Career

Many students, holding a degree in music, and their families often face a dilemma regarding their future. Music being an art form doesn’t necessarily mean it provides you with a stable form of income or job. Not everyone can become a maestro and make it big in this fiercely competitive world! It is not regular to find a job posting in the news papers for a musician. However, with time, the job scene has changed and opportunities for young musicians are increasing.

As a musician it is important that you develop the following characteristics and qualities

• Creativity and being comfortable with your art form or style of music
• Being good at planning and project management skills
• Being a good leader and taking responsibility of the outcome of a project
• Time management
• Ability to identify behavioral patterns and processes which may or may not work in the best interest of the company
• Ability to work in groups and ensure achievement of goals

Many musicians with a bachelor’s degree often go forward and obtain a master’s degree in various forms and genres of music. A master’s degree works in your favor if you want to teach music at a reputed school or if you want to go further than teaching and pursue your desire to be a performer.

Having said the above, whether you hold a bachelor’s or a master’s degree in music, looking at it from a craft and career perspective especially around finding yourself a job, you have the following options. Most of the options listed below are well paying and worth your craft

• Movies and Entertainment Industry – You have quite a few opportunities as a musician in the movie business, from being a audio/sound engineer to creating soundtracks and background music

• Advertisement Industry – A music degree is perfect for a career in making background music and jingles.

• Gaming industry – The gaming industry is growing day by day and are always on the lookout for quality professionals that can help them with voice production, theme music, background score, sound clarity and more

• Opera – Of course this depends on your skill and interest level but if not an opera singer then being part of an orchestra group , or even working as a music coordinator and similar related jobs could be a great option.

• Education – If you love teaching then getting into education might be your calling. Teach music to budding musicians and providing them the basic understanding of various instruments might be more fulfilling than other jobs. You could end up teaching in reputed schools or even open your music school.

• Freelance – Work your way through life by performing gigs and other events. Performing at weddings, concerts and recitals, could be a lucrative option if your music and performance is liked and appreciated.

• Theater – Creating background score, providing theme music and sound control, working with artists, life in theater is every bit romantic and rewarding if you can make it to the top.

• Form a Band – Not a straight forward choice when it come to a career choice and very similar to freelancing. If music and performing is your passion and want to make it a career then you could consider forming a band. After all there is strength in numbers and the support is invaluable. You have many choices as to what you could do in a band, become a vocalist, chorus singer, lead or bass performer (instrument or vocals) etc . There are a plethora of options. Choose wisely or this career option might not pay your bills if you cannot find work or sell your music.

The above list is not an exhaustive list of all the opportunities out there. If you have faith in your craft and creativity then like the saying goes, the world is your oyster and you can definitely make a place for yourself and your art form. Besides, if you have a bachelor’s degree in music it will not be hurdle in obtaining a degree in other fields, as well. It will only be an added advantage for you.

Music is a tough field! It may not pay you a great deal in the beginning but if you are willing to pursue your dream the rewards and recognition can be endless and bring you fame and take you to dizzying heights.

Now that you are done with your Bachelor’s or Masters degree in communications it is time to find a job. There are a wide spectrum of employers looking for candidates with a degree in communications. A partial list is listed below

• Public Relations Firms
• Ad Agencies
• Radio and Television Networks
• Newspapers
• Magazine Publishers
• Players in the hospitality industry such as hotels, cruises, amusement parks and resorts
• Non profit organizations

Work out your strengths and weaknesses. This will give you an idea of the kind of job you think will interest you. Let’s take a look at some of the areas and job positions you could apply.

Writing Jobs

Are you confident about working under extreme pressure and deadlines. Are you good at writing? If you just said to these questions then maybe some of the following jobs will interest you

• Reporting
• Editing
• Speech Writing
• Script Writing
• Advertising Copywriter

Hopefully you’ve had relevant experience while still in school. Summer jobs or internships with newspapers will really come in handy and will go a long way in selling your profile to potential employers.

Public Speaking Jobs

Do you love to speak? Does speaking in front of a crowd excite you? Yes?, then maybe the following jobs might catch your fancy

• Radio Jockey
• TV Announcer
• PR Executive
• Media Executive

Good communication skills is essential, internships at a radio and TV stations or with PR firms while you are still in school can be of great help.

