Training
Few people have enough natural talent that they don’t need to take voice lessons or improve themselves in some way. For a pop star, it’s almost as important to be a great dancer as it is to be a good singer. So if you can sing, but your dancing skills are lacking, now could be the time to start taking some lessons. You also need to work on your stage presence. You need “a look” so people will remember you, something that makes you different to everybody else also trying to make it in the industry. Either you’re the cute guy or the weird girl or the one with the great dance moves. If you’re shy, start working on making public appearances (even if it’s at a local open-mike night) so you can get over your fears.

Demo
Whether you’re trying to get your song on the radio or looking for a record contract, the first thing you need to do is put a demo together. Your demo is basically just a tape with one or two of your songs. Ideally, it should be studio quality, but if you can’t afford that, then a good audio recording system at home will do. If you have a sound editing program in your computer, you can then fix minor noise problems to improve the tape’s quality. You don’t have to be a composer to create a demo. It’s perfectly fine to do a cover of your favorite songs for the demo.

Market Yourself
TV reality shows like American Idol, The Voice and The X Factor are an example of ways you can break into the industry. While it’s fine to apply for those if you want to, there are also many smaller competitions you can pursue. Some might require live appearances, while others only ask for a demo tape. You also need to start working on getting your name out there. You do this by booking “live gigs” and networking with anybody who’s even remotely connected to the industry. It doesn’t hurt to have a Facebook page where you can connect with others and post samples of your music.

While it’s true some people get discovered and seem to make it overnight, most pop stars put years of hard work into their craft before they become a household name. To follow your dream career of becoming a star, not only do you need to believe in yourself, but you also have to be ready to “keep at it,” no matter how long you have to work and how many times you’re turned down.

Physical Characteristics
Part of what defines your chances as a professional football player is in your genes. American football players are usually tall and muscular. This is because the game is intense and requires lots of physical contact, which could lead to serious injuries for smaller players. Offensive tacklers tend to be the heaviest, bigger players. According to the NFL, the average tackler weighs 310 lbs. Although kickers can be lighter and shorter, most professional football players are over 6 feet tall.

Start Early
If you have dreams of becoming an elite American football player, you need to start early. You don’t need to join a team until high school, but it helps if you spend your weekends playing football, learning the rules and perfecting your skills. It also makes sense to spend at least some time watching games and analyzing players’ movements and strengths, so you can improve your own technique. You should also improve your muscle strength and cardiovascular endurance through a consistent exercise program.

Join a Team
For most players, this means either high school or college. If you make your high school’s football team, you have a chance at being picked up by a scout. Scouts regularly check football players during their senior year, in hopes of finding outstanding talent. This could lead to a college scholarship and further training during your university years. If you have no opportunities to join a school team, look for local sport leagues that participate in tournaments at state or national level. Your ultimate goal is to be seen by scouts or major coaches or trainers. Most players for the NFL are picked from university teams, so your ultimate goal should be to be a member by the time you reach your senior year in college.

Professional Career
If you’re not selected by a scout while you’re at university, you still have other options available. The NFL holds open calls for tryouts once or more times a year. You can attend one to showcase your skills or you can at least send a notice of availability. It’s also possible to hire an agent to represent you if you’re not originally drafted for a team. Agents send out resumes and press kits showcasing your talents. They might contact teams or help you promote your skills so you gain recognition and a possible offer. Keep in mind that most players entering NFL teams are in their early 20s. The older you are when you start, the fewer chances you have of making it into a professional team.

If that’s not enough to get you interested, keep in mind that airline pilots get to fly around the world for free (and take their families along for a highly discounted price). And they often get perks such as special discounts on hotels, car rentals and even cruises. Interested? Here’s what it takes to become a pilot.

Health
In order to become a commercial pilot, you’ll need to get a First Class medical certificate from a medical examiner approved by the Federal Aviation Administration. To obtain the certificate, pilots need to have a corrected vision of 20/40. This means they can wear glasses, as long as their vision is near perfect with them. Airline pilots cannot be color blind and they have to pass a hearing test. People with severe mental or personality disorders (such as bipolar disorder or psychosis) cannot be airline pilots. Other disqualifying conditions include: substance dependence or abuse, epilepsy, heart replacement and cardiac pacemaker. People with diabetes and coronary heart disease who are taking medications might be able to obtain a waiver through the FAA Aeromedical Certification Branch, but this is at the discretion of the board. Pilots must pass periodical physical examinations (every six or 12 months depending on the type of position they hold).

