the Cost of Employment and Job Placement Services

The money's for my booking agent's cut of the gross of what I was paid for last weekend's work. He hooks me up with work, and I pay him for scouting the work for me. He negotiates the payment and the terms to standards we've agreed on previously and all I have to do is show up, play music, and collect my check. If he doesn't get me work, he doesn't get paid. If I don't pay him, he doesn't find me work. He also manages a bunch of other musicians who work in a variety of genres, but doesn't represent theater people or athletes.

Every couple of weeks my agent calls me up and says he's got some work for me. It's always been good work for decent pay. And the work comes more often and pays better now that I have representation. But I'm still glad I've got a day job because I know I wouldn't be able to make ends meet on just my musician's salary what with my kids and all.

Look, unless you're in a profession where you need a manager or agent, you shouldn't be paying for people to get you work. If you're a computer programmer, or nurse, or even a day laborer, headhunters should be getting paid by the companies who are looking for you. If they're suggesting you pay them for the privilege of finding you work, run away because they're probably trying to play you for a sucker.

If you are in the kind of profession where you need an agent (performing arts like music and acting, or professional sports are pretty much it), you won't have any doubt about the need for an agent. Even so, you shouldn't be forking over more than 15% of your gross, even if you're the world's wost performer represented by the world's greatest agent.