Professional Music Internship and Career Resources

Creating a Strong Resume

A resume is a marketing document.

Create a clean, polished layout that demonstrates your written communication skills while also describing your skills and experience. 

Customize!

Tailor your resume to each position. Look at the job requirements listed in the posting and customize your resume to address as many of those areas as possible. Use key words and actions words that correlate with the posting.

Keep it Short

1 page.

Highlight Social Media Skills

Social media savvy is the top skill cited in the internship postings in this field. Be sure you include every platform you are comfortable using (Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat, etc.) Check out the Most Listed Skills post for more.

Use Consistent Verb Tenses 

Choose one verb tense and stick with it, unless the job is one that you are still doing. In that case use the present tense. 

Avoid Personal Pronouns

“I designed some new lunch menus” > change to: “Designed new menus”.

Edit 

Triple check spelling/grammar/formatting. Minor errors will land an otherwise great candidate resume in the trash.

Cover Letters

Industry decision-makers tell us over and over that the cover letter is the key to the first stage of a hiring process. While a resume lists skills and attributes, the letter conveys personality and reveals whether the applicant is sincerely interested in their company in particular. They tend to look for two main components in a cover letter:

1. ​The applicant has clearly researched their company (this is evident through references to projects, etc.)
2. The applicant has a keen interest in their industry (this is often demonstrated through personal projects and endeavours the applicant undertakes on their own time – blogs, social media dedicated to sharing particular interests, volunteer activities, etc.)

Note: Errors with spelling and grammar errors disqualify applicants immediately, regardless of qualifications and content.

Quick Tips

Developed effectively, a cover letter conveys some personality, illuminates your education, skills and experiences, and showcases your skill in written communication.

• Cover letters are intended to highlight the specific skills, experience and attributes you have that match with the needs of a given employer.
• Do not simply repeat the content of your resume! Instead, build on the relevant skills and experiences for the particular company/opportunity.
• Conduct  research on a company and compare the position of interest with your current values, interests, and qualifications (like educational background and relevant experiences.) Putting this information in a table format may be helpful.
• Show your personality and your communication skills!

Interviewing Tips

While the interview process itself won’t be the same from company to company and job title to job title, there are aspects and trends that are similar. There is a lot you can and should do to prepare for an interview. Read on!

Arrival

Arrive at the interview building location a half-hour before the interview and go inside the company’s lobby fifteen minutes before your appointment. Remember that an interview begins the moment you arrive in the reception area.  Get settled and be cordial with the receptionist. Front office personnel are often coached to form opinions about you. Their “report” may be part of your interview evaluation.

The Interview: Non – Verbal

Being aware of your body language is very important. Use it effectively, beginning at introductions. Offer a firm handshake, eye contact and smile. These small behaviours indicate, “I’m confident; I’m excited to be here.” Do your best to avoid obvious signs of nervousness like tapping a pen, drumming your fingers, shaking your foot or shuffling papers. When talking, use gestures to convey your passion and excitement. Change the tone of your voice, volume and inflection to avoid being monotonous. Also, watch the interviewer’s body language for cues and if necessary, change your approach. Ask a question.  Draw the interviewer back into the interview.

Appearance

The way you dress and groom yourself are the first things an interviewer sees. You’ve heard it before and it bears repeating: you don’t get a second chance to make a good first impression. Be professional in your dress and if you aren’t certain about the corporate dress code and culture, err on the side of conservatism. Ensure clothes are clean and pressed; wear shoes that are polished; avoid jewellery that may be distracting; and be conscious that others may have cologne/perfume allergies (less is better; none is best).

Your Cell Phone

TURN IT OFF. Your phone should not buzz, beep or ring during the interview period (including while you wait to be seen). Do not text while you are waiting for or during the interview.

Networking Tips

What we really mean by the term “networking” is this: meeting people and staying in touch. That’s it! You’ll find it all works best when it comes from a place of  “How can I help?” and not with “What can I get?” Networking is when real people connect and find valuable ways to assist one another.

Your goal is to continually build an ever-growing network that eventually reaches into  your industry-specific, business environment until you discover employer needs and/or positions. With each networking contact that provides you information and connections to other contacts, your visibility and news of your availability grows.

The Core Principles of Networking

Networking requires you to have the right mindset and the right skill set. This mindset  requires you to appreciate the importance of intimacy and generosity. Intimacy means that you make people feel as if they can approach you. When you are networking with anyone, you need them to want to talk to you and to enjoy talking to you. Generosity is another core aspect of networking. Focus on adding value to the relationship, not just finding value in the relationship. All too often people think networking is about getting something but in reality, networking is a two way relationship that requires you to be generous.

This job board will be for 3rd and 4th year Professional Music students only.

Starting Your Internship Search?

In the Search Strategies section you’ll find suggestions for how to start and make the most of your resources. The Search Resources section includes helpful tools to help you look for a position. We’ve also included a list of useful Search Engines and a detailed list of Industry Associations by sector. If you’re interested in a particular industry and want to research some companies, this is a great place to start.

Top Tips

1. Check out the search strategies section below.
2. Make a list: 
   • What sector appeals to you?
   • What companies do you want to work with?
   • Do you know students who have interned at companies that you’d like to target? Talk to them!
   • Find out who creates the content/fashion/advertising/games/etc. that you like and find out if they have an internship program.
   • Were there any speakers you had in lectures who did interesting work with interesting companies?
3. Put aside some time to do research (ie. look up companies, check out LinkedIn and search engines to see what’s out there and what kinds of skills and requirements are commonly listed.)
4. Go to workshops and events!