This year I’ve written about a number of topics ranging from Fabfilter plugins to cover letters. While I wanted one of the last articles of the year to be a roundabout to my first on New York and its restoration from Covid-19, I realized it’s October.
For some of you that might be a “Why is the obvious being stated here?” But for high school seniors or college students, it’s more like “Wait it’s October?!”
Yes, it is that time of the year that you will rush to fill out your FAFSA, you might be already applying to colleges If you’re in high school, and now if all so suddenly you are becoming an adult and are expected in some way to know what you are supposed to be doing.
If you are reading this on SoundGirls then you might have a clue that you want to have something within the music industry, and that’s awesome! Now the question on how you get to where you want to go, If you haven’t yet feel free to read my last blog on college ( and if mine isn’t enough some other amazing people have also touched on the subject ) it might help give you some idea of how to get to the place you need to be.
Now that’s that said and done, and I’m going to assume here that you are going through with whatever you settled on – the next step is reaching out.
- Resume?
- References?
- Cover Letter?
Now you gotta send it out.
(The following steps are not in any particular order and can be read individually.)
Step One: Utilizing Social Media
- LinkedIn, Discord, Instagram, Facebook. These are all great ways to connect with other creators, engineers, and such. I am currently part of a discord server for attending a seminar done by Downtown Music Publishing. It has publishers, producers, talent management, singers and songwriters, and even journalists. Remember, I’ve said it in the past and I’ll say it again- it isn’t weak to ask for help or not know everything. Sure you have people that won’t bother helping you, but I think you’ll find that most people have been in your shoes starting out and are going to give you a helping hand if you reach for it. I didn’t know much of anything about what entertainment management did or looked like until I talked to someone on the server I’m in. Now I can say that I was able to network and I learned something through doing so.
KEEP IN MIND
Some have Instagram or Facebook for personal reasons only, they may not want to have work and family mix on these platforms. Be mindful of the pages that are private, check to see if the person you want to connect with has a LinkedIn account or business email before trying to contact a personal account. These guys and gals are just as human as the rest of us! So let them have privacy if it is clear it isn’t for public access.
Step Two: Email
While I would never recommend sending a cold turkey email to someone before being invited to do so, some may have emails set up for just that reason. If a label you want to reach out to for example has a new artist email or outreach for talent hires it could be a good move for you. Make sure to attach the resume, cover letter, and reference sheet. Structure the email on Google Docs or Microsoft Word to avoid accidentally sending an unfinished email. Keep the email short but informative, mention something unique about yourself or the position.
Example Email
Dear New York City Recording,
I am interested in the available position of summer intern posted on LinkedIn. I have experience running an SSL 4048 and have a vast understanding of Universal Audio outboard equipment and in-the-box plugins. Within this email, I have included my cover letter, resume, references, and samples of work I’ve mixed during the last two years studying under John Smith at Iris Studio, located within the University of Sunderdale. If possible I would enjoy the pleasure of arranging an interview at your studio, famous for recording XX’s classic hit Cakewalk.
Sincerely,
Kimberlynn Ahlers
Step Three: Calling or Going Directly
It could be a long shot – you might definitely come across a lot of people saying no, but if you live in a city like ( but not limited to) Los Angeles, London, Berlin, Kyoto, Tokyo, New York, Miami, or Nashville you might have a shot. If people see you show up enough or call in enough on a certain position they might see it go two ways, You are either annoying or persistent. The next time someone moves jobs or gets fired – the persistent one often comes to mind as a quick fix to patch a gap. You might not get anywhere doing this, but you just might – if you really really want it.
So… congratulations! I hope that this helped you think of ways to reach out to those you are looking forward to meeting. I have nothing but a foam finger on my end – cheering you on!