Experts Weigh In On Current Job Market Trends
March 3, 2021
Given the change of course that has happened in the world, we wanted to provide expert opinions on what aspiring graduates can do to start off their careers in an uncertain economic climate. We wanted to know what skills will be more important, where the economy is doing relatively well, and if there will be any lasting effects on the job market.
Companies are looking for candidates that can handle the new responsibilities of the job market. Recent graduates actually have an advantage because they are comfortable using newer technologies and have been communicating virtually their whole lives. They can take what they've learned and apply it immediately.
We spoke to professors and experts from several universities and companies to get their opinions on where the job market for recent graduates is heading, as well as how young graduates entering the industry can be adequately prepared. Here are their thoughts.
Our Panel of Experts
Salem State University
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Coastal Carolina University
Indiana University Southeast
Albright College
Western Oregon University
Loyola University Chicago
Southeastern University
Arizona Christian University
New Mexico State University
Jackson State University
Iowa Western Community College
Mike Testa
Assistant Professor, Music Technology CoordinatorSalem State University
Music and Dance Department
In your opinion, what are the biggest trends we'll see in the job market given the pandemic?
Mike Testa: Looking at how remote production has blossomed during the pandemic, I believe we are going to see this area continue to grow. Music production for social media applications and marketing were already big before the pandemic and should continue to grow. Areas where we will need to strengthen our skillsets will be in digital streaming, understanding of Networks, and understanding of IT technologies will be a must for musicians. How to actually get your music to another place on the internet or on a secured network will be crucial skills. Pro-Audio Sales and consulting is also a big area now. People need experts who can clearly communicate how to set up and use pro/consumer equipment.
Writing music for social media, for TV and for other platforms will be huge areas of growth.
Finally, education. With schools still remote, people are looking to teach their kids an instrument, or take music lessons. To be able to navigate the technology to do this remotely is a massive advantage over less computer literate teachers.
What soft skills should all graduates possess?
Mike Testa: Time management. Project management. Clear, effective communication.
If you don't have these, you need to start learning about them immediately.
What's a day at work going to look like for a recent graduate?
Mike Testa: As much as I hate to say it, a day at work will probably look like a retail job for now with passion projects on the side since most touring is shut down. If the graduate gets a job, most likely it will be with a bigger company helping out with their marketing department, doing production work or composing. I don't see concerts kick starting again until Fall of 2021 or even spring of 2022.
What every graduate SHOULD be doing? Practicing, learning new skills and preparing for the job market to open again. When concerts and the entertainment industry opens back up, there is going to be a FLOOD of work for musicians, and a FLOOD of musicians looking for work. If you are not prepared to stand above the crowd, you are doing yourself a disservice and need to work at honing your craft. What does that also mean? Continue with education, continue with lessons, get advanced graduate degrees, get professional certificates showing you completed course work (like we offer at Salem State University) Be as marketable on your resume as you are on your TikTok.
What soft skills should all graduates possess?
Timothy Fischer: Effective communication, willingness to stay up to date with the latest technology - both related directly to music recording and production as well as sharing files and using computers effectively, strong organization processes, and self-accountability, especially in an era where we are spending so much time in isolation.
In your opinion, what are the biggest trends we'll see in the job market given the pandemic?
Timothy Fischer: The ability to record, mix, and transfer audio at a professional level from the home recording studio. Performance opportunities during the COVID-era have temporarily diminished; utilizing this time to develop familiarity with recording technology and music production is so important. Professional musicians have had to develop familiarity in this area "overnight" to continue to have opportunities to perform. Students who can attend music programs that help them develop in these areas will be ready for the current as well as future music industry.
What's a day at work going to look like for a recent graduate?
Timothy Fischer: Continuing to practice and gain excellence on their instruments is still a large part of the musicians work day. Added to this is spending time to connect with other artists, promoting their work to generate commercial opportunities, and studying the music of others to both learn and stay culturally relevant.
Joanna Goldstein Ph.D.
