Believe it or not, you don’t need any experience whatsoever to audition for a role. Literally anyone can take a shot at a part. This isn’t highly recommended though. Acting is both a profession and a craft and to really get good at it takes thorough study and tireless work.

Here are some ways to boost your chances of landing an audition…

Before you start auditioning for acting roles, you’ll want to become an expert in the profession. This means studying your favorite performances and gaining a true understanding of the components of acting. Learn as much as you can about the craft itself, Actors who excel, Agents, Managers and the performance industry itself.

This is arguably the best way to sharpen your skillset. Taking classes affords you the opportunity to fine-tune your strengths and work through any limitations you may have. Diversifying is key here. Take a variety of classes. This will broaden your base and expand your talents. Find different instructors to learn from and study under. You want to give yourself as much variety as possible. Acting classes are also a terrific way to network with other actors.

This means acting in student films for free (film students are always looking to cast fresh faces, and while lower budget work isn’t always glamorous, the experience can be invaluable). Join up with a local theater group, and play as many varying roles as possible. Don’t be afraid to fail. Often, you’ll learn far more from your mistakes than your successes. And again, as you amass more work and grow your resume, your network will expand along with it. The more people you connect with in your field, the better.

Ideally, the way to get casted in an acting role starts with an agent submitting you for a part. A casting agent then sees your headshot and resume and is impressed enough to call you in for an audition. The day of the audition arrives, you crush it and get along swimmingly with the Casting Agent, Director, and Producers. You then win the role, which you go on to play with great success.

Now this is obviously the obstacle-free, pie-in-the-sky scenario, but the mechanics are very much authentic. In reality, getting casted in a role requires dedicated work and great persistence in the face of high industry standards and wildly fierce competition.

And while having an agent is an enormous facilitator in the process, it’s not necessarily an essential component to landing an acting role.

As an actor, you should not only constantly sharpen your skillset, you should also expand your other abilities and talents. Learn a new language, study a type of dance or martial art, familiarize yourself with a different culture. Take the time to truly learn and train yourself in something you’re unfamiliar with. You never know what skill or piece of knowledge could come in handy when it’s time to audition for a role.

Start this by asking yourself some questions. Who are my favorite actors? Now ask yourself, why am I drawn to these talents? Write down those answers. Then scrutinize the work of everyone on your list. Watch it. Rewatch it. Pick it apart. Try to gain an understanding as to why they make certain choices and don’t make others. You may see patterns (refer back to that list of answers you wrote) – are there types of roles your favorites are often doing variations of? Are these the types of roles you’d like to play? When you start to see patterns and recurrent themes, you can start to build a clear, strong brand for yourself as a performer.

Backstage, Casting Networks and actors access are all great resources to start with to find audition opportunities. And as you continue to build that brand, focus in on the roles you think you’d be the right fit for. It’s always best to enter an audition with a clear idea of not just what the role requires but what you personally can bring to it.

Twitter and Facebook can both be terrific places to find auditions. Casting agents often post audition information on their social media pages. Follow them, and attend as many events as you can. Once you become a familiar face, you can try making an actual connection. Again, networking is the key to both the acting profession and the Industry as a whole.

This feels like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many Actors blow their shot at doing the actual audition because they arrived a few minutes after their designated time. It’d be a shame (and an embarrassing one, at that) to lose out on an opportunity because you were late. Be at your audition location a solid fifteen minutes early. This will give you a few extra minutes to focus, take another look at your lines, and center yourself before your timeslot arises.

The phrase “off book” should come to mind here. This means you don’t need to refer to any script during your audition. You’ve got it memorized. Being off book shows a dedication to the craft and respect for the material. It also enables you to make adjustments to your performance should a director, producer or casting director ask that of you. Altering performance while trying to read from a script comes across as amateurish, and sometimes downright lazy.

This involves a lot more than just memorizing the material. Deep-dive into the script, and study it from both the character and story level. This will allow you to add great depth and nuances to your performance.

As just mentioned, analyzing your character, and really gaining an understanding of the motivations behind their words and actions can give you a leg-up on some of the competition. Constantly ask yourself why the character you’re reading for is doing the things they’re doing. Implement those answers into your performance. Even the slightest changes to your physicality in service of the script you’re working off can get noticed.

This also feels like a no-brainer, but it never hurts to be nice. To everybody. If your audition’s a smash but your personality is brash or off-putting, your chances of getting a role could easily decrease. No one wants to hire someone they don’t like or isn’t pleasant to be around. So be personable. And don’t forget to smile, both before and after you’ve auditioned.

Legendary actor Samuel L. Jackson has offered up an invaluable list of audition tips. You can find them here. There’s nothing quite like the wisdom from a master.

Let’s face it. Auditioning can be a daunting, stressful experience. It’s ok (and even quite normal) to feel overwhelmed by the process. If you’re starting to feel like it’s all getting too much, take a minute. Calm yourself. Some wise advice is to breathe, practice and listen¹. Hopefully this will calm things and set your mind back on track.

It’s easy to get swept up in times of victory and success. These moments should be celebrated. Just be careful they don’t go to your head. People love confidence, but arrogance can be off-putting.

Once you’ve booked an audition, be readily available. Call times for rehearsals, wardrobe, makeup and shoots are constantly shifting. Do everything you can to be a team player throughout the rollercoaster of production.

Don’t stop taking classes or building your network. Hopefully one job will lead to the next. And the best way to make that happen is to constantly be honing your brand and craft. Most likely you’ll learn from every job you get (even the less-than-great experiences), and the key will be how you can implement those lessons on the next gig.

Hey! You just booked an acting role! Maybe it was your first. Maybe it was your twentieth. It doesn’t matter, every booking is a reason to boost your confidence. Your craft and talents shined through and you’ve become the top choice for the part. Let that notion fuel your performance as you step into the role.

Auditioning for an acting role is the key method filmmakers use for determining the best fit for a role. The process can be tense but also exciting. Every audition should be a learning experience, whether you book the job or not. Always be on the lookout for your next opportunity, so stay on top of your networks and the people you follow on social media. Auditions will separate the actors who’ve studied and worked hard from those just going through the motions. Make sure you’re well-prepared before going in.