This is one of the few professions that is so familiar that it needs little defining. Actors play the roles of various characters. While telling the character's story, many actors strive to entertain, inform, challenge, or emotionally move audiences. Actors can work in television, movies, or the theater.

While there is no formal education required for this career, it's a cut-throat and over-saturated business, meaning it's a good idea to gain any advantage one can. To this end, budding actors may take acting classes or attend drama schools to attain necessary skills.

While talent is needed, this is an industry where who you know is extraordinarily important. So aspiring actors will spend a good amount of time networking and trying to catch the eye of an agent. And because no one starts at the top, actors need to be willing to cut their teeth on lower-entry-level jobs such as acting in commercials, doing voiceovers, or working as extras.

It's also important to remember that on-screen work is only part of the job. Actors will spend much of their time rehearsing lines, researching their characters, practicing their skills, and even working out to maintain the physique that is often necessary for success in this field. And having multiple talents can help an actor get gigs, so they may spend time honing other skills, such as singing, dancing, or script writing.

CHARM, GOOD LISTENING SKILLS, MAKING PEOPLE LAUGH, MULTITASKING, PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY, PROMOTION, READING PEOPLE, STRONG BREATH CONTROL, WRITING