Lauren Chance

Author: Lauren Chance

Lauren Chance is a current sophomore at Lawrence University double majoring in Business and Entrepreneurship and Music, also minoring in Spanish. As a Career Peer Educator (NES, VPA), an Admissions Student Ambassador, and an EPIC Orientation Leader and Peer Mentor, she has a passion for helping others. Lauren aspires to work in arts administration focusing on marketing or event management. Connect with Lauren on LinkedIn.

Non Profit, Education, and Social Impact: Entry Level Jobs

Getting into your desired field can be intimidating. However, for NES (non profit, education, and social impact), it’s easier to get started than you might think. Let’s start with the first part: N.

The nonprofit world offers many opportunities for those new to the field. People with almost any major or background can start working in the nonprofit realm. Program or Event Coordinator positions are always available, where you assist an organization with running their events or programs. It takes a team to get things off the ground, so these positions tend to hire frequently. Additionally, nonprofits always need help with raising money, so working in the fundraising department or grant writing are good options as well. Finally, internal operations always need support. Working in operations helps ensure the organization runs smoothly, keeping every moving part on track.

Now, the E. Education is a field that always needs more hands. For education majors, you will complete student teaching before your time at Lawrence ends, which allows you to earn the proper licensing to teach at any school (depending on the grade levels you’ve worked with). For those who have not student taught, substitute teaching doesn’t require as many qualifications. These roles are often last-minute when a teacher is sick or away for an extended period, and long-term substitute positions are also available. Almost every school offers various after-school programs. Helping run these programs, whether to keep kids engaged until parents arrive or to provide homework help, lets you gain experience in education with minimal qualifications. For those wanting to work with young children, local preschools or daycare programs frequently need more staff. Basic training is usually provided by the company. Finally, tutoring at places like Mathnasium is another option.

Lastly, the S! Social impact is a field dedicated to creating equity and fairness in society, and there are many ways to get involved. Working in Community Outreach lets you engage directly with local populations to support marginalized groups. Roles in Nonprofit Advocacy allow you to influence policy, raise awareness, and organize campaigns for social causes. If you enjoy research, becoming a Policy Analyst or Research Assistant can help organizations gather and analyze data to drive social change. Legal Aid and Public Interest Law careers focus on providing justice to underserved communities, while Social Work or Case Management positions allow you to directly support individuals and families facing systemic challenges. These roles provide meaningful work while contributing to a fairer, more equitable society.

There are always options when it comes to finding a job. Getting started is not as scary as it might seem!

Interviewing 101: Advice from Amelia Anderson ’14

I had the pleasure of interviewing Amelia Anderson ‘14 about her experience in interviewing intern candidates. While she is the current Director of the Bennett Prize and Curator of Women’s Art, this was during her time at EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association). 

The first piece of advice Amelia gave was to dress nice and don’t worry about overdressing. This is seemingly simple, but it really means a lot. In an interview, first impressions matter. You get about 20 minutes at the most to impress your interviewers, and they start analyzing you from the moment you walk in. By dressing up, even if it seems to be “too much”, you make a good first impression that you’re professional and you care about the position. Simple things such as making sure your shirt has no wrinkles, making sure it’s tucked in, and swapping your flannel for a clean button up can truly make a difference.

With first impressions, handshakes also matter. Some may think of handshaking as a bit old fashioned or even not as common since Covid-19, but making sure you have a strong handshake shows confidence. Walk into the room with your head held high and radiate confidence! Going to the interview, make sure to print out a copy of your resume, or a few in case you have multiple interviewers. In theory, they should already have read your resume and/or they should have it with them during. But by you handing it to them, it shows you’re prepared. 

Anderson also added that interviewing is kind of like dating. And when you really think about it, it’s very true. First impressions are crucial and the smallest things can make you wish it was over. It’s also about finding the perfect fit, for both parties. You want to make sure as an interviewee, you ask questions. What is a typical day in this role like? What is the work culture amongst the workers? What specific attributes would make someone successful in this role? These are some of my personal favorites, as they go deeper than “how much would I be paid?” (though that is important) and you can learn a lot from the interviewers’ answers. 

Now, what questions would they want to ask you? When I asked Amelia, she had a couple really strong ones that came to mind. How do you handle stressful situations? What was a time you had a conflict with a coworker and how did you fix it? Describe a time when you feel like you failed. These questions are all about your personal responses to situations you would likely encounter at some point in your employment. They want to know if you have conflict resolution skills as well as the ability to learn and grow from mistakes. In your answer, try and focus on the result and what you learned, and how you would apply that to the specific position you’re interviewing for.

