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Thing Two in my on-going list of things that many people talk about as if they weren’t true of other businesses or other cities. (For a more-complete introduction, see Part I.)

Things about The Biz and LA that are not unique, #2
Actors need to know what they’re selling

So many smart teachers, casting directors, agents and working actors will say that actors need to know what they’re selling. You have to consider your “brand” as you choose headshots, as you pursue certain TV shows over others, and so on. (If this concept is new to you, here’s an example of brilliant actor branding being used by a brilliant actor named Kevin: The kind of doctor I play on TV: tall, dark and handsy. Brilliant, just brilliant.) So, actors getting branding and typing advice are getting Good Advice — but it’s not at all unique to acting.

Consider this blog entry for freelancers, Are you up for a mental challenge? It’s published on Job Hacking, a site dedicated to pretty much everything but acting, and Dave says the hardest thing for (Corporate America) job candidates to figure out is “Stepping outside the boundaries of self, and into the world of how others see you.”

Another good article on the topic for general employees and not actors can be found on Mashable in this insightful article called Personal Branding 101.

So the process of figuring out who you are and how potential employers see you, is not peculiar to The Biz. Important, but not unique.