Do you want to appear on a reality TV show or movie but don't want to quit your day job? Do you want to contribute to a drama, but don't have much experience as an actor? You may not know it but there are many opportunities available that allow you to use your everyday professional skills. We've listed five ways you can skip out on the theatrics of shows like The Real World and American Gladiator to show off your natural skills and abilities.

1. Skill-Based Reality Competitions
There are many reality shows popping up, especially on cable networks, that highlight practical skills. Take Bravo's Project Runway for instance; it challenges its contestants to use the skills they've built up working at normal jobs in fashion or clothing design. Joes vs. Pros is a reality show that pits normal guys against former professional athletes in a sports competition. Shear Genius takes normal hair stylists and gives them a chance to shine on national television. American Inventor takes the pipe-dreams of basement tinkerers and makes them come true. The Apprentice, the show that started the professional reality craze, took ambitious businessmen and women and gave them a chance to prove their worth. Producers are now more interested in makings shows about normal people competing at skilled activities. Think about your job, and what kind of professional skills you've learned. Do you have a practical talent that can land you a spot on a skill-based reality show?

2. Expert Advice
Besides contestants, many television shows make use of professional opinions and expert advice. Every time there's a specific challenge on a reality show, a guest instructor will often appear. This can range from a dining etiquette coach on America's Next Top Model to a professional stuntman on Who Wants to be a Superhero? Producers need level-headed professionals who are comfortable in front of the camera to guide featured contestants with their specialized skills.

Behavior specialists, counselors, tattoo artists, police officers, chefs, and just about any other kind of professional appear constantly as talking heads on reality shows, documentaries, and talk shows. Programs like Trading Spaces and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition actually star normal designers, contractors, woodworkers, and more. The lead designer of Makeover, Ty Pennington, started out as a carpenter on Trading Spaces, and is now a nationally recognized television personality. Nate Burkus went from a popular interior design guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show to starting his own line of merchandise at Linens n' Things.

3. Consulting
Television programs, reality shows, and major motion pictures require experts to authenticate details. With the year-round production of reality TV shows, there is a ton of work done behind-the-scenes. Producers of reality shows usually just come up with a new show and search out experts and professionals to make their vision happen. The hosts of the Discovery Channel's Mythbusters might get all the credit, but you can be sure there's an extensive crew of ballistics and construction experts making everything come together. Weight loss shows hire a small army of personal trainers and nutritionists to take care of day-to-day concerns. A show like Kid Nation only shows children on camera for the entirety of the series, but there's a large group of pediatricians, child psychologists, ranchers, and planners working behind the scenes.

Scripted dramas like 24, The Unit, and Nip/Tuck have on-staff consultants about military and medical details, procedures, and decorum. Linda Klein may not sound familiar, but she has made a career as a medical consultant and has even appeared as a nurse in shows like Nip/Tuck, Grey's Anatomy, and Doogie Howser M.D.

4. Hosting
They might get overshadowed by the cast members, but every good host has to sound like he knows what he's talking about. Unless they're specifically tied to the industry in question, most reality hosts are relatively unknown when they start out. Producers often cast experts to save money rather than hiring a separate host. Producers often hold open calls for fresh, enthusiastic faces. People with experience in radio, stage acting, public relations, customer service, modeling, or just about anyone who looks good on camera and has natural charisma is eligible. Ryan Seacrest was completely obscure before he landed a hosting role on the first season of American Idol, and now he's a major force in the entertainment industry.

5. Doubling
Whenever an actor in a movie or a TV show has to show off a particular skill in the script, like playing the piano, skiing, or slicing an onion, they usually don't do it themselves. Producers hire skilled-doubles who are experts at whatever the actor is supposed to be doing. These doubles replace the actor in close-up shots of hands, or in long-shots of complicated actions. To learn more about being a double, read InstantCast's article "Double Your Work as a Body-Double: Part 1."

There are almost as many ways to get on TV using your day job as there are day jobs themselves. If you've got a unique talent or an expert skill chances are that there's a way you can sell your time to a reality show or a scripted drama as a consultant. Be normal, be yourself, do what you love doing, and get on television!

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