Graduating into the Music Industry

Having had involvement of most areas of music business over the last ten years I have learnt it is an industry that works like no other. The harsh reality for graduates is that the challenges of gaining employment in this field are no different whether you powered your way to a 1st or smoked your way to a 2:2. Forget the degree - to eventually obtain a full-time occupation in the music industry you simply have to build up contacts and gain as much experience as possible.

It's fair to ask "how do I get experience without contacts?" and vice versa, but this is a trade with what you might politely call 'unique employment dynamics' (it's basically disorganised!). My own experience involved sending endless CVs to companies I wished to work for (all of which are listed in the Music Week Directory) in the hope of gaining work placements that could lead to employment. Starting with virtually nothing but enthusiasm to offer I was preparing for widespread rejection, but work placements, for which you will usually receive travel expenses and not much else, are fairly easy to find. This is where you can move past the impasse and gain both experience and contacts.

The industry realities dictate that when you embark on a work placement you are at the bottom of a massively over-populated food chain, and the only way to create job opportunities or contacts is to listen to your colleagues, apply what you learn and try to make yourself indispensable through hard work. If you have enthusiasm, knowledge and intuition there is no reason why you cannot be successful in music. Work your arse off, stay late, whatever it takes to show you are committed to the task no matter how menial. You might not gain a job directly but one day someone in that company might know someone who knows someone and the more people you have encountered and impressed the higher your chances of that all important referral.

Of the four full-time jobs I have had in music not once have I had a formal interview. However ridiculous this sounds it is a fairly common practice. Once you establish yourself, make contacts and progress personally in this close-knit community, and your reputation should speak for itself. The only other ways into the business are through post-graduate schemes (of which there are very few and almost all of which are poorly paid) or, if you're lucky enough, nepotism or friendship and favours!

However, it is worth pointing out that today there are more areas of music-related business to enter than ever before. We are now seeing a multi-faceted amalgamation of traditional channels such as publishing, artist management and the label management with emerging, growth markets such as digital promotion and distribution, mobile content and artist/brand alliances through experiential marketing and product endorsement. Find an area of the industry that might provide the challenges you'd enjoy and there are plenty of niches to occupy. In smaller companies day-to-day roles are often shared between staff which can help give a rounded introduction if you want to build a good general knowledge of the industry before specialising.

The benefits of working for music companies can range from free music and free gig tickets to travelling and even touring (if that's your thing). You can get opportunities to work with artists that you admire and it is usually a fairly relaxed and sociable work environment. The downsides are obvious; long sometimes unsociable hours and until you progress, relatively poor pay structures. But don't let this put you off working in what is one of the most exhilarating and satisfying industries out there. As with any career you will get out of it what you put in so if you apply yourself and enjoy your work there are great opportunities to gain both experience and build an enviable network of contacts.

Ben Dellow, 27, is a graduate of Buckinghamshire University. He is a partner in talent consultancy Creative Artist Solutions, programming music events for Smirnoff in Europe and Hennessy in North America and China.

Employment Links:

www.handle.co.uk

www.musicweek.com/jobs

www.themusicmarket.co.uk

http://jobs.guardian.co.uk/browse/media/

If you would like to explore work experience opportunities in music, please send CVs to any of the following:

Azuli Records, Soho, W1

http://www.azuli.com
mailto:sean@azuli.com

Bingo Records, Brick Lane, E2

http://www.bingobeats.com
mailto:info@bingobeats.com

RPM Ltd, Shepherds Bush, W12

http://www.rpmltd.com
mailto:ben@creativeartistsolutions.com

TrusttheDJ.com, Islington, N1

http://www.trustthedj.com
mailto:matt@trustthedj.com

Please note that we cannot guarantee the availability of work placements.