Career Advice for a Musician

Working as a Musician, you may play for a band or an orchestra, work in a recording studio, or for the Armed Forces. You may play in front of a live audience and go on tour.

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How to Become a Musician

Choosing your career path and learning how to become the person you aspire to be is not always straight forward; getting a job in your chosen industry will take dedication, focus and the right qualifications.

When you have chosen the career path you wish to follow, you will need to learn how to become a Musician

Should you wish to work as a Musician you will need to evaluate what courses are required, their cost and what qualifications you need. It is important that you also assess whether you have the right credentials from a personality point of view, what the demands of the job are and whether they complement the lifestyle that you desire.

Another factor to consider, should you wish to fulfil your career aspirations, is the number of jobs you will need to have to reach your ultimate job, and the length of time it will take to reach this goal.

Common Qualifications for a Musician

  • Two or more GCSEs, including Music.
  • Two A-levels
  • Grade Eight in your instrument.
  • Level 2 Diploma in Music for Practical Performance.
  • Level 2 Award for Music Practitioners.
  • Level 3 Extended Diploma in Music Performance and Production.
  • Level 3 Diploma in Music Technology.
  • A Degree in Popular Music, Classical Music, Music Composition, Commercial Music, or Music Performance.

Key Responsibilities for a Musician

  • Composing, learning, and rehearsing musical compositions.
  • Maintaining instruments and setting up for performances.
  • Attending auditions.
  • Performing in front of audiences or in a recording studio.
  • Promoting events on social media or on an organisation’s website.
  • Arranging tours and concerts or collaborating with agents and managers.
  • Creating recordings, demos, and music scores.

What to expect as a Musician

When you become a Musician, you will spend a large proportion of your time learning and rehearsing music. You will need to be confident performing in front of other musicians, conductors, and live audiences. You might work in a music venue, recording studio, or theatre.

Recommended Musician Jobs

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How to get Musician Jobs

Our advice on how to get a Musician job is to focus on preparation and personalisation.

Preparation

This occurs before you write a CV cover letter or complete a Musician application. If you have not held a Musician position before, it will help to research the industry and review what a typical career path might look like. If you have held a Musician role, focus your research on the company where you are seeking employment.

Valuable resources that will help you learn about the employer include the company’s career page, social media page, blog, job ad, and job description. Helpful information will consist of the company’s mission statement, values, and vision. You could also use an employer review site to gain insights on average salaries, what current employees say about the company culture, and what it is like to work for the organisation.

Personalisation

You are now in a position to use what you have learned in your Musician CV, cover letter, and application. You should personalise each Musician application, cover letter, and CV; prioritising job skills and relevant experience and providing examples that show you have similar values and goals.

This pre-application stage is a crucial step in how to become a Musician in the UK. It puts you in a superbly informed state, ready for forthcoming telephone, video, or in-person interviews.

Students: How to Become a Musician 

As with all professions, choose your study topics carefully. Review the qualifications needed to be a Musician and the subjects you will need to enrol in certification courses, higher education, or online courses. 

Aligning your study subjects

The more closely you align your study subjects with your career path, the more likely you will be to have projects and modules that you can refer to and show a prospective employer that you have practical or theoretical Musician experience.

How to get Musician Experience

What does it take to be a Musician? The best way to find out is to get work experience, which will be invaluable when applying for Musician jobs. You can learn how to be a successful Musician through internships, apprenticeships, or volunteering for a local business.

How to be a Musician Part-Time 

If you are wondering how to get into Musician part-time, there are several possibilities. You might find a new employer looking for a part-time Musician or find your existing employer is amenable. Often companies recognise the value of flexible hours and having more staff at work during busy times of the day. 

Musician freelance work

If you have impressive Musician qualifications and experience, you could take on the challenges of working freelance with control over your schedule.

Making a Career Change

How to start a career in this profession if you work in another industry may require studying for qualifications online and focusing on transferable skills when writing your CV and attending job interviews.