s serious about making a career out of acting.

Talk To Other Actors and Actresses

You’re not the only person breaking into show biz.  Despite the drawback that so many people can make it hard for you to get a job, the perk is there are more opportunities to connect with people.

Get to know the other actors in your area.  Multiple cities have groups on Facebook, and hashtags on Twitter will allow you to find people like you.  Be friendly, open about yourself, and show yourself as someone eager to learn and act.

Don’t act like you’re too good for other actors or actresses; you’re all starting at the same level- be honest with who you are.  These people have the same dream as you grow with them.

Keep An Updated Reel

Every time you act, update your reel.  A true professional caters their acting reels based on what roles they’re targeting.  Have a reel for ad work, serious acting, and anything else you want to show off that you can do.  Catering to these specific roles means that when you apply to work, producers and directors can see precisely how you’ll fit for the purpose they have.

Audition As Much As Possible

Get out there and audition!  Don’t just stick to the theatre in the beginning, even if that’s where you want to end up.  Any work is good since you can use it to hone your skills and show that you’re reliable enough to get a job.

Many local radio and television stations need voiceover work if you want to go the old fashioned way.  Online you can find countless voice acting and green screen acting gigs where people are looking for a particular talent.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a child actress or a senior opera singer- there’s work out there to be done.

Market Yourself

Don’t just sit back and hope for things to happen.  Market yourself to anyone who could help you get a gig.  Take charge and order business cards for yourself to hand out in person.  While online, work to network and market yourself in theatre circles.  

Until you get a few more gigs under your belt, you’ll be your marketer and agent.  Unfortunately, this work means that you’ll have to get in the practice of spending more time than you’d like to promote yourself.

Post videos of recent performances, record yourself practising monologues and join in on challenges.  Apps like TikTok allow users to prove they can lip-synch and act convincingly. How you market yourself is really up to how much time you can dedicate to yourself.