Just about everyone has dreamt of being a rock star, a movie star, or even a world famous author but not very many people actually get to experience such a life. With the right college degree you can get pretty darn close to these people though, and you can make a decent living, as well. Many people find their way into the entertainment business on accident, but if you plan well you can end up there on purpose and succeed beyond your wildest imagination.
You don’t have to have an ultra sexy college degree to break into the entertainment world, in fact many people break into it without one but those that have a degree are usually paid substantially better. A degree can really help you get your foot in the door in many areas of entertainment because people will realize that you are serious about what you want to do, you aren’t just a dreamer. Entertainment is full of dreamers, as you can probably imagine, so proving you have what it takes with a degree and motivation will put you at the top of the list every time.
Luckily, you don’t have to be able to sing or dance to break into entertainment. If you like people, music, writing, or speaking you’ll generally find that you can fit into many aspects of entertainment quite easily. A degree in journalism, creative writing, broadcasting, or marketing are usually quite beneficial when you are getting started and want people to take you seriously, so if you’ve got one of these degrees, what are you waiting for? Your career in the entertainment industry could be right around the corner. Wondering what you can do if you can’t sing or dance? Lots of things!
Do you like radio?
If you like radio you should definitely think about getting into it somehow. Many people start off as interns at local radio stations and slowly climb their way up through the ranks to have their own syndicated talk show on radio or eventually own their own radio station. There are a lot of opportunities in radio that you’d never even think of, so don’t think that you could never get into radio. Some of the people that work in radio actually earn a decent salary, and the longer you stick with it the more you can make. If you take your career seriously you’ll find that people will take you seriously and they’ll create more opportunities for you.
If you like radio, you can make a decent living at it. Depending on where you live and what you do, you can expect to make anywhere from $25,000 to $80,000 a year, which isn’t bad when you are doing something you love. If you want to earn more, you need to keep pushing yourself to higher places because there are people that are able to earn more, but only if they really want it.
Do you like to write?
If you like to write you can break into entertainment writing and be read by people all over the world. You know that juicy magazine you picked up last week with the latest stories about your favorite celebrities? Someone wrote that! Someone who might have the same type of talents as you! Why not consider entertainment writing for an awesome entertainment career? No, you aren’t in the spotlight like Tom Cruise or Julia Roberts, but you do get to make your voice heard and you get to write about your passion: entertainment.
Entertainment writing is all over the magazines, newspapers, and Internet and there are a lot of great opportunities with each. If you can get a regular writing job, you’ll find that mainstream writing gigs usually pay anywhere from 30 to 90 cents a word, which isn’t bad at all when you are writing regularly! If you get into writing you should always have a back up plan if you are not a contracted writer, because things can change in a hurry. Entertainment writing is often feast or famine!
Do you want to be in front of the camera?
If you want to be in front of the camera but you don’t have any real acting skills, all hope is not lost. Reporting can be a great career and you can make a great living doing it. Even a job at a local television station would be great; can you picture yourself as the anchor of the evening news? If you can, why not go for it? Your broadcasting degree might go a long way to get you in the door of your local television station, and you can work your way up to regional and national positions if you want to. You can become a celebrity in your own right, even if you cannot act all that well!
As you can see, your degree can take you into the entertainment career if you want it to. There are many people with these degrees that like to be the people behind the scenes, but you can do much more than that. If you want to be, you can be the scene! Radio, writing, and reporting are all well within your reach when you have a relevant degree.
If you have not yet obtained your degree, you should start creating your plan to break into the entertainment field. Get an internship at a local radio station, newspaper or magazine, or television station. Individuals with a degree and experience are often held in high esteem and they move to the top more quickly than anyone else, so do what you can to get some experience while you are studying for your degree so you can be a double threat! The entertainment field is quite large and there is room enough for anyone that has a degree and the motivation to be a success. If you want it, be ready to work hard for it, but when you get there you’ll realize that there is nothing else you would rather do.
