Do you dream of working in show business? Have you ever told your parents? If so, you have probably been told, “That is not a real career” or “You’d better pick something to fall back on.” What they usually mean is that the chances of going to Hollywood and becoming a big movie star are slim. In that way, they are right.

But making Broadway shows, producing Hollywood films, even creating online videos involve many more jobs than just the actors who play in them. So many different people in diverse career paths—from management, to accounting, to marketing—contribute their skills to create the finished products that entertain us! See, you can have a ‘real career’ and work in show business.

For instance, think about the jobs listed below. While those in positions like these get to work in and around show business, the functions they perform are based right in the clusters we considered today: Business Management, Finance, Marketing and Sales. See if you can search online to find what is involved with these three specific jobs. Can you find an example of someone who holds this position? What do they do? How might their job allow them to feel like a part of Hollywood?

Senior Vice President of Theatre Operations
Media Production Accountant
Social Media Director, Film Marketing Agency
Now that you have learned a bit about each of these jobs and what they involve, pop back over to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook once again to do some more research on them. Find out what education is generally required to enter into each career and what the annual salary could be. Jot down some facts related to each career’s job outlook as well.

Note: You might have to use a broader search term, such as operations manager, accountant, or marketing manager, to find information on these careers.

After this initial research, your task is going to be to create a slideshow presentation to show parents who are worried about their children’s Hollywood dreams. You must provide them with information on solid career options that their children could pursue… careers that would ease parents’ minds and fulfill children’s goals.

Your slideshow must include the following:

Content
A description of each of the three careers that you researched, including what tasks the job requires and why the job is so important
A breakdown of the education requirements for each career, including subjects that might be beneficial in preparing for each career
The projected annual salary for someone in each career and the job outlook according to the Bureau of Labor
A summary of why you think this job is a good choice for someone who is interested in “show business”
Elements
Five slides, broken down in this way:
One slide for each career, containing the content from the first three bullet points above
One slide for the summary, containing the content from the last bullet point above
One slide for your bibliography
Three pictures, one for each of the three careers you are presenting