The Student Professional Development Center offers advice to students who want to land in Los Angeles in the entertainment industry.
In the last few months, Amber Moser, assistant director of career services, met with many students who ultimately want to land in Los Angeles working in the Entertainment industry after graduation. More and more of them have indicated a preference for starting their career at a talent agency.
There are six well-known talent agencies in Los Angeles. The top three agencies include:
United Talent Agency (UTA)
Creative Artists Agency (CAA)
William Morris Endeavor (WME)
There are also three other agencies:
ICM Partners (ICM)
Paradigm Talent Agency
The Gersh Agency (Gersh)
While all of these agencies have a location in Los Angeles, many of them have an international presence. Depending on the agency, they represent directors, producers, writers, authors, actors, corporate brands, musicians, athletes, broadcast journalists, and many more. If you recognize names such as Channing Tatum, Post Malone, Michael B. Jordan, Mariah Carey and Meryl Streep, then you know their clients.
In learning this, it is no surprise that our students want to work at an agency. However, entry-level hiring looks a little different than it does at most companies. It varies based on the agency, but most employees start out in a cohort working in the mailroom or as a receptionist, eventually moving their way up to work as a Junior Agent. It can be a challenging and competitive process, but the opportunities to network and learn from industry professionals are well worth the work for those who are dedicated, even if it’s not your ultimate goal to be an agent.
Zac Bocian, a Cinema & Television Arts major who graduated from Elon in 2017, is currently an agent trainee at United Talent Agency. When asked about how he secured his opportunity with UTA and what he recommends for our students, he said, “Be strategically proactive. Reach out and follow up, but do it with a persistent, polite attitude.” Bocian is one of the few alumni who secured a post-graduate opportunity in Los Angeles before he relocated to the area and he started his role before crossing the stage at graduation.
In summary, agencies have been described as the “graduate schools and gatekeepers of Hollywood – you can go anywhere afterward.”