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What kind of job can I apply for with a Music Technology degree?

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Paul’s Answer

To add to Ken's answer. If you take his steps, and decide that music technology is still where you want to go, I'd like to make a few quick suggestions to start looking at career options.

1. You're extremely fortunate to be in Fort Wayne - one of the world's largest music gear sellers is right in your hometown! Sweetwater has a massive list of clients all over the country. But unbeknownst to the average person, Sweetwater also has a tremendous training program for their staff. And while many Sweetwater employees are happy enough to stay there for many years, they are often a feeder to job opportunities throughout the industry. Talk to their HR department about internships and part time work.

2. Some colleges and universities have music tech programs, but beware. There are a lot of one- and two-year programs with questionable reputations. Here in Las Vegas, UNLV is developing a music technology major, just not sure if it's approved yet.

3. Direct experience. In nearly any field, the most important thing you can do is work in your field. Even if it's just loading and unloading trucks for concerts, any kind of experience in your area is incredibly valuable. And except for right now with COVID-19 shutdowns, normally there's an overwhelming number of opportunities to work live events. I would suggest researching the following in your area:

a. Hotels and conventions. Every hotel has some kind of banquet area, even in Fort Worth. They host sales meetings, learning workshops, weddings and receptions, and each one of those requires sound reinforcement. This is a great job while you're going through school, as schedules are flexible, and can work around your course load.

b. Stagehands union. If you're serious about pursuing live events long-term, the stagehands' union is an important consideration. IATSE is a worldwide organization running Broadway theaters, Hollywood movies, Las Vegas shows, and conventions. Pay scales vary throughout the country, but here in Las Vegas the minimum union wage on a convention or show is $29 an hour.

c. Home studio. If your interests are more around music creation, then a home studio is a great (if expensive) way to get your feet wet. Again, Sweetwater is right there, and many of their clients have home studios - and I think all of the sales engineers there have one at home. They can easily help you get started on one for yourself.

That's a quick start on specific places you can look to explore and decide where you want to go. Good luck!
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Ken’s Answer

The application of this degree is very broad. The answer to this question starts by getting to know yourself better to see how your personality traits fit with people involved in various applications of Music Technology and then talking to them in person to see what they do, how they got there, and what advice they might have.


Getting to know yourself and how your personality traits relate to people involved in various career opportunities is very important in your decision making process. During my many years in Human Resources and College Recruiting, I ran across too many students who had skipped this very important step and ended up in a job situation which for which they were not well suited. Selecting a career area is like buying a pair of shoes. First you have to be properly fitted for the correct size, and then you need to try on and walk in the various shoe options to determine which is fits the best and is most comfortable for you to wear. Following are some important steps which I developed during my career which have been helpful to many .

Ken recommends the following next steps:

The first step is to take an interest and aptitude test and have it interpreted by your school counselor to see if you share the personality traits necessary to enter the field. You might want to do this again upon entry into college, as the interpretation might differ slightly due to the course offering of the school. However, do not wait until entering college, as the information from the test will help to determine the courses that you take in high school. Too many students, due to poor planning, end up paying for courses in college which they could have taken for free in high school.
Next, when you have the results of the testing, talk to the person at your high school and college who tracks and works with graduates to arrange to talk to, visit, and possibly shadow people doing what you think that you might want to do, so that you can get know what they are doing and how they got there. Here are some tips: ## http://www.wikihow.com/Network ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/nonawkward-ways-to-start-and-end-networking-conversations ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/4-questions-to-ask-your-network-besides-can-you-get-me-a-job?ref=carousel-slide-1 ##
Locate and attend meetings of professional associations to which people who are doing what you think that you want to do belong, so that you can get their advice. These associations may offer or know of intern, coop, shadowing, and scholarship opportunities. These associations are the means whereby the professionals keep abreast of their career area following college and advance in their career. You can locate them by asking your school academic advisor, favorite teachers, and the reference librarian at your local library. Here are some tips: ## https://www.careeronestop.org/BusinessCenter/Toolkit/find-professional-associations.aspx?&frd=true ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/9-tips-for-navigating-your-first-networking-event ##
It is very important to express your appreciation to those who help you along the way to be able to continue to receive helpful information and to create important networking contacts along the way. Here are some good tips: ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-informational-interview-thank-you-note-smart-people-know-to-send?ref=recently-published-2 ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/3-tips-for-writing-a-thank-you-note-thatll-make-you-look-like-the-best-candidate-alive?bsft_eid=7e230cba-a92f-4ec7-8ca3-2f50c8fc9c3c&bsft_pid=d08b95c2-bc8f-4eae-8618-d0826841a284&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_20171020&utm_source=blueshift&utm_content=daily_20171020&bsft_clkid=edfe52ae-9e40-4d90-8e6a-e0bb76116570&bsft_uid=54658fa1-0090-41fd-b88c-20a86c513a6c&bsft_mid=214115cb-cca2-4aec-aa86-92a31d371185&bsft_pp=2 ##
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