Talent Directors
The occupation Talent Directors covers people who audition and interview performers to select most appropriate talent for parts in stage, television, radio, or motion picture productions. O*NET rates it as considerable preparation, which usually means a bachelor’s degree plus a period of work experience. It leans on speaking, active listening, and social perceptiveness. A regular part of the work is to audition and interview performers to match their attributes to specific roles or to increase the pool of available acting talent. The strongest interest signal is Enterprising (5.9 of 7), then Artistic (5.7) and Social, which gives it the code EAS. It tends to suit people who want leading, persuading and making business decisions, and it offers little for anyone seeking hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world.
What they do
Audition and interview performers to select most appropriate talent for parts in stage, television, radio, or motion picture productions.
Main tasks
- Audition and interview performers to match their attributes to specific roles or to increase the pool of available acting talent.
- Prepare actors for auditions by providing scripts and information about roles and casting requirements.
- Select performers for roles or submit lists of suitable performers to producers or directors for final selection.
- Contact agents and actors to provide notification of audition and performance opportunities and to set up audition times.
- Serve as liaisons between directors, actors, and agents.
- Negotiate contract agreements with performers, with agents, or between performers and agents or production companies.
Skills
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Social Perceptiveness
- Reading Comprehension
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Critical Thinking
Who this career fits
May suit you if
- You like taking the lead and making the call.
- You want room to make something in your own way.
- You are ready to spend around four years on a degree, then build experience.
- You are comfortable relying on speaking and active listening.
May not suit you if
- You would rather not persuade, sell or manage other people.
- You want to work with your hands for most of the day. Realistic rates 1.2 out of 7 here.
- You want to avoid a four-year degree or its equivalent.
Interest profile
O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code EAS takes the three highest, and Enterprising comes first here.
Preparation
Considerable preparation. Most jobs here ask for a bachelor’s degree, and employers usually expect a few years of related experience as well.
Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: Bachelor's Degree. This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.
Also called
- Artistic Director
- Casting Agent
- Casting Coordinator
- Casting Director
- Extras Casting Director
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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.