The music industry is growing, and it needs hardworking professionals to build the future of entertainment.
Do you want to live the dream? Do you want to wake up every day to find you’re required to spend the majority of your waking time thinking about, working on, listening to, or otherwise indulging in music? That may seem out of reach, but it’s not.
Landing a job in music is not easy, but it is entirely doable. The digital age has made it possible for more people than ever to find work in the industry, with new jobs being created virtually every week, and that means your chances of landing the career you’re seeking have never been better.
But how do you do it? How do you rise above the competition and excel, especially when you don’t live in a coastal city or another music hub (Chicago, Nashville, etc.)?
In this episode of Music Biz 101, host James Shotwell breaks down the information you need to know to land a career in the music business. James explains his own path to success and offers many alternatives as well because no two people have the same “making it” story. Check it out:
The only thing more difficult than figuring out a way to not sound desperate or like a complete suck up when writing a cover letter is figuring out how to present yourself and the skills you have acquired through a resume. Many of us grew up making our own, single sheet resumes through Word or a similar program, but as anyone trying to find a job in the world today will tell you that method is now considered the bare minimum in terms of presentation. Especially in industries like music where competition is tough and jobs are hard to come by, doing the bare minimum rarely gets you where you want to be.
So, in an overcrowded marketplace where talent is everywhere and substantial employment is always hard to come by, what is someone like you to do?
Two words: Get creative.
I recently read a story about a man in San Francisco who had been having trouble getting even as much as an interview, let alone a real shot at landing a job. San Francisco is considered one of the toughest job markets in the United States today, and the city itself often ranks as one of the most expensive places to live in the world. To stand out from the competition this man disguised himself as a delivery man and delivered a box of doughnuts to person responsible for hiring at the various offices around the city where he hoped to maybe find work. Inside each box of doughnuts, in addition to the confectionary treats that got him in the door, would be a copy of the man’s resume. Check it out:
Out of 40 deliveries, the man in this story landed 10 interviews.
Obviously, when stories like this go viral copycats are bound to make themselves known. You might not be able to get away with pulling off the same stunt as the man in the story above, but you could find a way to apply his ingenuity to the field and companies where you wish to work. I remember a publicist for a wildly popular metal label telling me about how his application was printed in blood red ink on black paper. That kind of creativity takes about 10 seconds to implement and can make all the difference between whether or not you get called in for an interview.
I wrote last week about how those seeking work in music would be wise to “find a need and fill it.” While I do believe that to be the best way to seek out work in music, you still need to convince whoever you are looking to work for/with that they you’re worth the money it would cost to bring you on as an employee. A creative resume or a creative presentation of your resume is a good way to do that, and it shows you’re willing to go the extra mile when most others would settle for the bare minimum. That’s the kind of drive that separates stars from bands that never make it as big as their music suggest they should be, and it’s what every employer in music is looking to find in new recruits.
James Shotwell is the Digital Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also the Film Editor for Substream Magazine, host of the Inside Music podcast, and a 10-year music writing veteran. You should really follow him on Twitter.