Training
Airline pilots must obtain a commercial pilot certificate before they’re allowed to fly. This entails passing both ground school (theory) and practical flight training (a minimum of 250 hours). In addition to that, you need two other certificates, known as “ratings.” One is an instrument rating and the other a multi-engine rating. These also require ground school and special training. For example, to obtain an instrument rating you need to prove you can fly in zero visibility, using only your instruments. After you’ve completed your training, you need to pass a check-ride. This is similar to a driving exam, and requires you to get on the plane with an instructor and show you know how to operate and land an aircraft.

Experience
Because this is a very competitive field, you need to work on building up your flight hours if you want to eventually be hired by an airline. You can do that by flying smaller planes, applying for a crew position (as a flight engineer or first officer, for example) or getting additional certifications, such as a propeller pilot certification or a transport pilot certificate. Not only do these look good on your resume, but they allow you to log in additional flight hours. Many commercial airlines look for pilots with at least 3,000 hours of flight time. Keep in mind that it might take a couple of years before you are promoted to captain, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t get to pilot your own plane from the beginning.

Become Industry Savvy
Most personal shoppers focus on fashion buying, but this is by no means the only option. You could get a job as a shopper for a design boutique or business or you could work with private clients to help them shop for furnishings, home items or even jewelry and accessories. Rather than being a “jack of all trades,” this is a business in which is best to specialize on a single angle. Once you’ve chosen that angle, then you need to start reading and learning everything you can about the industry. Do you know how to shop based on different budgets and styles? Do you know how to help different body types look well put together and elegant? The more skills you have, the more you can offer to your clients.

Find a Job
If you’re not ready to go solo, look for a job as a sales associate at a department store, boutique or designer’s studio. This will help you build up your confidence and shopping skills and can be a great resume booster when you finally launch your own business. Some department stores offer personal shoppers to high-spending or executive clients, so you could work towards that position.

Launch Your Own Business
Once you have experience as a shopper, it’s time to launch your own personal business. Start by putting together a portfolio. Did you act as a personal shopper for anybody famous while at the department store? This person doesn’t have to be a major celebrity –Even a local personality will do if she has name recognition. Get written testimonials from past clients or ask permission to take photos of rooms or closets you helped put together.

Work on Your Connections
Do you have access to special discounts or can you develop relationships with certain companies or designers? If you have something unique to offer, you will be a step ahead of the competition. One ideal way to do this is to create a relationship with certain stores so you can get items “on approval.” This means you’ll be allowed to take items for your clients to try on in their offices or homes. You can then return whatever doesn’t fit properly. This is a lot easier and more convenient than having to buy and then return whatever your clients don’t like. Once you develop an ongoing relationship with a client, ask him to recommend you to his friends. Word of mouth helps build reputation and makes getting clients much easier.

School
While many famous directors never finished or went to film school, others did. Kevin Smith (director of Clerks) dropped out of film school so he could use his tuition money to finance his first film, while Billy Wider (The Seven Year Itch) and Ingmar Bergman never even went to film school.
Even if you don’t graduate, entering film school can put you in touch with other people in the business. This can lead to work or internship opportunities that could jump-start your career. If you’re going to go to college anyway, you might as well choose something related to film making, since this will help improve your know-how and connections.
Some of the most prestigious film schools in the United States include the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, the New York University Tisch School of the Arts and the International Film Institute of New York. The University of Southern California’s film program has the privilege of being the school with the most graduates working in the film industry.

Practice
Many famous directors have been making films since they were kids. Peter Jackson made his first short films using his parents’ 8mm camera and Walt Disney created his first illustrations as a child. If nothing else, get yourself a camera and start filming. Go for short films of 10 minutes or less and focus on experimenting with different techniques. If you’re trying to build an audience and a portfolio, you can create your own YouTube channel, where you can promote your films. The key to using YouTube properly is to focus on quality, not quantity. It’s better to have one or two well-made short films than 20 different videos that seem amateurish and poorly edited.

