Musicians: Considering a Career Pivot? 5 Things to Keep in Mind | Teddy Niedermaier
Teddy Niedermaier, composer, pianist, educator, professor at Roosevelt University in Chicago
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Musicians: Considering a Career Pivot? 5 Things to Keep in Mind

Posted on November 5, 2021
in Business, Career Building
1

In 2019, I left my position as a music theory professor to start a new job in higher education finance. Since then, I’ve had many conversations with musicians considering a career pivot. While every career path is unique, my thoughts below summarize the most important takeaways from those conversations.

 

#1: Transferable skills aren’t everything

Many professional musicians are proud of their hard-won transferable skills: musicians are typically detail-oriented, goal-driven, creative, collaborative, and accustomed to high-pressure situations. These so-called “soft” skills are valuable regardless of one’s profession.

 

There are hard truths to these soft skills, however. First, you won’t be successful in your new role unless you also possess the requisite “hard” skills. For example, my higher education (faculty) background was a definite plus for my new job—but there’s no way I could be successful in my new role without also knowing how to use Microsoft Excel.

 

Second, these transferable skills are not exclusive to musicians. Non-musicians can also develop these skills. Furthermore, not all musicians possess these soft skills to the same degree. 

 

In short, transferable skills add value but aren’t everything. Depending on your situation, you may or may not be able to compete on these skills against other job applicants.

 

#2: Moving down to move up

Simply put, transitioning to a new career may mean starting over from scratch. In my case, I moved from a promoted position (tenured professor) to an entry-level position (analyst). Moving “down the ladder” could be a natural part of your career pivot. While this is not true for everyone, you might need to move down the ladder first in order to move up later.

 

This may require patience and a loss of institutional or industry capital from your former career. You may have to prove yourself anew or impress managers who do not understand the value of your former work as a professional musician.

 

While the previous point might sound overly negative, it’s important to be aware of this reality from the beginning—or to pursue closely-related fields where downward movement might not be necessary.

 

 

#3: Your resume/CV will look different

When you transition to a new career, a significant portion of your music resume/CV may no longer be viable for job applications. What remains from your music resume will need to be rewritten in the language of your new industry. Names, terms, and concepts from musical life will probably not click with hiring committees in non-music fields.

 

For example, a hiring manager in finance may not care to know that I once co-founded a summer music composition seminar that culminated in live professional performances of student compositions. Instead, I should reword this resume item using the language of finance: I was an entrepreneur or project manager; I conducted successful stakeholder outreach; the program was budget-positive.

 

#4: Ask non-musicians

It’s natural for musicians considering a career pivot to consult with musicians who have completed a career pivot. These encounters can be insightful and inspiring.

 

But I would also encourage the opposite—reaching out to professionals in your target field who are not musicians. If possible, contact someone involved with hiring and ask them to review your resume. Does your newly revised resume make sense to them? What skills and qualifications are most important to them?

 

Books, articles, blogs, and podcasts can also provide valuable perspectives from your target industry. Live conversations are ideal, however, as fields evolve rapidly and published material could quickly become outdated.

 

Get comfortable “cold calling” new contacts on LinkedIn. Eagerly build your network. When speaking to a new contact, do your research beforehand and ask good questions. Get used to asking for and receiving feedback, even from brand new contacts.

 

#5: Hone your story

This one requires some introspection. What is driving your career change? Why now? What is your target industry and ideal job? What pain points will you fix and what value can you bring to this new role? What additional skills do you need in order to get there?

 

If you can’t answer all of the above questions, you might not be ready to take decisive action towards a career pivot. Your answers to all these questions should be specific and genuine.

 

When networking with industry professionals, they too will be curious about your career story. Always be ready to deliver a polished version of your story that lasts less than 1 minute. Invest time and effort to compose, refine, and rehearse your story.

 

Final Note

These five takeaways come from my own experience and won’t resonate with everyone. Each career journey is unique, and everyone must forge the career path that works best for them.

 

 

 

Copyright 2021 Teddy Niedermaier

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