What Kind of Career Do You Want?

I try to take advantage of as many networking opportunities as possible: going to plays and screenings, meeting fellow actors and industry folks at parties, taking classes/seminars/master classes with folks whose work I respect, and so on. Not only do I do this for my coaching business, but also for my career as a professional actor. Networking is vital for the survival of both.
One of the questions I am asked most often by industry is, “What kind of career do you want to have?” This kind of question can be networking suicide for actors, because actors have long been trained to want to do everything. When someone asks an actor to be specific about what they want, he/she either freezes up entirely or proceeds to outline a long, tedious list of projects and genres across all performing arts mediums. Actors have a golden opportunity to make a real connection when someone asks this question, which can start the wheels of his/her career in motion. But neither of the above responses really get to the heart of who you are and what you have to offer as a performer.
To take advantage of this type of question, you need to think out your answer in advance. I have developed a short questionnaire that can help you determine what

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