Coordination and Management Jobs

Are you the type that loves to organize and manage events and things. Are you good at research? Do you love interacting with people and working in a team to get a task done? You just might be great at some of the following jobs

• Political Aide
• Promotions Manager
• Fund Raiser
• Events Planner
• Stage Manager
• Director
• Production Assistant

Develop your language skills and your volunteer experience with an organization that closely matches your field of interest. Again, internships are important. For example, a federal internship can be invaluable if you are looking to become a political aide. Similary if your interest is in theater, then working with a theater company will set you up nicely.

Hospitality Industry Jobs

The hospitality industry is a big employer of communication majors. Some of the positions that are always in demand are

• Hotel and Resorts Manager
• Restaurant Manager
• Flight Attendant
• Promotions Manager

Finally, some of the following jobs and areas are very popular with recent graduates

• Technical Writing
• Customer Service
• Training
• Market Research

Irrespective of your interest, there are some skills that are pretty universal and you should already have them or develop them as soon as you can. Sales and marketing exposure, common business and computer knowledge is expected and the more relevant your summer or internship experience is to the job you are applying to the better your chances are at landing the job.

All said and done there are many jobs out there that you can apply for. A communications degree, the right major and work experience and lastly a positive attitude is all you need.

There are a lot of options for students just getting ready to go into college. In fact, it can be very difficult to figure out exactly what you want to do with your life! However, maybe the question can be answered by examining what choices are popular with other students. After all, when jobs open up, there is usually a rush to fill them. Brand new undergrads need jobs too and they are going to do what it takes to get them: even if it means tailoring their degree to fit the job they want. So, for those of you who might be looking for some of the most sought after undergrad career choices, here is a list of some that have proven very popular this past year.

Network systems analyst

This job involves maintaining and installing network communication equipment. They also solve problems that are related directly to computer technology. The increase of systems of this type have made this career very important to many companies.

Physician’s assistant

Physician’s assistants serve underneath an actual doctor but can provide a wide array of therapeutic, diagnostic and even preventive services to patients. The rise in the need for health care workers has made this degree a very popular one.

Fitness Trainers

With obesity on the rise, more and more people are looking to get in shape. However, since not many people know exactly how to best incorporate physical fitness into their daily lives, they are looking for classes and trainers to help them. That makes this job one that is becoming more sought after each year.

Software engineer

Software engineers work with computers to produce or analyze software for consumers. The need for software that does things in new and better ways is forever pushing the envelope on computer technology and from the looks of it, software engineers are in very high demand.

These are just a few of the degrees available to undergrads that are very capable of providing solid, reliable employment. If a career in a cutting edge work field is what you are looking for, then one of these should do you just fine! Some others that you might want to look into are; medical assistant; medical records technicians; health information technicians; physical therapy aids; database administrators; veterinary technicians; and dental hygienists. There is definitely not a shortage of career opportunities out there but you need to be willing to go where the popular careers are!

If you are getting an undergraduate degree in one of these fields, then you probably have a very good chance of entering the workforce in a job where you can enjoy stability, a good paycheck and fine benefits. But just remember that more college is better. Sometimes, a couple of classes could mean the difference between a few more dollars an hour! So, do not take college course work for granted. It might not always be convenient but it will not let you down in the long run.

There is no doubt about it: the current job market is in a state of disarray. There are a lot of students out there right now wondering if they are going to be able to find a job that they can keep and for good reason! With unemployment at such a high right now, it is no wonder that students are worried! Well, before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let’s just take a look at some of the facts concerning the current job market. If we can see where people have been hit the hardest, we can see where new students stand to gain the most. If a student makes good decisions now and gets into a field that is going to be needed in four to five years, he or she will be much more likely to meet with success than a student who blindly stumbles through college and the career experience.

First of all, it is interesting to note that the average jobless individual stays jobless for an average of 32 weeks, which is the highest that number, has been since early in the 1980s. While more jobs are being created at a very slow pace, economists are predicting that the employment picture may not actually recover fully until 2015! So, for students in high school right now, do not give up hope! You just might be the first generation on-scene when things take a turn for the better!

