Want a job where you get to listen to music all day and not wear pants? Okay, that’s not exactly what all my days look like, but working in the music industry is definitely a fun and incredible experience. It was always my dream to make a living from doing something that I’m extremely passionate about. Here’s a few things I wish someone would have told me years ago to get me going sooner.

1. Start doing the job you want to have.
If you want to be a booking agent for example, start reaching out to local bands and offer to try and book shows for them for free. Sure you won’t have any idea what you’re doing at first, but you’ll learn as you go. There’s SO much info available online for anything you want to learn (you can literally watch a YouTube video to learn how to build a house). You’ll gain experience and maybe even get a few big wins. Be 100% upfront with the bands you work with and let them know that this would be a learning experience for the both of you. Once you have a few of those kind of projects under your belt, you now provide potential value to an employer. You have proof of your hustle and work. If you take off on this right away, you may even decide to stay independent and start your own company.

2. Network.
I know it sounds so obvious, but it really is one of the best ways to get your foot in the door. I was in a band for most of my life, so I was always at shows and forging relationships. I didn’t know what I was doing was networking at the time, I was just having fun, getting drunk and hanging out with people who liked the same shit I did. A lot of those connections I made at that time have blossomed into working relationships now. My first job in the music industry came from someone I met at a show I was playing. If you’re not in a band (or even if you are), attend LOTS of local shows. Be active and supportive in your local music scene.

3. Job Boards.
There’s a lot of different outlets that share music industry job postings. My favorite is the Haulix blog. James Shotwell does a phenomenal job curating new job posts every week and only highlighting the worthwhile opportunities (you won’t find any scammy BS jobs on there).

So there’s a few quick things that may or may not help you. There’s hundreds of other different ways to go about it, but these are the first that come my mind when I look back. Alright, I’m gonna go spin this new Pup record and try to find my jeans.