Career options in the music industry aren’t limited to jobs as live performers, songwriters or composers, as some occupations are carved out in areas like music production, education, digital marketing, advertising and promotions,
public relations, talent management, finance or music journalism including social media publishing and blogging.
Still, landing a job in any of these music career options requires having qualifications dependent on the type of industry in which the service will be rendered. In most cases, a college degree either in Bachelor of Music (BM) or Bachelor of Arts (BA) is required in addition to work experience achieved through internship or apprenticeship.
A BM degree is more concerned with the attainment and completion of training for a specific element of music (voice, piano, violin, etc.) and as required by the music conservatory of an educational institution. A BA degree with concentrations in the study of various aspects of music is the most relevant educational attainment required by a non-performance music occupation.
Applying for a Non-Performance, Music-Related Occupation
To land a music job that does not require demonstration of one’s exceptional musical talent as a singer, composer, instrumentalist, choreographer or dancer, submitting a letter of application is the first step to being considered as a potential candidate to fill up a particular job vacancy on which to build a music-related profession.
The content of your application letter can make or break your chances of getting invited for interviews. Interviews are just as crucial because those are instances when you can personally express and demonstrate why you believe you are the right candidate for the job.
Fears Over Writing an Application Letter Can be a Stumbling Block
While a job is just a stepping stone that provides financial support, what you should aim for is to build a career that is more stable, secure and long term in nature. However, some people have writing anxieties when it comes to composing a letter of application. Their fear over writing formal letters to convey their purpose can be a stumbling block in landing that first stage in career building.
Career coaching experts say that such anxieties are actually reflective of a person’s lack of confidence on his or her technical writing skills. This is often true for persons who have very little experience in writing formal letters that have other purposes than for creative writing. Still, those who have writing anxieties do not have to bear with the negative consequences of poorly written application letters.
There’s a Germany-based online enterprise called Gekonn Bewerben, which in English means “apply skillfully,” as its core business is to write an application letter on behalf of job-seekers. Bewerbung schreiben lassen, which translates in English as “writing an application as a service,” has helped many individuals reach that crucial stage of being invited for an interview. In industries where music-related jobs require a lot of creativity, interviews are oftentimes the better ways by which creative and experienced applicants can assert themselves.