One thing that is interesting to note is that new college graduates are not fairing so well in the current job market. According to statistics, there are 1.4 million unemployed workers who are between the ages of 20 and 24 out on the market right now. This number is not so astonishing in itself, until you put it against the numbers four years ago and realize that it is up 60%! Also, you need to take into account what some of the hardest hit occupations have been: these include construction workers, natural resource and farming workers, manufacturing workers, transportation workers and production workers.

Now, taking this into account, here is some information that is vitally important to any student looking to earn a good place in the job market. The ones hardest hit by the lack of jobs are the ones with less education! 14.6% of the unemployment rate belongs to workers who do not have high school diplomas. High school graduates account for about 9.7% of the unemployment rate, 8.6% is made up of students with some college experience, 5.2% is made up of those with college degrees and only 3.9% of the unemployment rate belongs to those with a master’s degree.

If you want to have a successful future, it seems like the statistics are clear: getting yourself as much education as possible will prepare you for a more successful future down the road. Why not get all of the education you can now? It will result in better prospective jobs for you in the future, which is the key to success in the workforce.

Founding your own venture? In today’s economy, it may be grueling. The old practice of relying on outside investors has become less of a reality for scores of potential small enterprise owners. They find themselves head to head with the credit crunch. Currently, more than ever, we are beckoned to go “back to basics”.

What are the nuts and bolts of your business, however? There are many sources for small business finance.

Credit. You need to have excellent credit. Ring up each credit bureau (Experian, TransUnion and Equifax) for a copy of your credit report. Verify the information on your report and pinpoint any “problems” that you will have to face before you resume on your commercial endeavor.

Identify your enterprise structure. Seems straightforward, but scores don’t even study what kind of enterprise they desire to own. Will you be a corporation? Limited liability corporation? Partnership? Sole proprietorship? It’s a straightforward question with a lot of consequences. Not every one of us can be a one-man event, but we have to be mindful of the business configuration that is generally helpful to our objectives. For example, if you have need of money for start-up, possibly you take on an associate. Probe the business arrangement that you feel would most help you. Understand the tax, liability and financial consequences of your chosen arrangement. This will inhibit back-tracking afterward. The more you appreciate, the more you control. Going back to the essentials means taking on more of the responsibility for oneself. Conceivably you don’t hire that aide you imagine depending on, or the coffee boy we’ve every one become accustomed to.

Make your financial design stable. This means “very careful”. Sketch out the responsibilities of your arrangement plan for a sound financial approach. For each responsibility, enter down a cost-effective manner to manage it. For example, if your business will need you to obtain a sizable client base, make a marketing e-mail and a prospective client list, instead of incurring advertising expenses. Lay a monetary calculation on everything that will have to be subcontracted. As soon as you have completed summarizing your responsibilities and resolutions, create an additional list for “general” overhead. This list must take in any provisions and miscellaneous workplace expenses. Add together the grand total of this list to the previous list of the items that will need to be outsourced. At the same time, set up a “rainy day fund”. This fund should be for the things that inescapably fall through even the most solid financial plans. Again, you’re preventing any averting

Have faith in yourself. When you come across a trial, isolate it and mark it down. Resolutions appear. Write them down too. Produce a “challenge journal” for your business. Look to it often, and it will not only give you a sense of success. It will instill the confidence to strive even higher, while becoming more and more self-sufficient.

Sometimes, we have to have a breakdown to have an achievement. The crash of our financial market is forcing many new business owners to break through. Countless enterprise owners are realizing, now more than ever, that becoming self-reliant is crucial to their continued existence.

If you do not watch the Food Network very often, you probably know at least someone who does. Cooking shows use to be a bit bland, even if the foods created on them were not. Today, thanks to channels like the Food Network, cooking is cool again. Both men and women want to try to create the things they see on television, and cooking at home with your family is known to be good for your family dynamic. If you truly love to cook, you may find culinary arts training might be something you want to look into as a career option.

