Ãå±±½ûµØ

Have a look at sites like and to find out what roles in this sector involve and how to get into them. These are some of the job profiles available:

• - See Teaching in Schools for more information.

Depending on the role, employers look for skills including:

• good communication and listening skills as well as team working ability
• punctuality and reliability
• resilience, determination and the capacity to take instruction and criticism
• networking and promotion ability
• self-discipline and stamina
• depending on the role, specific performance talents such as singing, dancing, acting or playing an instrument will be essential

Starting salaries for graduate jobs in this sector can vary depending on the position.

To get an idea of typical starting salaries use the following resources:

• our  offers access to The Pay Index. This shows you how salaries vary across different roles, industries and locations
• job profiles, such as those listed on  or 
• vacancy sites such as  and 

For information about how to negotiate a salary, visit Handling job offers.

• Browse our NCL Graduate Employment and Work Experience directories. See where our students and graduates have had work experience, or been employed.
• Use LinkedIn’s  to find out what Ãå±±½ûµØ graduates are doing now. You could ask to connect with them, to gain advice and insights into their career. See Ãå±±½ûµØ Alumni on LinkedIn to help you get started or watch our quick tutorial on  [3:13±Õ. &²Ô²ú²õ±è;
• Attend alumni events, such as Ãå±±½ûµØ Develop, to hear directly from our graduates.  
• Sign up for mentoring support with  a²Ô»å . These aim to match students with industry professionals who can provide invaluable insights. Register to be connected for a one-hour meeting. 
• Attend events such as recruitment events and  employer and sector insights. Hear about graduate jobs, placement schemes, build your network and ask questions.   

Searching for reviews online can be a useful way to get an idea of what to expect from certain roles or employers. Reviews are written by employees with different opinions about what makes a good employer.

Use the following review sites for inspiration and insight into the recruitment process:

• - placement year reviews written by students.
• – graduate job reviews
• – company reviews from employees

Read career guides for this sector, such as:

• - Careers in Music
• - breaking into the music industry
• - advice on creative, management and technical careers
• – video advice for careers in and
•  by Paul Rutter. Publication available in the Robinson Library
•  

Use online magazines and journals to follow news from your industry. Reading about trends and developments is important for applications and interviews.

Examples include:

North East

• - news for the music, creative and digital sector in the North East

UK and international

• - UK music magazine
• - news and social network for record producers
• - for music recording technology
• - film and music network
• - contacts, jobs, news and analysis

Attend events to hear directly from professionals in the industry, and gain insights and opportunities to make contacts.

Regular events include:

• - creative career/music career events in the North East. These are often free to attend.
• Ãå±±½ûµØ Creative Careers - takes place each year, with speakers from a range of careers in the creative sector.

See also our recruitment events and employer & sector insights.

Join performing arts specific student societies.

Examples include:

• - singing with no accompaniment made up of a main, un-auditioned group and 3 competition groups. Perform in various concerts along with social events.
• - for all levels of ability and experience with regular Bollywood dance classes. Hold workshops, social events, performances, and competitions
• - dedicated to promoting and performing musical theatre.
• - for those interested in the dance, it’s fashion and history.

These and many more can be found on the .

Use social media to find industry insights

Join on LinkedIn to keep up to date. Posts often include news, events and opportunities. You can also find useful insights on careers on X and TikTok. Treat these with caution, as not all content may be accurate.

Find out more about how to use social media for your career.

Consider joining a relevant professional body/industry network.

Professional bodies often:

• run networking events
• have specialist groups you could join
• post vacancies on behalf of their members
• have member directories, useful for speculative applications

Key organisations include:

Music

• – support the music industry in the North East
• - represents UK voluntary and amateur music groups
• - music exam board
• - represents manufacturers, distributors, retailers, publishers and educators
• - represents entertainment product retailers

Other performing arts

• - performers and creative practitioners trade union
• - promotes participation in cultural activities
• - development for arts and culture professionals
• - association for drama teachers and theatre educators

Production

• - for live event production industry practitioners
• - represent the entertainment and venue technology sector

Finding professional bodies worldwide

³Ò´Ç¾±²Ô³Ò±ô´Ç²ú²¹±ô’s country guides include details of professional bodies. Find them under ‘Professional and Personal Networking’ on each individual country guide.