Professor of Music, Music Department Coordinator, Advisor for Instrumental/Vocal Performance and Pre-Music TherapyIndiana University Southeast
Music Department
WebsiteIn your opinion, what are the biggest trends we'll see in the job market given the pandemic?
Joanna Goldstein Ph.D.: There were several trends in music prior to the pandemic which have proven to be especially adaptive to the kind of social distancing currently required. Obviously, the performing arts have been almost entirely shut down during the current situation. I do believe that the public will be excited to experience live concerts and theatre productions again once we can start to return to normal. The performing arts are communal in nature and no recorded or digital delivery method is going to substitute for that live experience. However, live streaming, which currently is the only option and which was beginning to be popular before the pandemic, will continue for music groups. The ability to live stream music simultaneous to a live concert greatly expands the potential audience both in size and region and is an asset for arts groups needing to build audiences.
In the area of music teaching, numbers of instrumental and voice teachers were already offering lessons on line through apps such as Skype and Zoom. Again, this technology allowed for teachers to reach students from greater distances and at more convenient times. Because of the pandemic on line music lessons became commonplace. In my own experience this past year I have found the technology to be somewhat wanting, however, The audio needs improvement and there is a rather annoying lack of synchronicity between video and audio that can make teaching difficult. However, while many teachers will go back to teaching in person, the trend to teach via these apps will continue. My hope is that the technology will improve. I would not be surprised if such on-line teaching was incorporated into the schools so that more young people can have access to music education.
What's a good job out of college and why?
Joanna Goldstein Ph.D.: Performing as soloist or with others - Musicians have multiple options depending on the skills they acquired in school. It typically takes performers some time and multiple auditions to develop a performing career or land a job playing in an orchestra and this field of music is the most difficult to attain...which is not to say that young musicians shouldn't try. However, one should be prepared to work at other music related jobs while developing a performing career - which may or may not "take off."
Working in the administrative side of an arts organization such as an orchestra, Broadway series, opera company, theatre or arts center is valuable both for the security of the job and opportunity it provides to learn needed business skills in music and network with other musicians. One can work in personnel, marketing, programming, education outreach or many other areas.. Working with arts talent agencies can provide similar skills.
Working at a music store - a steady job, develops connections with instrument retailers, develops business skills that are applicable to any area of music.
Working at a radio station - an opportunity to develop skills in music business, as well as develop familiarity with programming. This is an opportunity for both music business students and, in the more technology areas of the business, audio production and sound engineering students.
Working in "live sound" for theatre, opera or other music performances. One would likely be required to join an appropriate union. This job would be appropriate for audio production or sound engineering students.
Teaching in public or private schools. A licensed music education degree is required to teach in public schools but generally not required for teaching in private or parochial schools...although the skills from a music education curriculum ar
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact on your job prospects?
Joanna Goldstein Ph.D.: In music generally, having a college degree is necessary whether one is interested in classical music, jazz or popular genres. Most musicians need to multitask and combine performing with teaching or music business or audio production for financial reasons. Higher education and the skills learned in that environment are needed for these various fields. College is also a good place to make connections for the kind of networking intrinsic to success in music. To teach music in public schools, a music education degree with state licensing to teach is necessary.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact on your job prospects?
A.J. Merlino: I believe courses that cover leadership and project management topics will give job seekers a competitive edge. These courses typically deal with complex situations where an individual has to make strategic decisions that will determine workflow and outcomes for a team that will directly impact a project. In a remote or partial remote work environment, the difficulties of cultivating and motivating a team are exacerbated by external factors that a leader will have to manage. With knowledge of the theory and practice of strategic decision making, a candidate will stand out amongst their peers.
What's a good job out of college and why?
A.J. Merlino: Any job that a recent graduate feels respected and is allowed to grow personally and professionally is an excellent job out of college. College courses and degree curricula provide knowledge and experiential learning opportunities that connect theory with practice. A job that helps a recent graduate evaluate these curricular experiences with real-world situations will solidify the knowledge obtained during their studies, and allow them to create new points of view.
In your opinion, what are the biggest trends we'll see in the job market given the pandemic?