Learning how to cook and bake through culinary arts training is more than learning how long to cook a roast or how to make a good gravy. Cooking and coming up with your own recipes is not as hard as you may think, but it does come from some very simple skill sets. You do have to have a talent for it, but almost anyone can go through culinary arts training as a passable cook. Quite often, you do get out of it what you put into it. If you find pleasure in cooking, this type of course will be a breeze.

Some of the basic lessons in culinary arts training will be about base sauces. These are very important in cooking. You will learn the right way and the wrong ways to make gravies and sauces. You will learn a few simple bases on which you can build almost any sauce you can imagine. These are so simple you will see them in recipes you have done before. You just never knew why you were cooking as you were. Now, with basic cooking training, you understand why many recipes are written as they are.

Cutting is an important part of culinary arts training. It may not seem like a big deal, but learning how to do different chops and cuts is very important in cooking whether it be vegetables or meats. How you trim a cut of meat or how you fillet a fish could mean the difference between a great dish and something that is just ‘okay.’ You will use the best knives and learn the techniques to make quick work of whatever cutting chore you have so that you are not spending hours on end to make one recipe. You learn speed as well as how to properly prepare whatever you are going to put into a pot or pan.

Another key in culinary arts training is learning how to use different types of foods to come up with more complex recipes. You learn about how to classify foods and what tastes work together in unison and also in contrast to make amazing dishes on your own. Knowing what each herb or spice adds to any food is important, and then how to successfully blend your ingredients with them will soon be something that comes easy to you with the right culinary arts training. Whether you take a few classes locally or enroll in a college program, any cooking class will enrich your recipe collection and make your weekly menu a lot more exciting.

A quite frequent question we hear or have experienced all the time is what next after my degree? In this article we are looking at business degrees in particular and exploring our options.

Once you’ve completed or are nearing completion of your bachelors degree or even your masters degree in business, it is natural to turn your thoughts to your next course of action. So what are your options.

1. Start Working -

   Straightforward choice, pretty much what you probably set out to do when you joined college for that management degree in the first place. If this is still your preferred goal, then start getting active and interacting with your college  placement cell. Nothing can beat landing your first post graduation job while you are still in college. Business schools take pride in their on campus placement initiatives and you should look to take advantage of this as much as possible.

2. Teaching -

   Slowly but surely teaching is becoming a popular option among many business graduates. We get many questions asking us our thoughts and ideas around teaching as a profession for a business degree graduate.  An example is below (name withheld for privacy).

   “I have a bachelors degree in Business Administration, but I I want to be a teacher. Should I go back to school for an education degree? Or would it be easier/faster to go back to school to get my masters to teach in a technical college/vocation school? What are my options for employment?“

   Personally you should look at a teaching career only if it is something you are inclined to and not get into it because of paucity of jobs or other personal reasons. However I quite agree that sometimes you have very little choice and earning a living becomes a priority and teaching can be a rewarding career even if you pursue it for a short while. Here are some of the things you need to become a business or management teacher

   First and foremost is education. A Bachelor of Science with a Business Major or a Bachelor of Science in Business with an education component. Usually though, teaching at a College or University level will require you to have a Masters in Business Administration or in some cases even a Ph.D in a field such as Marketing might be the standard.

   If you are looking to teach at a high school level then you need to ensure that you are state licensed. Each state has varying requirements and we plan on listing each state requirements shortly to help you get better prepared. To be state licensed you will need to appear and clear the required certification exam. (Example- Texas Classroom teacher requirements)

3. Start your own Business

   A popular choice these days, more and more business graduates are following their dream of starting their own company. Many students coming out of business school have very little interest in joining or going back to the workplace. Instead they would rather start something on their own and with venture capital easy to come by coupled with the rise of angel funding and super angels, we are in some sort of a start up boom at the moment.

4. Study further

   Finally, you could look into further studies to improve your qualifications for that dream job. This choice is really dependent on what your preferred career plans are. If you are looking to become a teacher and would like to teach at a University level, then yes, study further, do your masters because without which your chances of landing a teaching assignment is very slim. On the other hand if you are looking to start earning immediately then finding a job becomes your number 1 priority.

