Hello…
and welcome to my first blog post as part of the 12South Music team! My name is Kylie Gyurgyak, and I am a senior at Ohio University – alma mater of 12SM’s VP of Digital Marketing, Bobby Dirienzo. I’m currently working on my Media Management major with minors in both Marketing and Business Administration.
I have been the project management intern at 12SM in Nashville for almost two weeks now, and I have found a few things that some professors have annoyingly drilled into my head that have actually been pretty helpful (gasp).
1. Group Work
Group work is something that I, along with just about every other college student, don’t enjoy. It’s always the same, “This is so stupid, I could do it faster by myself, I didn’t get to pick my group, we are adults, not children.” Well, in the real work world, especially in the media/entertainment/music industry, the majority of the work is going to be a group effort in some way. From project managers, to designers, to developers, there is a lot that needs to get done, and one-man businesses are few and far between. Learning how to communicate with others in a way that promotes progress toward a common goal or assignment will definitely help you be a more valuable employee.
2. Know All Aspects of Your Industry
Some of this comes inherently with knowing and studying what industry you want to work in, but besides that, it’s important to realize different areas of your industry may overlap in some way. For example, even if you are working in the world of artist website development, it can be important to know about PROs and publishing companies. Always try to think about the big picture and stay up-to-date about the direction your industry is headed in.
3. Networking
Networking is as important as our professors say it is. Without talking to others in the music industry, there aren’t many ways to find work. Even if it won’t get you an immediate job, there is a lot to learn from talking to someone who seems interesting to you. Along with this, always do your best and most professional work. Previous clients will usually refer you to their friends who need what you provide, assuming your services were satisfactory, but if your work does not demonstrate the best you can do, or if you’re not easy to work with, people may think twice when referring you.
4. It’s Okay To Not Know Exactly What You Want To Do
Many professors of mine have accepted the answer to, “What’s your dream job?” to be a few different answers strung together in one sentence that ends with, “…but really anywhere as long as I can work with music a little bit.” Being at 12SM, I have learned that this is still true for me. I didn’t know exactly what I was getting into, but here I get to work with artists and labels, talk about visions for artists, and could not be happier that this is where I ended up for the Summer. Don’t be afraid to jump into something that doesn’t seem like the job you dreamed of in your head; it may turn out for the better.
5. And Finally, Get an Internship
“Get an internship” seems like the most common advice to students wanting to work in the music industry. I would always kind of nod and say, “that’s the plan!” even if it wasn’t at the time. No, you probably won’t get paid, but the knowledge you gain will be well worth it. Now I can say with full confidence that there is no teaching tool like hands on, in- the-field experience with real clients. Getting thrown into the deep end and being tossed some responsibility has been the greatest learning tool so far, and the knowledge you gain prior to graduation will build a firm foundation to lean on post college.
“Anyone can have a life, careers are hard to come by!” -Jay Leno
-Kylie Gyurgyak, 12South Music