A.J. Merlino: As employers adapt to and recover from the pandemic, I believe they will retool their operations to focus on remote work when possible. This repositioning will allow employers to create flexible schedules for employees and expand their hiring pools for previously geographically restricted positions. There are many advantages and disadvantages related to the remote work environment for both employers and employees, and the long-term economic implications of a change such as this are impossible to predict. For jobseekers to stay competitive in this environment, workplace digital literacy will need to be conveyed through their application materials and interviews.
In your opinion, what are the biggest trends we'll see in the job market given the pandemic?
Ethan Wilson: If there's one thing this pandemic has proven without a doubt, it's that it is possible to work remotely. No more long grueling commutes, stuck in traffic everyday, or large sterile office spaces with cubicles and horrible lighting. So don't limit your search for jobs to just your surrounding area.
Also focus on broadening your skill set to enable yourself to fill more potential roles in your field. Be ready to adapt to the unexpected.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact on your job prospects?
Ethan Wilson: The music teaching landscape is changing very quickly. It's becoming more important to have an understanding of how recording works and having the ability to record yourself.
Also being able to write code in something like JavaScript can provide some new and interesting avenues to help teach someone an instrument.
What's a good job out of college and why?
Ethan Wilson: Right now, graduating with a music degree to a world with basically no real performances is kind of daunting. On the bright side, lots of people are looking to start learning how to play an instrument or produce music now that they have more time. So teaching is still, and always will be, a good option for new music graduates.
Michael Scott McBride
Instructor of VoiceLoyola University Chicago
Department of Fine and performing arts
WebsiteWill there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on graduates?
Michael Scott McBride: The coronavirus pandemic hit the performing arts early and is expected to create lingering effects. As a thermometer, we know that Broadway shut its doors on Thursday, March 12, 2021. Many other performing venues and unions took their cue. Even now almost a year later, as we are having conversations of opening schools, restaurants, athletics, and other businesses, the lowest priority in the national conversation seems to be the performing arts. This impacts not only those visible on a stage, who represent the tip of the iceberg, but even more consequentially those in supportive fields like various trades, marketing, hospitality, and creators.
However, this time is not all doom and gloom. Many in the arts and specifically music, have taken this 'intermission' to create progress in other ways. The conversation of diversity, equity, and inclusion has had a chance to breath now that the juggernaut of producing the next show has slowed down. This will be an inflection point to determine whose voices get to be heard and which stories get to be told. This has also been a time of technological innovation as virtual collaboration has opened opportunities of create new work (ie. the independent TikTok musical "Ratatouille") and chances for seasoned artists to connect from anywhere in the world with young artists.
The final item I'll mention of the impact is music education. The herculean lift that music educators performed to maintain continuity for their students should be one of the great marvels of 2020. This labor of love was often executed by the individual or by communities of teachers banding together to create solutions. Ironically, even though arts funding has historically tended to be challenged, the field of music education seems to be one of the lesser-impacted areas in relationship to the arts at large. Many people are viewing this time of repose as an opportunity to develop themselves musically.
What's a good job out of college and why?
Michael Scott McBride: Post-graduate employment looks vastly different depending on the field of music one is pursuing. For those in music education, they should inquire if their institution already has relationships with local primary and secondary schools. A good music education program will imbed student teaching requirements which should create a pipeline toward employment. For those in other music fields, such as performance, composition, administration, and studio production, finding employment in their field is often a product of personal relationships formed during study and dedication to high standards of job-related skills. Many opt to continue to graduate school or certification programs to allow time for skill development and networking. At its heart, a musician is an entrepreneur. Musicians who seek to enter the workforce should have a mindset that they are blazing their own path and that path may only partially resemble what is expected.
What technical skills stand out to employers?
Michael Scott McBride: There's a phrase often used in music, "happy to be here, ready to work." This shows that one of the most important skills is really a disposition that shows enthusiasm and preparedness. So many of the particular activities of a working musician are accomplished through an application of tools gained in traditional music programs rather than simply mirroring the identical circumstances. For example, a nurse might practice running an IV and then be required to do just that. A musician might practice playing a major scale at a certain tempo and then be required to perform an acoustic version of a Rihanna song at a corporate event. As a person who hires musicians myself, I look for those who have been insatiably curious of their craft to have achieved high skill levels as well as those who understand the importance of creating a positive communal work environment. Finally, that phrase also communicates the values of punctuality, dependability, and being solution-centric.
