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Make an Invoice NowA talent scout invoice is an official request of payment sent by freelance talent scouts and agencies for the successful matching of an athlete, actor, musician, or another highly skilled individual to a role needing to be filled. Talent scouts are paid a percentage of the total negotiated contract between the performer and the hiring establishment. The average agent collects ten percent (10%) of the contract, although alternate amounts can be agreed upon in a talent representation agreement.
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What is a Talent Scout?
A talent scout is a professional in both finding promising entertainers and athletes as well as negotiating their contracts with the sports teams or movie production companies they will be working for. Scouts can work on their own, out of agencies, or for the teams and studios they scout for. To find talented individuals, sports scouts, for example, spend their time observing student-athletes at their high school or college games, being able to pick out those that show promise. Much like a resume isn’t the only aspect of being hired in a job, talent scouts look far deeper into prospective athletes than their stats. They ask themselves if the athlete has grit, treats their teammates with respect, can handle helpful criticism, and so on and so forth. Talent scouts need to appear friendly and trustworthy to gain the trust of the prospects, as finding promising athletes is only half of the battle – in order to be paid, the scout needs to get the athlete to sign a contract with the sports team or enroll at the university the scout represents.
Becoming a Talent Scout
Hailing from a background rooted in formal education can help land entry-level talent scout positions, but is not a requirement for working in the field. Rather, the best talent scouts often have a set of skills and “talents” themselves, in that they are:
- Adept at networking
- Excellent communicators
- Experts in their niche
Oftentimes, the best talent scouts are those that previously were professional athletes or entertainers themselves, having served as baseball players, actors, or coaches, as they understand the qualifications that make a prospect great, as well as subtleties that might not be obvious to those that never worked in the field. For those interested in entering the field, speaking with seasoned scouts can give insight into where to apply, any qualifications one should have, and possibly, the opportunity to shadow the scouts themselves. Finding an “in” at the lowest level may sound unappealing, but can provide the scout with an understanding of how things work from the bottom to the top.
Talent Scout Average Salary
The salary of a talent scout ranges considerably. Those that scout for the NFL, for example, will find themselves making a significantly more per contract than someone scouting for a small university football team. Furthermore, the salary of a scout is heavily dependent on whether the scout works for an agency or on their own as a freelancer. Having said, the average salary of a talent scout is the following:
Salary: $34,840/yr (source: BLS)