Normal jobs that could turn into careers in music
Waiter/waitress → Artist manager
Transferable skills:
Time management
Dealing with various (and difficult) personalities
Juggling multiple requests at once
Keeping calm in a fast-paced environment
Being the face of a business
This will come in handy when you’re representing an artist.
Communication
Retail salesperson → Marketing, commerce and/or streaming manager
Transferable skills:
Hyping up and promoting new products to customers
Analyzing data to understand what’s selling and what isn’t
Relationship management with customers and potential buyers
Journalist → A&R
Transferable skills:
Curating a list of guests/talent to bring an article to life
This will be helpful when you have to find songwriters, artists, and producers for an artist to collaborate with.
Building relationships with interviewees and staying in touch with them over time
Knowing when to push an interviewee to get a desired result or answer.
This will come in handy when you need to motivate an artist creatively.
Event planner → Concert promoter
Transferable skills:
Coordinating and communicating with multiple vendors
Creating run-of-shows and production timelines
Thinking through all logistics
Giving a great experience for large groups of people
Photographer/videographer/graphic designer → Creative director
Transferable skills:
Taking someone else’s words, thoughts, and concepts and turning them into reality
Capturing moments that make others want to be there
Extreme organization for content and file sharing