Dr. Gregory Satterthwaite
Assistant Professor, Church Music and Music Business ProgramsSoutheastern University
Department of Music - Director of the Music Business and Church Music Degrees
WebsiteWill there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on graduates?
Dr. Gregory Satterthwaite: I believe that students who have had to deal with the pandemic will come to realize that both in person interaction and the use of technology both can play a vital role in education. Online conferencing call software programs like Zoom have allowed educational institutions to continue their work during the pandemic. Not only has the work continued, but educators have found new ways to connect and deliver information. Unfortunately, many people have had to carry out all facets of their lives online, which has taken an emotional and physical toll. Though most of my students enjoy connecting online, they have also come to value being able to connect with their peers in person. These students will find innovative ways to connect with each other, both in person and virtually.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact on your job prospects?
Dr. Gregory Satterthwaite: Taking courses, doing internships, and gaining experience within the field that you want to work in is essential to getting the leg up on the competition. SEU allows students to take classes, volunteer, and do internships which provides them with hands-on experience within their field of interest. Church Music majors are giving the opportunity to gain valuable experience as worship leaders by performing in our state of the art facilities. Music Business majors learn technical, business, and the musical skills to pursue many careers within the music and worship industries. We also provide our Music Business majors with a chance to do an incredible semester long internship in Nashville, TN.
What soft skills should all graduates possess?
Dr. Gregory Satterthwaite: Learning how to network, communicate and nurture relationships are vital to success. The collaborative nature of many activities that students have to participate in helps them to develop these skills. SEU graduates learn how to not only communicate effectively, but also become leaders and innovators within their fields.
Gerald Fercho
Assistant Professor of Music, Music Department ChairArizona Christian University
Music Department
In your opinion, what are the biggest trends we'll see in the job market given the pandemic?
Gerald Fercho: - Adaptability - ability to make changes and problem solve
- Technology Awareness - ability to know current technologies in audio, video, social media, broadcast, and classroom communications
- Multi-platform communication - ability to EFFECTIVELY ENGAGE communities/students in varying settings (live classroom, ZOOM, social media, broadcast).
If a graduate needs to take a gap year, what skills would you recommend they try to enhance and how should they go about doing it?
Gerald Fercho: - Students taking a GAP Year will find it beneficial to enroll in some online courses. I would recommend taking General Ed classes that can transfer to your University. This will "check-off" required coursework and allow student more time in selected discipline of study.
- For music students, I would also recommend to sign up for private lessons on your primary instrument. The better you are on your instrument, the more successful you will be. The music should also brush up on Intro to Music Theory.
What general advice would you give to a graduate beginning their career?
Gerald Fercho: Start networking with peer groups to find job opportunities and maintain cutting edge practices within your discipline. Stay curious and keep growing.
Dr. Michael Mapp
Director of Bands, Professor of ConductingNew Mexico State University
Department of Music
WebsiteIn your opinion, what are the biggest trends we'll see in the job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Michael Mapp: It is no secret that the arts community is quickly embracing online performance opportunities and creative endeavors are evolving to meet the challenges that the current situation has produced. Although, I am optimistic that we will return to a sense of normalcy, there is no doubt, the pandemic has given rise to exciting new ways for musicians to reach larger audiences. Music technology has taken a huge step forward and thus, the necessity to know one's way around that technology will be needed in the future. Musicians will always desire the in-person performance, but this situation has proven, that those that work in the arts must be able to adapt and modify century old practices to that of the 21st Century.
What skills stand out on resumes?
Dr. Michael Mapp: Experience is always taken into consideration. Eager individuals should be seeking out ways to build that experience and increase their skills. This experience can come in the form of volunteering, various teaching opportunities, performing frequently, whether it be self-promoted gigs, auditioned festivals, competitions, or masterclasses, and seeking out leadership positions.
