May 19, 2015
Thoughts from the Intern:
Looking through talent submissions and meeting new potential clients, I see a lot of the same mistakes over and over. Here’s a quick run-down of easily avoidable mistakes to keep your headshot out of the “do not call” pile.
1) Lying in your skills section:
A good special skills section of your resume is a great way to catch the eye of an agent with a quirk or fun talent that sets you apart from the competition. That being said, if you list a skill on your resume, you should ACTUALLY be able to do it. Frequently, people list things on their resume and just hope casting directors never ask them to demonstrate it (because they can’t actually do it). Show off with the cool things you can do, but there’s no easier way to embarrass yourself and lose the trust of your agent than claiming a skill and not being able to perform when asked to demonstrate it.
2) Not booking out:
Booking out is so necessary. Your agent works full time to get you booked, and assumes you’re available unless notified otherwise.
3) Irrelevant submissions:
Know the agent you’re submitting to. If you’re submitting to a commercial agent, send a commercial headshot and resume. To stand out in the pile (in a good way), you have to be what that agent is looking for.
Avoid these mistakes and you’ll have a leg up on the competition!