Introduction
Hi, my name is Jeula Agbayani, and I am a professional voice actor.
I’ve been a full-time voice actor since 2019, the year I started pursuing voice acting.
So, I do know a little bit about what it feels like to want to start and what I need to do to be able to make it.
But before I became a voice actor, I was an advertising producer as well, so I know a lot about money management, rates, and calculations, and stuff like that. So that’s why I’m here talking about this.
Should I Quit My Job to do Voice Acting Full Time?
A lot of you might be asking if you should quit your job to do voice acting full-time, and I have two answers for you: yes and no.
When to Say Yes
It’s a yes for me if and only if you have enough savings to support yourself for a long period of time. And by a long time, I mean a few months to about a year.
I say that because making it into any industry or breaking into any industry, it just doesn’t happen overnight.
I know there might be a lot of stories out there where it looks like they may have, but it actually takes a lot of work before you make it to where you want to be.
So, you have to be prepared, make the calculations, and see how much you need to be able to last a few months to a year.
And if that’s something that you already have in your savings, then go for it, by all means.
The Importance of a Backup Plan
But I will caution you, you always have to have a backup plan.
Because sometimes, even if you make a really good plan for yourself on how to get into an industry, there are some things that can always come in the way.
You need to know what you’re gonna do in case your plans don’t pan out, or there’s something that you need to spend on, or if your voice acting career is taking longer than you think.
You need to set your bottom line. You gotta know when you have to kick in your backup plan in the first place.
Managing Your Money
The reason for this is you don’t want to go and extinguish your entire savings.
That’s never a good idea.
You gotta leave enough room in there so that you have time to find a job or a part-time job or anything like that to refill your savings.
Nobody should go hungry when you’re trying to get a career. You have to take care of yourself first.
Another reason why you should really set your bottom line in terms of when you should kick in your backup plan is because payment times in voice acting can take a while.
In advertising, you usually get your fee 6 to 12 months after the project has ended, and that’s kind of a long time.
In the dubbing scene, you get your first check about two to three months or more after the project has started.
And again, that’s a lot of time.
So, you really need to learn how to manage your money, and you need to know when you should stop the bleeding of your money.
The Pros of Going All In
But I will say though that a pro of going all into trying to pursue voice acting is that when you put everything you have into it, all of your time, your money, your efforts into one thing, you do usually get faster results, usually.
But it’s not really an assurance. Sometimes it takes longer, or sometimes it’s shorter. You never know. So always, always be careful and have a plan B.
When to Say No
So if you don’t fulfill these conditions where you have enough savings to last you a while and you have the time to actually go into it full force, then of course the answer is no.
It’s really not a good idea to go into any industry without savings to support you for the long run because you don’t want to go hungry and you don’t want to be scrambling for money while you’re trying to pursue something new.
Balancing Job and Voice Acting
But what you can do is train and find clients alongside having a full-time job or a part-time job.
I know, I know, it’s definitely much harder like that, but you have to remember it’s a marathon, not a race.
Technically, if you’re going at it at your own pace, you’re still getting there.
And the important thing is that you reach your goal, not how fast you reach it.
Training and Finding Clients
So yeah, basically in this scenario, you’re gonna have a part-time job or a full-time job while at the same time researching clients and where you can train to get better as a voice actor.
By the way, we actually have a video coming up on where you can find training for yourself, so stay tuned and subscribe.
Age is Not a Barrier
And I know that some of you are worried about your age, maybe you’re getting a little too old to pursue voice acting.
Wrong!
You’re never too old to pursue voice acting.
In fact, I know many people of different ages that have tried and succeeded in voice acting.
So, you’re not too late. You’re only getting better over time if you’re training, so don’t worry about that.
Conclusion
But generally speaking, what’s important here is that you’re able to support yourself while you’re pursuing voice acting because, again, you gotta take care of yourself first.
Okay, guys, I hope that answers your question on whether you should quit your job to pursue voice acting.
But if you have any more questions, feel free to comment below and don’t forget to subscribe to Voice Actors at Home PH. See you!
Introduction
Hi, ako si Jeula Agbayani, at isa akong professional voice actor.
Full-time voice actor na ako since 2019, yung year na sinimulan kong mag-pursue ng voice acting.
So, alam ko yung feeling na gusto mong magsimula at alam ko rin kung ano yung kailangan kong gawin para mag-succeed.
Pero bago ako naging voice actor, advertising producer din ako, so alam ko rin yung tungkol sa money management, rates, at calculations, at iba pa.
Kaya nandito ako ngayon para pag-usapan ito.
Should I Quit My Job to do Voice Acting Full Time?
Baka tinatanong ninyo kung dapat ba kayong mag-resign sa trabaho para mag-full-time sa voice acting, at may dalawa akong sagot para sa inyo: yes and no.
When to Say Yes
Oo para sa akin if and only if may sapat kang savings para suportahan ang sarili mo for a long period of time.
At kapag sinabi kong long time, ibig kong sabihin ay ilang buwan hanggang sa isang taon.
Sinasabi ko ito dahil hindi basta-basta ang pagpasok sa anumang industry o pag-break into any industry, hindi ito nangyayari overnight.