As the pandemic has highlighted, a need to understand technology and apply it within one's individual area will be valuable no matter the job. For musicians, the lack of performance opportunities will also no doubt, create even more competition in the future thus requiring high technical ability.
Additionally, it is also a plus to see applicants that have creative areas of interest outside their field of expertise that only strengthen their critical thinking skills, diverse world views, and work ethic.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for graduates to find work opportunities in this field after they graduate?
Dr. Michael Mapp: When seeking employment no one should be afraid to go where the jobs are or create your own. As musicians, we are naturally creative, but the market is competitive. One of the most plentiful areas for employment is in the realm of education and anyone can normally find a job somewhere, but they have to be willing to go where the jobs are. Consideration should be given to cost of living versus salary offered, population, and culture. One should seek out areas that provide resources to support a musical career such as networking opportunities and an established culture that supports creative, artistic endeavors.
Dr. Lisa Beckley-Roberts Ph.D.
Chair and Associate Professor of EthnomusicologyJackson State University
Department of Music
WebsiteIn your opinion, what are the biggest trends we'll see in the job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Lisa Beckley-Roberts Ph.D.: I expect that musicians will be expected to be much more technologically savvy. Musicians have always been business people who balance performance with teaching and managing themselves. I expect that there will continue to be more demand for virtual teaching. Moreover, the possibilities of what can be achieved artistically from a distance have increased exponentially. Collaborations using technology are going to continue to be the trend in my opinion. However, we have received tremendous confirmation on the importance and value of art and in particular music as an outlet, an extension of our culture, and as a means of restoring emotional health in times of extreme disturbances. I don't think there is in any way a chance of our relevance changing but we will have to continue to think and work creatively.
If a graduate needs to take a gap year, what skills would you recommend they try to enhance and how should they go about doing it?
Dr. Lisa Beckley-Roberts Ph.D.: I would recommend students be very familiar with digital audiovisual software as well as composition and arranging software. I've always been an advocate for business training and marketing skills so these would be my recommendations.
What general advice would you give to a graduate beginning their career?
Dr. Lisa Beckley-Roberts Ph.D.: My advice is for the to remember that talent will get you into the door, but discipline is what keeps you in the room. Hard work is key as is their ability to think of every gig, lesson, performance, or chance meeting as an opportunity to grow, network, and demonstrate what sets them apart.
Donald Fisher
Director of Instrumental StudiesIowa Western Community College
Communications and Fine Arts Department
In your opinion, what are the biggest trends we'll see in the job market given the pandemic?
Donald Fisher: Speaking educationally, it's my hope to see no changes in the job market given the pandemic happening. There are a number of ways to safely make music, though it does require a bit more planning than a "normal" year. Speaking to the performance side of music, unfortunately, we're seeing a large reduction in a number of performances and gigs. Those who are making their living on strictly performing are the hardest hit in the music industry. Despite there being a number of ways to get your name out there as a performer, many of those avenues are not as sustainable as other traditional performance opportunities.
If a graduate needs to take a gap year, what skills would you recommend they try to enhance and how should they go about doing it?
Donald Fisher: If you're taking a gap year, I always recommend continuing their education in music. Local community colleges offer cheap courses, applied lessons, and other musical avenues to explore. In many cases, scholarship money FAR surpasses the cost of the credit hour, especially at the community college level. Other skills to improve are ones that bring you joy. Find a hobby or other activity you enjoy and dive in. Whether that's something in music or otherwise, it's always good to be reminded of good things in light of so much suffering.
What general advice would you give to a graduate beginning their career?
Donald Fisher: First and foremost, take care of those who truly run the building. Secretaries, custodians, and other hourly workers truly make the educational institution run. Treat them well, and your life as an educator will be so much easier! Second is to lean on your friends. No one should be expected to know everything, and it's perfectly acceptable to say "I don't know". Finally, it's easy to focus on the more difficult students. Force yourself to recognize those students who are doing well and you'll find that you enjoy teaching that much more!
