I had the opportunity to interview Ilan Blanck ‘17 about his experience in interviewing. While at Lawrence University, Ilan majored in Guitar Performance and Music Composition, and was a part of several bands on campus. After a few music-related jobs, he found himself at The Music District in Fort Collins, Colorado. Here, Ilan is currently the Artist Development Assistant Manager. After being at this company for a few years, Ilan ended up interviewing his prospective coworkers. Since interviewing can easily be seen as intimidating and confusing, I think it will be beneficial to hear what an experienced interviewer has to say!
The first thing Ilan mentioned was the importance of having a relationship and connection with the industry you’re interviewing for. The Music District is, you guessed it, in the music industry. So, being passionate about listening to or making music is valuable, and visible in an interview. As well, having some kind of experience in your desired field is also important., but it doesn’t necessarily need to be professional. When Ilan was at the Con, he was in several bands, but he also managed them. He helped them book shows and even tours. This was not a job Ilan had, yet it is an incredibly important and relevant experience.
There is a huge emphasis on being knowledgeable about what role you’re interviewing for. If say a biology major who is not a musician and doesn’t really listen to music applied for a job at Spotify, that likely wouldn’t be the best fit right? In the music industry it isn’t uncommon for them to ask you about your favorite artists, especially smaller ones if the job is for local musicians. Ilan said it best when referencing The Music District: “Speak the language of what it means to be an indie artist fluently.”
While this piece of advice may seem basic, it’s true. Stand out! Don’t be generic. While interviewing Mr. Blanck, he recalled a time when he was interviewing someone as a part of a panel. There were maybe ten or so people in the room, all talking to the one individual. As an organization that is built on helping up-and-coming local indie artists, they asked them, “What’s your favorite local band?” The interviewee looked straight at one of the panel members and said that his favorite local band was the one the interviewer was a part of. Either that person did crazy investigative research on who would be interviewing them (not a bad idea either!) or they just had a genuine passion for local music. Years later, the story was memorable enough that Ilan told me about it last week. The more you know about the role you’re being interviewed for, the better.
Overall, being genuine and yourself is key to interviewing success. Add knowledge and experience to that, and you’ve just become the ideal candidate.