Your college experience can be really amazing.  For a long time I felt like I wasted my college time because I didn’t target a career, but now I see that I benefited from the breadth of classes. It’s a unique time to explore, so here is some advice for making the most of your college experience while you have the opportunity.

College is designed as a place where you can try new things.  So, take advantage of opportunities to try courses in areas you’ve never tried, but always wanted to.  Take at least one class per quarter or semester that’s just for personal enrichment.  It may not be a part of your major area, but it will enrich you as a person to follow your interests.  Colleges have many different electives and courses to try just for fun, so be sure and have one in your schedule at all times.  Some courses may be a part of a major that is not yours.  Others may be just recreational, such as dance, yoga or even the game of bridge.  Maybe you need an English credit.  Instead of taking a basic English 101 course, consider an alternative such as Irony, for example.  Try Botany, instead of basic Science.

Take a Philosophy course such as Science and Religion, or Philosophy of Sex and Love.  Broaden your mind! College is the time to take advantage of all you can learn.  Make your college experience your own learning experience.

Other opportunities will come your way in college.  Some opportunities will include travel.  Go!  See all that you can!  Study abroad, if you have the chance.  Or, just take a weekend trip into a big city with friends.  Experience life.  Just stay away from anything you know would be harmful or illegal, or both.  When I was a Sophomore, I was walking back from a class one day and the Army ROTC class was practicing repelling off the top of one of the school buildings.  They were offering anyone who wanted to try it to come up and try it.  So, I did.  Now I can say I’ve repelled from the top of a building before.  Have you?  There are so many ways to make the most of your college experience.

Maybe you’re thinking of rushing a fraternity or sorority.  You will have that opportunity.  Just never let your explorations and outside activities take the place of your study time.  Gaining new experiences and making friends is a part of the college experience, but always remember that doing well in your courses comes first.  First and foremost, your college experience is for learning.

Working during college is fine, as long as you don’t let your studies suffer.  I think that working during college helps you stay responsible, and it is a great source for that pizza money you’ll be wanting.  Work-study or work on campus jobs are the best kinds of jobs, usually.  Check the job board in your college’s administrative office.

When I was in college, I had a job working as stage crew for visiting productions.  As a result, I got to meet famous performers, and also didn’t have to buy tickets to events.  When you’re making money and paying your own way for things, you don’t have to hit up your parents for money so often.  Your college experience is your own make it great!

When I was about to enter my first year of university study a number of people told me that I was about to experience the best time of my life. Your college experience has a profound effect on the rest of your professional and personal life. This is a time to make lifelong friendships, establish career connections and create your professional identity. It is important to use your college experience to its greatest potential if you want to get a head start.

Many of us enter our college years with a solid plan for our future. We know what we want to do as a career professional and we know what specific steps to take to reach our goals. Others have no real direction and the only plan these individuals have is to find a major that they like. Your college experience will be different if you have no specific goals but you can easily manage your four years gracefully.

Make sure that you take classes that appeal to you. This is the first step to finding a major that suits you. I began my college career as a communications major. I switched to art but I didn’t find my home until I took a poetry writing workshop. My entire outlook on my university studies changed. I found my niche and settled right in without another thought. Your college experience may change if you take the right electives.

Using your interests and talents to accentuate your college experience will pay off in the long run. Taking courses that give you nightmares will not. Of course, you have to take some classes that you hate in order to obtain a well rounded liberal arts education. However, you can make your college experience less stressful if you approach these courses carefully.

Try to take less appealing classes with a friend who can help you along. Studying alone can be painful if you hate the topic but studying with a friend can really give you motivation. Your buddy may also know some learning strategies for the specific class that make the process less painful. In fact taking a challenging course with a friend may turn out to be your college experience that you find most valuable.

Another great way to deal with distasteful classes is to choose a time of day that is best for you. Your college
experience will teach you that you function better during certain hours than you do others. For example, I avoided taking classes between the hours of one and three because I would become drowsy during that time of day. Instead, I engaged in activities like aerobics or swimming to give me an afternoon life.

Your college experience will teach you many things. You may even learn a little bit about your self along the way.

