Students who graduate with a music degree are in for a wide selection of rewarding careers. Possible career choices for those with degrees in music are audio engineering, booking agent, performer, music therapist, music publisher, record producer, and publicity director. The aforementioned career possibilities are just the tip of the iceberg; an extensive search on the subject will unearth dozens of careers in music you never even knew existed.
The Job Search
Getting your foot in the door of such a competitive industry may require a bit of low pay or no pay work; this type of work is called interning. If you can afford to take on this type of work your career in the music industry will greatly benefit from an internship. If you land an internship with a company that has established themselves in the industry, you will have a leg up on the competition when applying to jobs in the future due to your industry references.
If you would prefer a traditional job, don't worry, there are thousands of jobs. The most common place to locate jobs and internships is online. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of sites dedicated to aiding job and intern applicants on their quest to find work.
Websites that Host Job Openings and Internships
- Indeed.com- Provides an abundance of job listings in every industry, but has gems especially in the music industry.
- Monster.com- Hosts job openings with detailed descriptions and specifications.
- Music Teacher Jobs- A branch of the popular Top USA Job board dedicated specifically to helping music teachers find work.
- Sony- The infamous Sony Corporation is always looking to hire interns and new employees to join their team.
- Creative Job Central- A website dedicated to helping creative professionals find job openings in their industry.
- My Music Job- Provides job listings specifically for the music industry.
For recent college graduates, it may be difficult to find work. Not because of the lack of experience, but because of the deficiency of playing up their assets. The first step in the process of landing a job in the music industry is creating a compelling resume and cover letter. For specific instructions and tips on how to create a compelling resume and cover letter visit these sites:
- Crafting your resume- A video with tips on how to craft a resume for a job in the music industry.
- Resume Builder- Free online service that helps build the ideal resume.
- Write a Killer Resume- Resume writing techniques.
- Recording Industry Cover Letter- Sample cover letter for the recording industry.
- Sample Cover Letter- Sample synthesis cover letter.
- Sample Resume- A sample resume of a recent college graduate.
Once you have landed an interview, it means that your efforts have paid off. But don't get too confident yet, landing an interview doesn't guarantee the job. To increase your chance of landing the job you have to present yourself in an ideal light. This entails dressing appropriately, asking the right questions, and presenting yourself with confidence and professionalism.
If you have landed a job interview, give the secretary a call and ask her to give you a heads up on the office dress code. Unlike most industries, there is such a thing as being over dressed in the music industry. Dress according to the dress code of the establishment. If you fit in well with the employees who already work there, your chances of landing the job will increase. No matter how 'chill' an establishment may be, you need to present yourself professionally at an interview. Your goal is to make the person conducting the interview think that letting you walk out that door without offering you the position would be the biggest mistake they have ever made. You accomplish this by presenting yourself as an asset to their company.
Grad School
Typically, the music industry doesn't have many jobs that require graduate school degree. It is certainly possible to find a high paying job in the industry without attending graduate school. Careers in the music industry that may benefit from a Master's degree or Doctorate's are: Music professors and teachers, conductors and composers, and music librarians. If you are interested in furthering your education in the field of music, visit this website to answer any possible questions that you may have about the process of choosing a graduate school.