Get a Job in the Industry
Some famous directors got their start by taking small jobs in studios or film companies. Quentin Tarantino sold his first script to a director he met while working at a film production company. Director David Fincher (Fight Club) started his career working as a camera loader and “errand boy,” while Richard Linklater (Daze and Confused) funded his own film company with only a Super-8 camera and a projector in his name.

Contests
Once you’ve mastered the basics, start sending out your short films to contests. It doesn’t really matter what the prize is –What you should be looking for is recognition and the opportunity to screen your films in front of an audience. The ISFC (Indie Short Film Competition) is a prestigious annual competition open to amateur filmmakers, but there are also many smaller, local competitions that might be worth a try.

It’s All in the Genes
Catwalk models share a few physical characteristics. If you weren’t born tall enough or with the right bone structure, your chances of making it on the catwalk are very slim (although you could still succeed as a print or commercial model). Catwalk models need to be at least 5’ 8” and have long legs and a small bone structure and breast size. They also have to be naturally skinny or be willing to diet regularly to stay thin. Expectations are somewhere between 108 lbs and 125 lbs as a general rule. Plus-size models do exist, but there are fewer opportunities for them. Being “in the middle” (not skinny enough but also not big enough to be a plus-size model) is a major disadvantage.

Training
Although very young models are sometimes discovered “out in the world,” most models actually train for some time before approaching agencies. A modeling academy can teach you how to walk, pose and behave on the catwalk. This is important because many agencies look for runway-ready models that don’t need to be trained or coached through the job.

Portfolio
Whether you contact an agency or attend an open call, most potential clients will want to see a portfolio. If you’ve never modeled before, bring a few of your own photos. If you can afford it, have a professional photographer take the photos. You will need at least a couple of head shots and a couple of body shots. Keep the photos professional and if you wear a bikini make sure it looks classy and not too revealing. If you’ve modeled before, add photos of those jobs to your portfolio. Try to have at least a few photos that show you walking on a catwalk.

Approaching an Agency
Many agencies host “open calls” at different times of the year. An open call can last as little as a single day or even just a few hours but it’s open to everybody, even those with no modeling experience. If you have a unique look but no experience, this could be a good opportunity to get in front of the pros and sell yourself.
Another option is to start calling agencies. If you do this, be prepared for a lot of rejection and don’t take it personally. Just because an agency doesn’t like your look doesn’t mean the next will think the same way.
One last option is to be in the lookout for a modeling convention in town, although these charge an entry fee, they also offer an opportunity to meet with agents, press and industry professionals.

A Word of Caution
There are a lot of scams out there involving modeling agencies. A common one is an “agency” that promises to promote you and help you land gigs but to get started with them you have to pay a fee or get photos taken by their own photographer. The fees are usually very high. There are also a few websites where you can post your modeling photo and profile, but keep in mind that the chances of being discovered this way are pretty slim. If the website is free or belongs to a major agency, go for it. Otherwise, it might just be a waste of time and money.

Get Into the Circuit
One way to get started is to join the SCCA closest to you. The SCCA or Sports Car Club of America supports and sanctions regulations for both professional and amateur car racers. Being a member won’t allow you to get behind the wheel of a race car, but it will give you the opportunity to meet people in the business. You can also try to get a job (or even volunteer) as a service agent or worker. You’d be working on the tracks, behind the scenes, but you’ll still get exposure to help you understand how the racetrack and the teams work. Even a job as a race car polisher would be useful, as it will allow you to get closer to a race car and start learning how they look and work.

Go to School
There are numerous racing schools around the country. Most of them do “informal” training, which means they sell package training for people who want to race once, as a novelty. If you want to do it regularly, talk to the school and see if they can put together a special package for you. That way you can be sure you’re learning new skills every time you have a lesson. You can find a school through the RacingSchools.com website, which lists most of the major racing schools around the world. Training won’t be cheap, though. For example, the Mario Andretti Racing Experience school offers a package called Qualifier for $464. For that you get instruction and a bag of goodies, but you only race the car for a total of 8 minutes (which equals six to eight laps, depending on speed). A package of four 8-minute sessions sells for over $2,000.

Enter Amateur Races
Many races are organized locally and will do little to advance your dream career, but they can still give you an opportunity to work on your driving technique. Races often have hefty entry fees, so choose carefully: Either pick a race that will improve your driving skills (new racetrack or terrain) or one that is well-respected so participation can improve your recognition as a driver. Buying or building your own racing car can be quite expensive, so try to find a racing team you can join, so you can share the costs. Some races allow you to rent the vehicle just for that race.

