Which is harder to break into: security guard work or background acting?

[bingbongbangbung]

I think long term, both can be viable forms of employment (well latter would be if unionized, pursuing similar gigs to compliment acting like modelling and commercial work), but for short term they may be easy to enter although come with the same issues: inconsistent schedules, paradoxically bad reliability, terrible pay, dealing with shady people, etc. However for security guard I'd need to pay hundreds of dollars for the training, background check, exams, and licensing whereas for background actor, I have to pay commission fees to the agencies or even annual membership fees (some do) and the pay is painfully slow/bureaucratic. Still worth doing either because they both are always in demand, pretty much anybody can qualify for it, and how the job operates is quite transparent/obvious (especially in this economy where pink collar jobs are as unlikely as winning the lottery to get, whereas gig apps are very unreliable due to strict rules and weird algorithms along with low pay).

Security Guard

Background Actor

[Telekinetic-Potato]

Background acting is more something you do whenever you can. Don't pay fees for an agency. Those are scams. You want to get on a casting site like backstage and a good headshot which doesn't mean a $400 one when you're starting out. Nobody expects you to have that as a background actor.

If you have a phone from the last 5 years take a shot from the neck to the top of your hair at eye level with a relatively neutral or subtle expression, and strike some casual poses from the knees up pick 2 pictures that look like you could blend into a background.

Make sure your hair in the headshot is "up to date" with how you'll look when you show up. One of the most annoying things is someone sends a Pic clean shaven with short hair and they show up with a beard and long hair.

Backstage is $99/yr and they randomly do discounts.

Apply to stuff you're interested in and you'll be surprised how often someone will just send you an email out of the blue asking to do something.

I casted almost every project I've done except the fashion ones where those brands pretty much always use an agency. Most people I know find managers while working. Usually by networking on set.

If I were you I'd pursue security guard and drop the money on backstage at my earliest convenience. A security job usually pairs well because the schedule is often flexible which you need if you want to get into production.

If you want to take acting seriously the name of the game is to get as many named roles on IMDB as possible and make sure people like working with you. The rest is kinda up to chance so you have to trust the process.

But I promise it's worth it either way.

[bingbongbangbung]

Security industry has way too many Desis in Canada, and once a Desi becomes a manager, they pretty much only hire Desis; also getting a security license isn't enough anymore to get hired for many guard roles

[bingbongbangbung]

Well sadly the economy has sucked since 2020 and even more so since 2025, so I can't get any normie jobs as gig work is what I can get

[bingbongbangbung]

I was gonna become a programmer but then generative AI along with pandemic ending changed that RIP

[Master_Debator]

I'd say security guard work.

[bingbongbangbung]

Yeah I don't know why people voted background actor when I already joined an agency albeit they won't offer work until June or July

[Master_Debator]

I'm stright from Hollywood CA and I've watched way too many people come to be "movie stars" only to end up drugged out and hooking for a living. Meanwhile after I got out of the military... gun quals check, experience check, security guard work... easy. Probably the easiest job I could grab at anytime if times get hard.

Actor... fuck that... too much work.

[bingbongbangbung]

Lol I'm not interested in becoming a principal actor, and I know I lack that potential

[bingbongbangbung]

Yeah since you went to the military you had an advantage over most people aspiring to become security guards

[Master_Debator]

I'd say so. Official gun quals most of all. Top secret clearance kinda just looks good. The fact that I was forced to look for bombs under cars, run bags under the x-ray machine, and physcially check bodies for years... pretty much gets me the job. I can get the job pretty easy by just showing proof of what I've already done. Airport security would be easy too.

[bingbongbangbung]

Too bad there's so many Desis working as security guards, and I know that if a company or industry has too many of them, then probably can't really get in as a non-Desi

[Master_Debator]

I'm going to put it like this... people that are serious about their security are not going to hire them. secret service level fuck like me has to deal with a lot more than those dudes get hired for. I'm qualified to protect the president and them... qualified to stand there at best.

[bingbongbangbung]

Oh so you're like Dan Bongino?

[Master_Debator]

Naw... I don't run a youtube like channel with fans... yet lolz. Thinking about your point though... I hate that, they just hire them and then citizens here have 1 less job at a time because of it.

[bingbongbangbung]

As soon as 1 Desi becomes a manager, they then choose other Desis to fill the company

[Master_Debator]

Exactly... Then all these people that support immigration like that complain about no work and higher rent as if they legitimately don't understand one thing equals the others.