Qualifications, Earnings, Etc.

Question
I am doing a career Exploration project for school. It is due a week from now, and I need to know the following things:
Qualifications
Nature of Work
Job Outlook
Earnings
I chose WWE as my career, so would you please try to find out about these things? Thank you so much.


Answer
Hello Orochi,

Okay. I would recommend looking at both WWE.com and the WWE Corporate websites for additional info to what I give. Wikipedia also gives information on what a wrestler does in general.

First of all, it depends on exactly what position we are talking about. The WWE is not composed entirely of the wrestlers, referees, commentators, managers and announcer seen onscreen. There are also writers, road agents, accountants and a whole host of others involved in the production and development of WWE.

If we are talking about the wrestlers, they don抰 need any specific educational qualifications. Technically, they don't even need to have passed pro wrestling school. They have been a handful of wrestlers who have started at WWE without prior training. For wrestlers, you are qualified for the WWE if you fit in: able to tell stories in the ring, work with others, work hard, take directions, portray multiple characters (some acting ability required) have developed wrestling abilities (in most cases wrestlers have at least 3-5 years of experience wrestling before entering the WWE) and be willing to undergo extensive travel.

Getting in is not easy however, as WWE Talent Scouts who search for potential Superstars and Divas only select those who impress them highly. If they impress the talent scouts, WWE management and the wrestlers overall after a try-out, they can get signed to a WWE Developmental Contract.  The job outlook is low. Most wrestlers will not be lucky enough to be signed to the WWE. Only a small fraction will get into the WWE. The hardest part is standing out from the crowd enough to attract attention and impress the WWE.

WWE look for wrestlers with wrestling ability, versatility, a great work ethic, a passion and love for pro wrestling, charisma, the ability to work well with others, a desire to continually improve, marketability (can this wrestler attract other demographics, etc.) as well as creativity and the ability to act well enough (though the better one can act and entertain, the better.) WWE look for wrestlers that bring something new to the table, who also fit in with their targeted audiences and the family-friendly image they are currently aiming for.  

They then continue to develop their abilities until WWE feels they are ready to debut on one of WWE抯 main brands- or are put into WWE NXT- and WWE Creative (the writers) have material for them. Wrestlers can be released from their contracts after being signed to a developmental one if things just don抰 work out, creatively or otherwise.

If you talking about any of the other positions (not the wrestlers themselves), the Careers section on WWE.com details the current vacant positions, including the nature of work, qualifications required and possibly job outlook, as entries on WWE Careers are done in different styles.  I also maintain a record on numerous past entries for careers that are no longer vacant.  As the position of Creative Writer is currently vacant, as well as that of On-Air Commentator, (under On-Air Talent), you can find details of those other positions.  Most of the other positions require either a college or Bachelor degree, as well as an ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment. WWE is headquartered in Stamford, thus many of the jobs are located there.  All full-time positions require some level of experience.  The more senior the position, the more years expected.

If you are interested in the any particular position in the WWE, let me know. I assume in the meantime you are looking for information on the wrestlers themselves.

When it comes to payment, I cannot really you. WWE does not release official details of what wrestlers make and in any case, what wrestlers are paid depends on their position on the card. Think of it like actors- new actors aren抰 going to get as much money as the established Hollywood stars- which are like the main event level talent in the WWE. You can get hundreds of thousand or even millions of dollars in a year in the WWE, as a wrestler or in another position. Obviously, management positions are paid more than say, a Production Artist or Web Designer. If one is in the main event at WrestleMania, some wrestlers have even been able to make a million dollars over in a month.  You could ask others about earnings, as there is some information on it out there- though it may be more in the way of general ranges or limited to certain dates or wrestlers- but I don抰 have any that I can say would be useful for you, as I don抰 have hard figures

For pro wrestlers in the WWE, the nature of their job is that of being in sports entertainment. Using a blend of athleticism and drama, WWE wrestlers are to entertain the crowds. This is prominently done in matches, but also through (more on the entertainment side) promos, interviews, photoshoots (especially for the Divas) and other appearances. Depending on their place on the cards, they can wrestle on episodic TV, house shows (untelevised) and PPVs, all over the US and the world through international tours and the occasional international televised show or PPV.

Wrestlers are provided characters, costumes, storylines, etc. by the writers, by are encouraged to get involved with working with the creative team to come with and develop ideas. Wrestlers talented with coming up with their own material for promos, such as Chris Jericho, are given dot points on the points to make and are allowed to handle the specifics.

If you need any other information, let me know and I抣l get back to you ASAP. I think this should be sufficient though, combined with the other sites- except that I cannot really help with earnings in the way you want.