Do you want to make money and live comfortably??? One key to making more money is to begin to really welcome the idea that money can come from anywhere, and anytime. Whether you have millions now, or whether you are down to your last penny, the basic principle is the same: Be open to multiple sources of income.

For the wealthy investors, the typical word for this philosophy to make money is: Diversification.

But the same principle holds true for those with little or no money. For instance, if you are looking for work, consider the possibility of getting two or three part-time jobs, instead of just one main job. This is entirely possible nowadays, thanks to online resources such as craigslist, or the ease of being able to create your own website.

Get more than one money making gig going!

Here is one possible scenario: You could get a 15-20 hour/week job as an office assitancnt, for example, (a temp agency is one way to get such a job, word of mouth is another, or you might also try college campuses, or try posting an ad on health food store bulletin boards). This part/half-time job can be your base.

Then, you might put the word out that you are available for house sitting. If you have never done house sitting before, you might be surprised how rewarding it is. It can be like going on vacation!  You could be surrounded in luxury for a few days, and you will be getting paid for it!

You could also walk dogs, be a caregiver for the elderly, or tutor a few kids in math to make money.

Then, amidst all these jobs, you would still have time to build your own website/business, and make money doing what you really want to be doing. Why not start that hat making business you always wanted to start? Or sell things on Ebay?  Or start teaching piano lessons, or become a workout coach?

Put yourself and all your energy into more than one area, and you can make money from more than one source. This is the basic principle that many people are using to create more meony, and have more fun in the process.

If you don’t know where to start, just keep your eyes open. Ask people if they need part-time help. Tell all the people you know what you are wanting to do. Let your voice and your email list go to good use.

Before you know it, you will have a diversified way of making money, variety in your days, and a little more free time. It sure beats working for peanuts at one job you do not even like.

In community college, one of the best courses I took (which was a requisite, actually) was on how to improve communication skills.  The teacher was a trip, and was equally adept at making the class interesting and engaging as well as informative.  I still recall the tools and techniques often.  In fact, just the other day I was discussing the practice of clear communication whereby one person (a.k.a. the speaker) sends information, the receiver (or listener) takes in the information and then reiterates in his/her own words, and the sender confirms that the listener received it the way it was intended.

I won’t get into the metaphysics of how words/language can be misinterpreted, unheard, neglected, abused, etc., but will instead stick with the basics for how to improve communication skills as I learned them and as I try to practice them.  And I will share what I remember for those who wish to speak in public, not for those in an interpersonal relationship or what have you….

First, acknowledge that public speaking sucks for most human beings.  [One comic—or maybe it was an ad—said that if the number one fear is speaking in public and the number two fear is death, does that mean people would rather die than talk aloud to a crowd? ]  Anyway, this is what I do: I think of the material/topic I will be speaking on; I realize how much I love the subject; and I focus on my love for the subject.  I trick myself, that is, into shifting my focus from how I will speak to what I will speak on…forgetting all about being afraid! [Screw that “imagine the audience in their underwear” thing.  I am not sure that works anymore.]

Next, stand tall, and speak out.  If you speak out over the heads of the audience, you should get a good thing going with the acoustics in the room.  I know you need to look down at your notes, but since we all understand that notes are involved, there is no need to try to hide the notes…so how about holding them in your hand at chest level when you refer to them?  Screw the podium—unless you are nervous.  If you are, the thing blocking you will relieve nerves a bit.  If it doesn’t refer back to the first suggestion for how to improve communication skills.

And finally, take ownership.  Just as you will stand proud and just as you will feel the love, so shall you learn how to improve communication skills by owning that stage, pulpit, podium space, or head of the table area in the conference room.  Look at the listeners.  Imagine you have knowledge of something they know much less about and therefore they NEED you to be good, kind, and direct.

And, for God’s sake—and your audience’s—be interesting.  If you aren’t a typically funny person, smile.  Studies show a smiling presenter gets more positive evaluation anyway.  Move about.  Change your tone.  Try it.  Try yammering away to a crowd, then suddenly dropping into a whisper.  Check out how many will perk up all of a sudden.

You are in control.  Take it and respect it!