Now imagine if you went to the same interview in a baseball cap and swimming shorts. You showed up 2 hours late. And you answered each question with a one-word answer. What would you say your chances of getting the job would be?
     Your audition is a job interview. It’s not the place you want to look unprepared or unprofessional. YOUR AUDITION IS A JOB INTERVIEW. You don’t want to show up in clothing that don’t represent your character. You don’t want to excessively talk and make noise. And you don’t want to say any of these five amateur phrases…   

 “Damn it, I messed up, can I start over and do it again”
          There is not necessarily anything wrong with this phrase by itself. In fact, it is somewhat commonplace for you to start over if you stubble over some words or lose your place in the audition sides or script. However, starting over simply because you didn’t like your performance is usually unacceptable and amateurish. Everyone usually thinks their performance wasn’t their best. Besides, the casting director has too many actors to see to let you do it over and over again until you get it right. Accept your weak performance and use it to enhance your next. 

 “I’m so nervous”
           Repeating this phrase is the equivalent of placing a sign over your forehead entitled “amateur”. In almost every audition, no matter how seasoned the actor, most everyone will be nervous on some level. But vocalizing your nervousness shows that you are too inexperienced to handle the pressure.  

 “That’s it!”
            You just gave your audition and, at the end of the scene, you yell out, “That’s it!” What a mistake! Allow your performance to sink in to the casting directors. The fact that you stopped talking is enough to let them know you’re done. The pros simply pause after the performance and then give a nod to the casting director in silence. The amateurs, in their nervous panic, hastily yell, “That’s it!”  

 “Sorry I’m late, but traffic is terrible”
            Three words for this crowd—No one cares! The casting directors don’t care why you’re late. They just know that you’re late and you are now interrupting or holding up the auditioning process. Remember the golden rule: If you’re early, you’re on time. If you’re on time, you’re late!

“How did I do?”
            The surefire amateur phrase is asking, “how did I do”, after a performance. Never ask the casting director how you did. Asking him this is like asking your girlfriend why she broke up with you. She’s not going to be honest and tell you it was your excessive back hair that did her in. Likewise, a casting director is not going to tell you you did a lousy job if you did a lousy job. However, if you did great, don’t worry, it will surely be written all over his face.