It is February when music students’ thoughts turn to…summer internships?
If you have not yet begun a search for a summer music career expanding experience – whether it is internships, part-time or full-time work, volunteering, research, freelancing – now is the time.
Where do you start?
This may seem counterintuitive, but start with defining your longer-term career goal. What would you love to do with your music degree? What skills, knowledge, experience, and abilities are needed for that career (hint: if you are unsure, talk with your faculty, professionals doing that work, or search for those careers using the search engines below to see what is required and needed for that career).
You just defined your end goal. Now, being honest with yourself, what skills, knowledge, experience and abilities do you need to further develop and grow in order to be well-qualified for that career goal? You just identified the type of summer experience that could help you grow your music career.
Update your Resume
Review and update your resume. Have at least one other person familiar with performance or music resumes look it over to give you some suggestions for improvement.
Search for Internships, Jobs, and Volunteer Opportunities
Here are six resources for your summer search:
- Handshake, through Flashline: There are currently 98 music-related internships posted across the U.S.A. (as of 2/4/20), in a wide-variety of music-related roles and organizations.
- Indeed.com: Has 1,360 internship postings with “music” somewhere in the job title or job description, throughout the United States.
- MajoringinMusic.com: Has a listing of summer music camps, who are hiring now.
- LinkedIn.com: Has 318 internships with the word music somewhere in the job title or job description, all across the United States.
- GoingGlobal, through Flashline: You can explore internships in other countries by clicking “internships,” then search “music” in your country of choice.
- Your Kent email: Your faculty and the Music Department often receive internship, job, and volunteer opportunities. If you are not checking your email, you are missing opportunities.
Strategic Connections
You have applied, but how do you know what it is like to intern or work at that organization? Handshake and LinkedIn can help you identify your Kent connections who have worked at that organization. Contact those individuals, ask for their advice for interviewing, learn what it is like to intern there, and anything else you want to know
Prepare for the Interview and Do Your Research
Take some time to really learn about the organization by digging into their website, Google search them, and following them on social media. This will give you good information to use for your interview. Practice interviewing through InterviewStream online (https://kent.interviewstream.com) and/or setting up a mock interview with me through KSU Advising.
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Written by:
LuAnn Coldwell
Career Advisor, Visual & Performing Arts
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