The old saying goes, nothing in life is certain but death and taxes. My hatred for taxes aside, it’s completely true. That goes 147% for voice over, or any entertainment job really. Just because you’ve got that steady series or campaign, doesn’t mean it’s gonna be there tomorrow. Trends change, campaigns end, and series get cancelled. When I worked in radio, it was the greatest job ever. You got to meet celebrities, didn’t have to work too hard, got to talk on the radio, play great music, and in my case get to stare out the 6th floor window and watch the C130’s landing at Dobbins Air Reserve Base. Even as young as I was, I knew that radio was a job with no job security. I saw a lot of staff turnover. Even the morning show guy of 20+ years Rhubarb Jones, got canned one day. The station was flipping formats and he didn’t fit the demo. Just like that.
It’s the same in voice over. You book an ad campaign with a client and do many spots. Great! That’s great. Then they change it up and go a “different direction” and you’re out. It’s not personal, it’s business. No what? Did you start counting on that paycheck for rent, a new car, or home improvements? Just because you have a good month, doesn’t mean the next will be that good. It might be better, and that’s awesome. You need to be prepared for those dry spells that will come. How do you prepare? Well, take classes is one way. Always work on different aspects of what you can do. Never done promo? Take a class. Work to diversify your skill set so when that next opportunity comes along, you’ll be ready to seize it. Another thing you can do is take at look at your studio. Upgrade where needed. Work on making sample or spec ads for people. It helps hone your production skills to make you more valuable to potential clients. Hit that social media marketing trail. Message people on LinkedIn. Make sure you’re seen (and heard; LinkedIn’s voice messaging feature is the tops).
And when you hit those slow times, I don’t want you to ever think that you’re falling behind, or worthless, or stagnant. As long as you’re taking these little steps, you’re moving. You may be moving slowly, but dammit, you’re moving. And that’s what counts. How do you find ways to keep that income stream coming? Let me know in the comments.