Alam ko na maraming stories out there na parang ganun ang nangyari, pero sa totoo lang, kailangan ng maraming trabaho bago mo maabot yung gusto mong marating.
Kaya dapat kang handa, gumawa ng calculations, at tingnan kung magkano ang kailangan mo para makasurvive ng ilang buwan hanggang sa isang taon.
At kung yun ang meron ka na sa iyong savings, then go for it, by all means.
The Importance of a Backup Plan
Pero warning ko lang, dapat may backup plan ka dahil minsan, kahit na gumawa ka ng magandang plano para sa sarili mo, kung paano makapasok sa isang industry, may mga bagay na pwedeng makaharang sa yo.
Kailangan mong malaman kung ano ang gagawin mo kung hindi nag-work out ang plans mo, o may kailangan kang gastusan, o kung ang iyong voice acting career ay medyo tinatagalan bago umasenso.
Kailangan mong itakda ang iyong bottom line.
Dapat mong malaman kung kailan mo dapat simulan ang iyong backup plan in the first place.
Managing Your Money
Ang dahilan para dito ay hindi mo gusto na maubos ang iyong buong savings.
Hindi talaga magandang idea yun.
Dapat may sapat kang space doon para may oras ka na makahanap ng trabaho o part-time job o kahit ano para ma-refill ang iyong savings.
Walang dapat magutom habang sinusubukan mong makakuha ng career. Kailangan mong alagaan ang sarili mo muna.
Ang isa pang dahilan kung bakit talagang dapat mong itakda ang iyong bottom line in terms of kung kailan mo dapat simulan ang iyong backup plan ay dahil ang payment times sa voice acting ay medyo matagal.
Sa advertising, karaniwan mong natatanggap ang iyong fee ng 6 hanggang 12 na buwan pagkatapos ng project, at medyo matagal yun.
Sa dubbing scene, natatanggap mo ang iyong unang check mga dalawa hanggang tatlong buwan o higit pa pagkatapos magsimula ang project.
Again, matagal yun. Kaya talagang kailangan mong matutunan kung paano mag-manage ng pera, at kailangan mong malaman kung kailan mo dapat itigil ang pag-ubos ng pera mo.
The Pros of Going All In
Pero sasabihin ko though na ang pro ng pag-go all in sa pag-try na mag-pursue ng voice acting ay kapag nilagay mo lahat ng meron ka dito, lahat ng oras mo, pera mo, efforts mo sa isang bagay, karaniwan mong nakukuha ang mas mabilis na results, usually.
Pero hindi talaga ito assurance.
Minsan tumatagal, o minsan mas maikli. Hindi mo talaga alam.
Kaya lagi, lagi kang mag-ingat at magkaroon ng plan B.
When to Say No
Kaya kung hindi mo natutugunan ang mga kondisyong ito kung saan may sapat kang savings na magtatagal sa iyo ng matagal at may oras ka talaga na mag-dive in dito ng full force, then siyempre ang sagot ay hindi.
Hindi talaga magandang idea na pumasok sa anumang industry nang walang savings na susuporta sa iyo sa mahabang panahon dahil ayaw mong magutom at ayaw mong mag-scramble for money habang sinusubukan mong mag-pursue ng something new.
Balancing Job and Voice Acting
Pero ang pwede mong gawin ay mag-train at maghanap ng clients habang may full-time job o part-time job ka.
I know, I know, definitely mas mahirap yun, pero kailangan mong tandaan na ito ay marathon, hindi race.
Technically, kung nagpo-proceed ka nito sa iyong sariling pace, makakarating ka pa rin doon.
At ang importante ay maabot mo ang iyong goal, hindi kung gaano kabilis mo ito maabot.
Training and Finding Clients
So yeah, basically sa scenario na ito, magkakaroon ka ng part-time job o full-time job habang sa parehong oras ay nagre-research ka ng clients at kung saan ka pwede mag-train para gumaling bilang voice actor.
By the way, mayroon kaming upcoming video kung saan ka pwede maghanap ng training para sa sarili mo, so stay tuned at mag-subscribe.
Age is Not a Barrier
At alam kong nag-aalala ang ilan sa inyo tungkol sa inyong edad, baka feeling ninyo medyo tumatanda na kayo para mag-pursue ng voice acting.
Mali!
You’re never too old para mag-pursue ng voice acting.
Sa katunayan, marami akong kilala ng iba’t ibang edad na nag-try at nag-succeed sa voice acting.
Kaya hindi ka too late.
Gumagaling ka lang over time kung nagte-training ka, kaya huwag kang mag-alala tungkol doon.
Conclusion
Pero generally speaking, ang importante dito ay kaya mong suportahan ang sarili mo habang nagpu-pursue ka ng voice acting dahil, muli, kailangan mong alagaan ang sarili mo muna.
Okay, guys, sana nasagot ko yung tanong ninyo kung dapat ba kayong mag-resign para mag-pursue ng voice acting.
Pero kung mayroon pa kayong ibang tanong, feel free to comment below at huwag kalimutang mag-subscribe sa Voice Actors at Home PH.
See you!