Music

As a music student you can build on and develop a fantastically broad base of skills.  Over the course of your degree you develop a wide mix of subject-specific and technical skills, you should consider these skills developed on your course as well as through your other activities, such as paid work, volunteering, family responsibilities, sport, membership of societies, leadership roles, etc. Think about how these can be used as evidence of your skills and personal attributes. Then you can start to market and sell who you really are, identify what you may be lacking and consider how to improve your profile.

Prospects

Music graduates work in a wide range of professions inside and outside music. If you choose to follow a music career, be mindful that no two career paths are the same. Approach career planning creatively and be prepared to develop a portfolio of roles. You may want to combine teaching with freelance performance work, as well as doing contract/session work on particular projects. It is common for graduates to take several years to establish themselves in creative industries.

A 2010 HESA survey of 2009 graduates indicates that six months after graduation about 52% of music graduates were in employment, with a further 8% combining work with further study. Of those, 23% found jobs in arts, design, culture and sports professions, 19% were in education professions, 18% had gone into retail, catering, waiting and bar work and 8% were in clerical and secretarial occupations.

Where are the jobs?

Music graduates can be found working for a wide range of employers on both a freelance and contract basis. Employers include schools and colleges, the National Health Service, orchestras, music retailers, media organisations, the armed forces, commercial organisations and a wide range of employers in the cultural and creative industries.

The most common job sectors in which music graduates are employed are:

• Creative arts - encompasses music, teaching, therapy, writing and arts administration.
• Education - this sector includes schools, further education and higher education.
• Media - a varied sector, including television, radio, film, corporate production and interactive media.

Jobs directly related to your degree

• Musician
• Secondary school teacher
• Private music teacher
• Music therapist

Jobs where your degree would be useful

• Arts administrator
• Community arts worker
• Sound technician, broadcasting/film/video
• Editorial assistant
• Academic librarian or Public librarian
• Event organiser
• Retail manager

Although some of the jobs listed here might not be first jobs for many graduates, they are among the many realistic possibilities with your degree, provided you can demonstrate you have the attributes employers are looking for. Bear in mind that it's not just your degree discipline that determines your options. Remember that many graduate vacancies don't specify particular degree disciplines, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here.

You can find more about the skills you develop during your course, the jobs listed above, plus case studies and where to find these jobs at Prospects.

Included with the permission of AGCAS. For the latest version of this publication, see www.prospects.ac.uk. For permission to reproduce, contact copyright@agcas.org.uk