Entertainer
Share your talents with an audience, explore your creativity and meet lots of new people. This is the varied and exciting world of entertainment.
Also known as: youtuber, performing artist, performer, creative practitioner
About the job
Salary
Source: LMI for All
Weekly
£1,120
Average
Monthly
£4,853
Average
Yearly
£58,240
Average
2,100
people are currently employed
Low growth
100 more jobs in 5 years
These figures refer to this job and similar ones with comparable skills and qualifications. They only apply to Scotland. Source: Oxford Economics
What it's like
If you’re a talented performer, you could have a future in the world of entertainment. There are opportunities for comedians, musicians, YouTube streamers, magicians and more.
It’s a competitive industry so you’ll need to continually work on your performance to make it as professional as possible. That might mean hitting local comedy clubs to put your new stand-up act to the test, or seeing a vocal coach to extend your singing range.
Where you perform is up to you – you might thrive in the buzz of bars and clubs or prefer the control of streaming all your performances online. Either way, you’ll need to promote yourself. Being on as many social media channels as possible is a good idea. You might also want to seek representation or make connections with a booking agent to help you grow your career.
Once you’ve built a loyal following, it’ll be easier to find good gigs. It pays to think beyond the obvious – corporate events, where companies book performers to entertain their clients and guests, can be a particularly lucrative source of income.
What you’ll do
Rehearse your act
Come up with new ideas – material, songs, routines etc.
Livestream through online channels like YouTube or Twitch
Record and edit videos to publish online
Audition for paid gigs
Perform for an audience at bars, clubs, and corporate events – you might even tour different venues across the country
Promote your act and manage your online presence
Maintain relationships with agents and bookers
Interact with fans and followers on social media
Hours
Environment
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Related industries
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Here are some of the skills you'll need to do this job:
- time management
- self esteem
- innovative
- creative
- verbal communication
- networking
- positive attitude
- persevering
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore the sections shown for more information about getting into this career.
You might have qualifications which are not shown here but will allow you access to a course. You can compare your qualifications by looking at their SCQF Level. For more information about this, check out the SCQF website.
Always contact the college, university or training provider to check exactly what you'll need.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Creative Arts
Dance
Drama
English
Music
Skills for Work: Creative Digital Media
Skills for Work: Creative Industries
Foundation Apprenticeship: Creative and Digital Media
You can get a head start in this career by doing a Foundation Apprenticeship in S5 and S6.
You'll get an SCQF level 6 qualification which is the same level as a Higher. You'll also learn new skills and gain valuable experience in a work environment.
Discover what's on offer at your school on Apprenticeships.scot.
You can develop the necessary skills for this role through a variety of routes.
While there’s not usually any formal qualifications you need to get into this role, entertainers will often have gained qualifications in order to develop their skills and to demonstrate their talents to others.
There are many courses available through workshops, summer schools and online, as well as at colleges and universities.
Entertainers will often have completed courses in:
Performing arts (dance, drama, music)
Comedy
Video editing (useful to create Youtube content)
You could gain work experience and start to build a fan base and gain popularity through:
Open-mic sessions at comedy clubs/local venues
Working as an entertainer in holiday parks, resorts or on cruise ships
Taking part in street festivals
Apprenticeships
You can gain skills and qualifications in the workplace through options such as:
Foundation Apprenticeships (FAs) are chosen as one of your subjects in S5 and S6 but include hands-on learning at a local employer or college. They are the same level as a Higher.
You might want to consider an FA in areas such as:
Creative and Digital Media
Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) mean you learn on the job. You get paid and work towards a qualification at the same time.
You might want to consider an MA in areas such as:
Creative and Digital Media
Not all employers list specific qualification requirements but they might ask for relevant experience, usually work based, that show a range of transferable skills.
As entertainers will normally be self-employed, an understanding of business would be useful. You will also need to be determined as there's strong competition in the entertainment industry.
You may want to consider joining Equity - a trade union for the entertainment industry - and you can then use their resources to find castings and vacancies.
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