The Basics
There are three basic requirements to become a president in the US. The most important one is that only native-born U.S. citizens can ever become presidents. The second requirement is minimum age: the president must be at least 35 years of age at the time of swearing into office. There’s no maximum age, however.
The last requirement is a bit more confusing, although it’s never been issue so far in the U.S. In order to become president, a person needs at least 14 years of residency in the U.S. That means he could have lived outside of the country most of his life and still qualify for presidency if he can prove 14 years of living on American soil. The Constitution doesn’t specify whether the 14 years need to be continuous or total, so this could be interpreted either way.

Background and Political Career
There’s no official educational background required to become a president. However, many presidents have backgrounds in law, political science or business. Seven U.S. presidents had degrees from Harvard, one of the best universities in the country. Most presidents were active in politics since a young age, either as supporters of their favorite party or as volunteers and organizers for political debate teams and publications.
Another way to cement your presence in Washington is to build a political or military career. A number of presidents served in the Navy or Army, while others held posts in other offices in Washington or abroad. A few presidents were ambassadors, while others served as Secretary of State under a different president. Some presidents, including John F. Kennedy, were senators before they became presidents.

Gather Money
It takes a lot of money to campaign for presidency, so you’ll have to set up a fundraising committee and then work hard to get funds. In fact, you need to show that you’ve received contributions of at least $5,000 before you can file a Statement of Candidacy and register with the Federal Election Commission (FEC). In theory, anybody can register as a candidate for presidency. However, without the proper financial support, it would be difficult to launch an extensive campaign around the country. Without that campaign, you’re unlikely to get many votes, as people simply won’t know who you are. Just as a reference, Barack Obama spent $730 million in his campaign, while McCain spent $333 million.

The Rest
Once you’ve registered as a candidate, your chances of winning are all based on how much support you can gather. The reason independent candidates don’t win is that they don’t have enough money to put up a great campaign. They also don’t have a significant platform or the backup of powerful allies that can help them get their message across. If you can manage to become a household name, your chances of winning will grow exponentially. Or, to be safer, take the long route and start a career in politics with one of the two major political parties before heading towards your dream job of becoming president.

Background Studies
Astronauts are divided into two major groups: commander and pilot astronauts and mission specialists. In order to apply for a pilot position, you need a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in one of the following fields: mathematics, engineering, physics or biology. You also need a minimum experience of 1,000 hours flying a jet aircraft. Pilots and mission specialists must be U.S. citizens.

Mission specialists handle onboard operations and must be experts on the field they’re assigned to. Requirements will depend on the mission. For example, one mission might need weather experts, while other might require an electronics expert. A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree is also needed, but a Master’s or Ph.D. is preferred. You also need practical experience in your field.

Payload Specialist
Payload specialists are not technically astronauts, as they don’t form part of the astronaut training program. Instead, they’re considered assistance crew. They perform support operations and are not needed in every space mission. Payload specialists are sometimes “lent” by other countries to provide research support or as part of an international crew agreement. They’re trained on the basics of space living prior to their flight.

Physical Requirements
Astronauts must be in overall good health, with no physical limitations or major health issues. Pilots and commanders must have a height of between 5’1” feet and 6’2” feet. Mission specialists can be as short as 4’8” feet. Both must have a blood pressure of 140/90 (when measured in a sitting position) and a corrected vision of 20/20 in each eye. Pilots need a visual acuity of 20/100 or better uncorrected. All candidates must pass a swimming test and demonstrate they can swim 75 meters while wearing tennis shoes and a complete flight suit.

Training
The candidates chosen from the application pool have to move to Texas to participate in NASA’s Johnson Space Center training program. Training lasts two years and includes theory (biology, oceanography, geology and other sciences) as well as practical training such as SCUBA, handling the space suit and survival techniques. Not everybody who completes the program is chosen to become an astronaut, so it’s important to excel throughout the whole training process. Once selected, you’ll become part of the permanent NASA crew and will receive further training based on your specific role within the shuttle mission. When you’re assigned to a mission, you will receive a minimum of 10 months of training before you can fly in that mission. Training might include simulations, underwater walking (which simulates the feeling of walking in space) and the handling of particular equipment to be used in that flight.