Random Post 2: The Career Conflict

    The most prevalent topic and question in my life right now is probably what I am going to do post-graduation– my most loathed question. Everyone expects such a black and white answer, a specific job or position already determined, an apartment and living plan already decided, and so on. But the answer is so complicated. There are so many opportunities and fields I want to explore beyond my major focus and internship experience, as I believe there is so much more for me than just a standard 9-5 desk job.

I am a music industry major, currently focused on working in Music Supervision, which is the business of pairing music with film and TV, working with composers, producers, and supervisors to create scores and soundtracks. It is definitely my favorite field within the industry so far, as I’ve explored a variety of sectors through internships since freshman year of college – including A&R, coordinating, and licensing at renowned companies like Warner Music, 10K Records and Nickelodeon / Paramount – and none have stood out to me as the perfect job for me. In addition to my firsthand work experience, I have learned so much about other areas in music, like the legal sector, live promotion and touring, and the technicalities of production through Thornton’s specialized classes. Yet, I find myself often anxious that many of these fields not only don’t enrapture me, but frankly bore me. I have always been a very creative person, and I gravitated towards the music industry thinking it would deliver the creative opportunities and endeavors I’ve been seeking. However, most of the entry-level jobs, and the years and roles that follow, are extremely misleading, and do not offer the creative liberties that one would think. Aside from the few higher-up executives, there is very little room to grow and expand in the industry. It is worrisome because I think I have the potential to pursue a career where I have a lot of creative freedom, professional growth and overall impact. 

As a manifestation of my desire to explore leadership potential and creative liberties, I embarked on an entrepreneurial journey this past summer. I decided to not do an internship, as my only music opportunities were in LA and I was set on coming home to New York. I began two business ventures; the first was becoming a college essay writer and advisor for local high school students in my town, which may sound simple but required a lot of work. I eventually expanded to ten students, each with over fifteen supplements and essays each, which I continued into the year virtually when I got to college (which was soon complemented by editing my friends' essays too). Let me tell you, the money in that business is great, more than the minimum wage rate at all my music internships. And thankfully, that funding supported my second venture, which was more ambitious; I began developing a product that I have been working on for months prior. I met with food scientists, filed an LLC, partnered with manufacturers (whom I’m actually visiting this week) and consulted with lawyers to secure the necessary protections. I am really excited about it, and can’t wait to share it with everyone soon. So moral of the story… the post-grad career question is complicated!!