Become a Talent Manager
Talent managers are professionals who help performers handle their daily business. They may help actors select scripts and find new agents, help singers produce record albums and book tour dates, and plan and promote performers' upcoming activities. They may also identify people with performing talent and direct them to resources for developing that talent. Pursuing a career as a talent manager is a great idea for people who are interesting in helping people reach their full potential as artists and/or performers.
Steps
- Have a background in or love for the entertainment industry. As with talent agents, many talent managers were once performers themselves or connected to the entertainment industry in some way, such as being an acting teacher, producer or theater critic. Still other talent managers were previously talent agents who decided to focus on building the careers of their most successful clients.
- Identify the type of performer you wish to work for. The part of the entertainment world that interests you most should be the area for which you have the greatest affinity. If music is your passion, you'll want to work with musicians; if you love the theater, you'll want to work with actors. If you have multiple interests, you may want to work with multi-talented performers.
- You should also identify the kinds of personalities you are comfortable working with. While talent agents may represent a large number of clients on behalf of their agency, talent managers usually represent an individual or a group of individuals. In some respects, managing a performer is akin to being married to that performer.
- Develop the skills and knowledge you need to be a talent manager. There is no formal coursework in how to be a talent manager, but you can learn many of the skills you need through formal study. College coursework in marketing, communications, public relations and human resources will make you a more capable talent manager, and studies in the fine arts will give you an understanding of the creative minds you'll be working with.
- You can supplement your training with independent study. If you want to manage actors in film, it's helpful to have seen popular and enduring movies, such as those on the American Film Institute's Top 100 list. If you want to manage musicians, develop a working knowledge of the music business through reading industry publications such as "Billboard." You'll need this knowledge to pass it on to the talent you help develop.
- Intern with an established talent manager. Get your foot in the door with a talent management firm or booking agency. If you can't find a talent manager to work with right away, you can also learn the business by working for producers, directors or casting directors. Regardless of where you start, observe as much as you can of how the business of managing talent works.
- Depending on what kind of talent you choose to manage, you may want to move to one of the major cities that deal in such talent, such as New York City or Los Angeles for actors or Nashville for musicians. Even so, you can learn a great deal from talent managers in smaller cities before making the move.
- Look for opportunities to take on more responsibility. As you gain more experience, look for the chance to assist in evaluating scripts, planning tours or developing promotional packages. Eventually, you may be given complete charge over a client.
- Join a professional organization. Joining an organization such as the Talent Managers Association (TMA) gives you the chance to learn more about the business from your colleagues, as well as network for opportunities. The TMA maintains an online registry of its members, who are required to follow the association's code of ethics.
Tips
- Personal qualities you'll need to succeed as a talent manager include perseverance, dedication and a willingness to work hard.
- The rewards of working as a talent manager are not just doing work you love, but helping the people you manage do work they love and sharing in their successes.
Warnings
- Working as a talent manager requires long hours. You may find yourself working 12-hour days on weekdays and using your weekends to catch up on the clerical work you couldn't address during the week.
