Imagine you are a new up and coming artist in the entertainment industry. You are anxious and excited, but you also have no idea where to start. So, you think it is a good idea to invest in a talent agent to help you with all of your new responsibilities. Your new talent agent helps you through all of the political mumbo-jumbo of the job and you finally feel more comfortable getting started. The life of a talent agent is hectic and full of excitement, but it is a very important job in the entertainment industry as well.
Overview
To start off, the job of a talent agent is a very important one in the music industry along with television, broadcast, sports, writing, and many other entertainment industries. Their job helps to advance their clients further into their specific industries and help to guide their careers in the right path. They do many things for their clients such as; setting up interviews and public media appearances, booking different performances or movies, and negotiating contracts to optimize their clients opportunity in the entertainment world.
Many talent agents act as promoters for their client(s) or even take on a managerial role as well. Certainly, they will be the ones who are interacting with “big names” in the industry like: directors, studio- heads, editors, business professionals, and other entertainment employers. Above all, they do so in order to build strong and reliable relationships between their clients and their employers.
Depending on the specific industry that one will work in, a talent agents’ jobs will vary. A musical talent agent will book performances, schedule tours, and even meet and greets. An actor or actresses talent agent will book movies or television shows. A talent agent in the literary world will consult with editors and multiple publishers. The jobs of different talent agents will obviously be different, however, they all have the same overall goals. Their goals include; promoting their clients in the best light, advancing the career of their client, and creating new job opportunities to ensure that their clients keep up with the speed and trendiness of the entertainment world.
Work Environment
The work environment for a talent agent will vary immensely. For example, a famous musician or actress would constantly be on the move, therefore, their agent would as well. According to an article on career explorer, most agents will begin in a larger talent agency rather than starting out on their own. At this agency, an office is typical work environment.
On the other hand, more experienced talent agents may decide to work on-the-go in order to ensure flexibility. Advanced technology allows them to do so. A talent agent will have to follow the job- so if their client is going on tour or starting a new movie, it is likely the talent agent will try to be wherever their client is. In order to pursue a career as a talent agent, one would have to move to larger cities like Los Angeles or New York. In conclusion, this job entails vigorous hours and immense dedication and one would have to be able to move around.
Education
As of 2019, an article on study.com states, that it will be helpful to obtain a bachelor’s degree if one has interest in becoming a talent agent. Many talent agents major in marketing, public relations, communications, or management. But, it’s not all about the education. With any job comes a skill set and a range of necessary characteristics that someone should have to be good at this job. Persuasion, negotiation, time management, good listening and communication skills are just some of those that would be helpful in making the job a little bit easier. It is also important to have a solid knowledge of this business in order to build interpersonal relationships between clients and employers.
Salary
According to salary.com the average salary of a talent agent will be around $128,378 as of August 27, 2020. Mind you, this average is just from the United States. The salary range will usually teeter between $110,063 and $149,855. As with any job, many factors play into earning this salary. For instance, how much experience you have and level of education.
Experience
As a college student, there are many ways that one can prepare for this job in this field. Firstly, there are specific classes that one may choose to take in order to learn more and acquire more knowledge about their desired career. Secondly, One can also choose to shadow a professional who is already in their field of study or get an internship in order to dive into the reality of the job. This would help the student to see what the job will be like and what more they need to learn or do to prepare for the life that they want to have.
Preparation is key with many things that someone will do in their life. You can also prepare by doing more research on your own to get to know the industry and keep up with what is going on. This will help you to learn the basics. Another possible preparation idea is to try to build relationships with important people. Go out there and talk to different companies and other talent agents or agencies to let them know who you are and maybe even get a part time job, while still in school. This will show that you are trying to get started and they will appreciate your motivation and may keep you in mind for future job opportunities.
Job Outlook
Nobody wants to just stay put and not progress- most people want to advance in their jobs as they get older and become more experienced. In order to do so, you can try to promote yourself; use business cards or ads to get yourself out there and let people know who you are. As a talent agent, having more than one client will also help people to remember your name. after getting started within a different talent agency, as you have more years of experience under your belt, one may even try to create their own talent agency with all of their own clients.
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https://www.theartcareerproject.com/become/talent-agent/, Accessed 6 September 2020.
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July 30, 2009, https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/ways-advance-career-61921/, Accessed 6 September 2020.
“Talent Agent Photos.” Pexels, https://www.pexels.com/search/talent%20agent/, Accessed 6
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“Talent Management Manager Salary in the United States.” Salary, August 27, 2020,
https://www.salary.com/research/salary/benchmark/talent-management-manager-salary, Accessed 6 September 2020.
“Talent Manager: Job Description, Duties, and Requirements.” Study,Sept. 22, 2019,
https://study.com/articles/Talent_Manager_Job_Description_Duties_and_Requirements.html, Accessed 6 September 2020.
“What Does a Talent Agent Do?” CareerExplorer,
https://www.careerexplorer.com/careers/talent-agent/, Accessed 6 September 2020.
