Second guessing yourself again? Defining how truly exceptional a skill might be to the industry can be intimidating to most talent. I suggest to talent that if less than 20% of their peer group can do the skill in question, it probably makes it SPECIAL. Of course, skills particular to our industry would be considered “specialized,” and hence, SPECIAL!
The bottom line is that there will always be someone who can do what you do better, but if there are less individuals in the “better” category than the “worse” category, it’s safe to say you can consider your skill set SPECIAL. For example, you may not be Gabriel Reece, but if you play college level volleyball, you might be perfect for a sports store commercial or lead in a movie!
SPECIAL means moderately adept. Being an expert, of course, has a place to be noted as well. Someone who is able to host a kids show about science and lab experiments might want to notate that working in labs with young scientists is a part of his/her daily routine. Ask your agent how to phrase things like this best on your resume specifically for your market. You will not only help CDs and clients understand better your expertise, but your agent will be reminded (or realize) an area where you excel that they had forgotten (or not been told in the first place)! On many occasions, I’ve seen a breakdown released for a highly specialized individual and have thought of a specific individual I knew who had the skill set.
Kinda like that rodeo cowboy mentioned in our last blog . . . be unique, be memorable, be thought of!
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