Move to Hollywood, or someplace in the greater Los Angeles area. While you can build a resume anywhere, you need to eventually move to the location in which the majority of films are made. Find a flexible day job that allows you take time off for auditions so you don't run out of money and have to move back home.
Locate a professional photographer and pay them to shoot a series of professional headshots. Select the best headshots and upload them to your computer. Print out 20 to 30 headshots to bring to auditions.
Write a professional resume that details your acting experience, training and skills. Print out 20 to 30 copies of your resume and staple them to the back of your headshots to take to auditions.
Prepare a monologue for auditions. Select a piece that showcases your acting ability and the type of characters that you best portray.
Take acting courses to learn techniques. Many casting directors and schools offer classes that focus on different aspects of the craft such as creating a character, improvisation or auditioning.
Audition for roles in non-paid student productions, or lower paying gigs in independent films. Through these projects you can gain experience, develop a reel, obtain credits and network.
Work as an extra. Extras don't have lines, but they have the opportunity to work on set and gain access to valuable connections.
Look for audition postings in the trade papers, classifieds and online. Submit your headshot and resume. If you're called in for an audition, show up on time and treat everyone with professional courtesy.
Submit your headshot and resume to reputable casting databases such as Actors Access. Through these websites, you can submit to posted gigs and, hopefully, get called to audition.
Get an agent to represent you. Although it's initially difficult to find an agent, once you've built up a few credentials, you should be able to sign with a smaller agency. An agent will assist you in finding and booking auditions and jobs.
Join the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), a professional union for actors. You're eligible once you've had a principle credit in a SAG production or worked as a background actor on three SAG productions at union rates, under union working conditions. SAG offers members benefits including workshops, medical and unemployment insurance and housing assistance.