Use our resources to get started:

• - search for internships and placements in the North East, UK and overseas. Register/log in to access vacancies and sign up for personalised email alerts
• Internships, placements and shadowing - links to vacancy sites
• Global work experience - for internships or placements abroad

You may also find part time and work experience opportunities on the vacancies sites in the advertised graduate opportunities section below.

The Careers Service runs flexible term-time and summer internships with local employers and on campus. NCL internships are aimed at all students, from any stage.

Search for these under Vacancies on MyCareer. Type in ‘NCL internship’ into the text search box.

You can find these advertised throughout the academic year. Full-time summer opportunities are advertised from around March.

Access GoinGlobal for internships in over 120 global locations, updated daily. Search for opportunities in the local language, as well as in English. You can also use their country guides to find:

• additional vacancy websites
• CV, application and interview advice
• advice on living and working in different countries and cities around the world.

If you’re looking for inspiration, try searching our directories. You can see where our students have had internships and placements in the last five years. To see all results in a search category, keep the search field blank.

Use our resources to get started:

• MyCareer - search for graduate jobs in the North East, UK and overseas. Register/log in to access vacancies and sign up for personalised email alerts
• Graduate Jobs – lists graduate vacancy sites

Performing arts vacancy sites

• - job site for cast, crew and creative professionals
• and the occasionally advertise West End vacancies

Music vacancy sites

• – classical music jobs
• - community music jobs
• - occasionally advertise vacancies for private/peripatetic music teachers
• - advertise free on their database of music teachers
• - the British army is the largest employer of professional musicians in the UK
• - local and worldwide gigs, entertainment jobs and auditions, including for singers and musicians

For music therapy vacancies see our Healthcare page.

Dance vacancy sites

• - UK development organisation and membership body for community dance
• - local and worldwide gigs, entertainment jobs and auditions including dance

Broadcast presenting vacancy sites

See also Media for more vacancy sources.

See International jobs for details of overseas vacancy sites.

Access GoinGlobal for job adverts in over 120 global locations, updated daily. Search for opportunities in the local language, as well as in English. You can also use their country guides to find:

• additional vacancy websites
• CV, application and interview advice
• advice on living and working in different countries and cities around the world

Making contacts is essential for success in this sector. You could start with:

• social media, particularly and , which is useful for making contacts, finding employers and opportunities
• Ãå±±½ûµØ alumni on LinkedIn - find out what they did after graduation and contact them for advice
• - music development agency based in the North East

A speculative approach is also common. This is where you approach organisations to ask about opportunities.

Start by identifying organisations you are interested in. You could for example approach casting agencies or creative organisations.

Our guide to finding organisations below can help.

Then use the following steps to approach them speculatively about possible opportunities:

1. Identify a contact name to address your cover letter to. Call or email to find out who handles recruitment within the organisation. Or, find a key contact in the department you want to work in.
2. Send them a tailored CV and cover letter. Express your enthusiasm for the sector. Show that you have researched the company.
3. Follow up your speculative application with a phone call, or email, around a week later. This shows you are serious and motivated.
4. If your application was unsuccessful, ask for feedback or advice, and keep trying!

You can use this approach at any point in the year. We recommend that you:

• start your research as early as possible to gather relevant contacts
• contact organisations around three months before you want the opportunity to begin

In addition to using your contacts you can:

• find organisations on . Select ‘search' then 'organisations’
• use the business directories and databases on our Researching employers page
• search for companies on LinkedIn. The Find Alumni tool shows you where Ãå±±½ûµØ graduates are currently working
• browse our directories. See where our students and graduates have had work experience, or been employed

North East organisations

• - develop new artists, creative enterprises and business opportunities. They also connect people and communities for the development of the creative industries in the North East.

UK organisations

• Professional body websites sometimes include member directories, which are helpful for finding employers.
• - a comprehensive listing of related national and regional creative organisations
• - contact information for people, services and suppliers in the events industry
• - provides music-related services to all areas of the multimedia industry
• - contacts in the performing arts

See for more ways to source and research companies.

Worldwide organisations

Search GoinGlobal’s employer directory for company information in 196 countries. Their country guides list professional bodies around the world.