Thursday, February 23, 2012

Getting Jobs in Entertainment question 1083:How can I reach out to Casting Directors in another state before I move there?

"I'm moving to Atlanta to pursue my acting career. I plan on sending my headshot and resumes to casting directors before I get there, How can I reach out to them to find about job opportunities working as casting assistant and reader."

Okay, my advice is not to reach out with headshots and resumes asking for job opportunities and to be a reader. They receive these requests from strangers all the time. Instead, reach out to them to be your mentor. Let them know you have a plan to move to Atlanta and want to be smart about it. Before you move there you are seeking business advice and guidance from them. Ask if they would be willing to answer some questions about the state of the industry there for you. Then when they agree, have 5 very specific questions that would help you get acclimated quickly; what networking opportunities are available? who should you focus on meeting before you move there? what is the state of the industry at the moment in the city? what should you be doing to prepare for your move? etc. Make sure you get off the call with action steps they've provided, and ask them if it would be alright to call them in the future if you have more business questions.

When they say YES, take the actions they suggest and follow up a month later to let them know your progress and ask for more action tasks. Do this at least three times until they know you, like you, and are building a trust with you. Eventually, if you have someone in each casting office advising you, one of them may give you a break and once that happens and you thank the others for their help and let them know the good news of your job, the domino effect begins...

For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach, visitwww.TheGreenlightCoachBlog.com

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Getting Jobs in Entertainment question 1280: I grew up in India and as a result English is my second language (cont'd)

"I grew up in India and as a result English is my second language. I  am looking to improve my comprehension when I read my text book...