How to Get a Part-Time Job as an NFL Cheerleader

Many a young boy and his parents dream of him playing professional football one day, but how many parents plan on their daughter becoming a professional cheerleader for an NFL team? NFL cheerleaders get to tour the country and be famous too. On a TV show following the Dallas Cowboys cheerleader training camp, you can see that the NFL cheerleaders are also taught correct etiquette, poise, and even have to learn a little grammar. In addition, being a professional cheerleader is only a part-time job, so you can hold another job, go to school, or even be a mother at the same time. In fact, the Washington Redskins requires that you have a full- or part-time job, are attending college, or have a family in order to audition, emphasizing that this is a part-time job.

Finding an Audition

Find a team holding cheerleading auditions near you and register. You can find out about this by picking a team that plays near you, and searching for their cheerleading squad's website online. You must be at least 18 years old to be accepted to an audition with the Dallas Cowboys, but 21 to audition for the Carolina Panthers. Most teams require that candidates have a high school diploma or GED. The auditions will take up several days, especially if you do well and progress through each round to the next. Keep this in mind when scheduling.

Audition dates for NFL cheerleaders vary from squad to squad. The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders hold their auditions in April, while the New England Patriots Cheerleaders have auditions at the end of March.

Looking the Part

The Dallas Cowboys cheerleading website claims that they do not have specific height and weight requirements to try out, but that the woman's body should "look well-proportioned in dancewear." An advertisement for the New England Patriots cheerleader try-outs specifies that they do have set requirements for height and weight. On the TV show about their training camp, however, they kicked off girls who did not photograph well, and took it upon themselves to fix hair and make-up style as they saw fit. You may have all the dance and cheerleading skills they could hope for, but if you don't fit the image of a professional cheerleader, you don't have a chance.

What they're looking for - Dancing Talent

Practice those high kicks and splits-these are some of the essential skills needed for become an NFL cheerleader. You also need to be able to pick up a new routine pretty quickly, as learning and performing one will probably be part of the audition. Most of the cheerleading squads are more dancing than the traditional cheerleader tumbling. However, some try-outs offer optional tumbling auditions if you do have these skills and want to show them off.

If you have the time and money, invest in some dance classes. The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders offer classes to "prep" for their auditions. This may give you an advantage during auditions.

What they're looking for - Personality

Most auditions include some form of personal interview. Of course, how well you look and dance is probably far more important than this, but don't take it lightly. NFL Cheerleaders are exposed to a lot of press, have to meet children and fans, and represent the team well. They have to make sure that their cheerleaders can present themselves well when talking to the public, and won't pull any crazy stunts that will get bad press. They also want someone who will be easy to work with. So here, watch your manners and be nice!

After Auditions - You're not in yet

After auditions, the candidate field is narrowed down. These lucky ones will go on to training camp, but more will need to be cut. The few weeks of training camp allows the judges to get to know the women's personalities and dancing style better, and see who the best fit for the team is. If you get cut during this round, don't get down! If you made it that far, you have some talent, and you probably got some feedback. If you still dream of being an NFL cheerleader, listen to that feedback, work on improving, and head out to the next auditions!