When you’re an actor and you live in Los Angeles, New York, or any other major filming city, every single time you go out, there is an opportunity for networking. It’s not a joke, there are tons of people around Los Angeles that are in the industry, and you will always meet someone who is an actor/writer/model/director/etc… as funny as they may seem (even if you are one yourself) they are still useful contacts because you never know when a job may come up that they need someone who looks just like you for! Anywhere you go, you want to look nice, be professional, and make friends! You really never know whom you are going to run into in LA and there are so many people that could have a positive effect on your career that it really is important for you to always be ready for that to fall into your lap! Here are some pro networking tips from someone who has booked quite a bit of work from networking!

1)             Don’t be rude. Not to the parking attendant, your waiter, or anyone else. This is a general rule of life, but it is always good to be reminded of this. We are all human beings and we all like to be treated with kindness and respect. I would never want to work with someone who I saw treat another person horribly, and I’d hope you feel the same! So do the people around you a favor, and just be kind and respectful towards the people you meet.
2)             Present yourself how you want to be perceived. If you are someone who wants to play Angelina Jolie-type rolls, then you should be presenting yourself like that in your life! An end goal here is having people think of YOU when they are casting a role. If you aren’t presenting yourself well, people will remember you like that and that isn’t the best for your image as an artist. Make sure when you go out, you look and feel exactly how you want others to perceive.
3)             Don’t give out your headshots. This is something that people see actors doing in TV or films and think that it actually happens. But let me tell you right now, there isn’t anything charming or great about an actor who always wants to “give you a headshot!” All marketing aside, this is one of the great things about having a website that is your name. Telling someone they can check out your website is not obtrusive, and it will actually work.
4)             Be willing to ask people what they are up to in their work lives, and if they need anything from you to help them out. This is especially great when you are talking to indie producers, directors, and writers because they are in a game that requires a little bit of everyone to help. If they do need you for something, you may have just booked yourself some work!
5)             Keep your contacts. Make sure if you make plans with someone, you keep your word and make those plans work out. Make sure that if you tell someone you will email them a link to your website, you actually do! And really make sure that you aim to stay communicative with anyone that you meet and that you enjoy, because even if you don’t get an acting job out of this networking, you could still gain a friend in the industry which is highly valuable.

      So enjoy your networking, keep your websites up to date so that you have new and improved things to show people every time they ask and make sure you are staying true to yourself and your own goals as an artist! Have fun!

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