It goes without saying that, when building an acting career, you are bound to have some missteps along the way.

Most of the time, those things are minor and they are easy to bounce back from. However, there are a few mistakes that can be career killers if they are not fixed right away.

Just about every actor I’ve ever spoken with has made at least one of them and the majority were making more than one.

Building a successful acting career is just as much about knowing what not to do, as it is about knowing what to do.

See, you can do all the right things and still fail to become a successful actor, if you are working against yourself by making these three mistakes.

So, if you want to build your acting career and book consistently, these are the 3 mistakes you have to avoid...

The first one we’ll talk about is something actors are uniquely vulnerable to, because it's in their nature to work with others, whether it’s on set, while training and sharpening their skills, or while working with agents to choose the direction their career will go in.

Because of that, actors are very susceptible to listening to the wrong people.

Look, if you ask your actor friends about building your career, you will get a lot of advice that sounds good, but isn't really effective. .

They may truly want to see you succeed and have your best interest at heart, but they won’t have the perspective of all the “moving pieces” that have to align for you to build a successful career.

The same is true for your non industry friends and even your family. It’s difficult to drown out the opinions of those you care about but if you end up listening to the wrong people you will waste time, spinning your wheels working on stuff that won't help you make progress.

For example, you might be going on audition after audition, without booking a single one. Your friends would likely encourage you to “keep at it,” but someone with a better perspective on things would know that simply continuing on the same path is insane.

Instead, you should take a step back and work with your agent to see what the problem is.

Maybe you are going out for things that you’re just not the right for and you need to concentrate on finding a different category.

To avoid making this mistake you have to build a team of people that have your best interest at heart and that want to see you succeed, but that also have deep industry knowledge and can give you a better perspective.

That will also help to keep you from mistake number 2: ignoring the warning signs of a career that is going in the wrong direction.

Most actors mistake a lack of progress for “paying your dues.”

Thinking that "paying your dues" and struggling to get to the next level is just part of the process is wrong, misinformed thinking.

Here’s why...

If you think you’re just “paying your dues” then, there is no reason to change things up and get your career on track. There is nothing to measure or change that would help you do so.

That’s why this mistake is probably the biggest career killer, because it keeps actors on the wrong track until the day they leave the industry for good.

Steering clear of this is critical to your success, because if you don't the chances of you reaching your goals are almost nonexistent.

Realize, there is no such thing as paying your dues. No one is going to cast an actor that does only one liners for 30 years, as a leading character just because “they paid their dues.”

I use the term “building an acting career” because that’s exactly what it is. It’s a process and it requires having a blueprint to follow, something I try to bring you through Boost My Star.

That brings us to mistake #3, which is something actors don’t always realize they are doing...going it alone.

Anyone who has ever built a successful acting career had help and it came in different ways. That’s why I built this.

Seeking out that help can be tricky. Some things are obvious, like signing with an agent or hiring an acting coach.

Other things are less obvious and those are the areas where you should seek help. It will ensure that those areas still receive attention, without you having to be directly involved in making sure it gets done.

Perhaps the biggest area is making sure you are highly visible to the industry. There are a couple of ways to do that.

There’s networking and social media obviously, but if you really want your efforts to be effective you should be focusing on places where casting directors and CDs are already looking. That’s where I can help, if you want me to be a part of your team.

Before you explore that option, you should know...

It’s not for everyone. It’s for actors that are truly ready to take control of their career and take things to the next level.

I usually bring you the tips and strategies that I’m seeing work right now, to build a successful acting career, but today’s report was perhaps even more important.

Remember, even if you’re doing everything right, you could still be working against yourself if you’re making the mistakes we went over today.

However, if you are sidestepping the mistakes, while only doing a few other things at your best, you end up not working against yourself and your efforts are much more effective.

So sit down and think about how you are building your career. Be completely honest with yourself about how many of those mistakes you’re making. Then, come up with a plan for fixing them.

If you want another perspective on that, shoot me an email or leave me a comment below. I’m happy to help however I can because I truly want to...

See you at the top,
Scott