You have to be prepared

I just read the story of an English actress, thirty years old, who quit acting and joined the Royal Navy! She had starred in a teen series in the UK and in the American version as well as several other UK series. But just after three years in LA, which she called "demoralizing" she decided the chuck it and do something else.

This story just emphasizes how terribly difficult it is to maintain a career as an actor. The problem, of course, is that we are so inundated by unemployed actors that even a seasoned, talented actor cannot find work.

What is an aspiring actor to do? First, I recommend making sure you are ready to pursue acting as a career. You have to underatand the business and how it works. And I recommend staying away from LA unless you have a contract to work there. There are plenty of other cities to pursue being an actor. Finally, the aspiring actor needs to understand that it is most likely that they will not ever make a living at acting. Acting will have to be a sideline and the actor will have to support him or her self by other means while pursuing acting jobs.