Lastly, interviewing is all about you. In my conversation with Amelia, we talked a lot about truly being yourself. You need to come off as more than just another body in the workforce. Humanize yourself. Amelia brought up talking about your interests outside of work. Think about your hobbies and the things you enjoy. Find a way to connect with the interviewer on a professional and personal level. For me, I love to get my nails done, so I always go out of my way to comment on the nails of the person talking with me. Usually then they notice mine and then we have a good two minutes of conversation. Obviously this doesn’t work for every interviewer, but something like that is good to have under your sleeve. 

Overall, interviewing can be stressful and anxiety-inducing. Hopefully, Amelia Anderson’s advice eases that, even if just a little. Always remember to just be yourself and give it your all.

Ilan’s ’17 Eyes on Interviewing

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.

Weill Music Institute: Carnegie Hall

In 2003, Carnegie Hall established the Weill Music Institute, all about creating education and social impact programs. They align directly with Carnegie’s mission of making music as accessible as possible. These programs are all free, or at least are low cost, and include workshops, ensembles opportunities, fellowships, and community programs all for increasing access to music through human connection.

Basic Information

  • Located in New York, NY, but they work with people all over the NYC area as well as the world
  • 15+ programs targeted towards musicians (of all skill levels), educators, youth, and more
  • All 50 states (and Puerto Rico!) house teachers and organizations that offer WMI programming

Example Programs

  • National Youth Orchestra of the United States is a summer program for young orchestral musicians ages 16-19 nationwide
  • National Youth Orchestra Jazz is summer program for young jazz musicians ages 16-19 nationwide
  • Link Up allows schoolchildren from grades 3-5 to learn about the orchestral experience by pairing them up with a professional orchestra
  • Big Note, Little Note is a free early childhood music program for families in NYC with children ages 3-18 months
  • NeON Arts is a free program partnered with the NYC Department of Probation that offers a variety of artistic outlets for youth on probation, hosted at community-based probation offices
  • Ensemble Connect is a fellowship (partnered with Julliard!) for emerging, professional musicians offered for two years, every two years

How A Lawrentian Can Get Involved

  • Volunteer: WMI has programs all over the world and can always use more hands! Pus, it would look fantastic on a resume…
  • Intern: Lawrence has a long standing partnership with Weill. Every year, Carnegie Hall holds an internship spot for a Lawrentian. Keep an eye out early Winter term for the Lawrence Funded Internship opportunities!
  • Make some music: For our musicians, primarily for first and second years, you can audition for their summer programs, both orchestral and jazz. As long as you’re 19 or younger.
  • Apply for a fellowship: Ensemble Connect is a fantastic opportunity for those interested in straying from the traditional path of graduate school, but still want to perform and learn. The deadline for the 2027-2029 summers is coming up in early December. Get to it!

Lauren Chance is a current sophomore at Lawrence University double majoring in Business and Entrepreneurship and Music, also minoring in Spanish. As a Career Peer Educator (NES, VPA), an Admissions Student Ambassador, and an EPIC Orientation Leader and Peer Mentor, she has a passion for helping others. Lauren aspires to work in arts administration focusing on marketing or event management. Connect with Lauren on LinkedIn.

Joe Loehnis ’06: From Cellist to CEO

I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing Joe Loehnis ‘06, who is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra. During his time at Lawrence, he majored in Cello Performance and was the captain of our golf team, also being the only golfer in LU’s history to be named to the All-American Team. Not only was he a successful golfer, but he was an outstanding musician. At the age of 16, he auditioned for the Green Bay Symphony Orchestra and got in, being the youngest person to this day to be awarded a tenure position there. He has also held positions in three other orchestras as a featured soloist.

After graduation, Joe became a professional golfer for a few years, placing in the top three in several tournaments. When I asked him about how he got into arts administration, he had an interesting story about being in line for groceries in Florida, where he was competing at the time. He heard someone in front of him talking about how there were no cello teachers in the area. This was when Joe approached them and eventually started his own private cello studio, starting with 10 students and maxing out at 75. With this ambition, and with no formal business background, he became the Executive Director at The First Tee, a non profit focusing on education and health for youth through golf. After great success there, Joe was looking for a change. After working with a recruiter, they said to him, “I found your next job. You’re going to be a CEO.”

This of course was how he wound up at the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, a musical non-profit currently worth several million. Every year, the organization puts on six weeks of free and outside music making in Madison, WI, entitled Concerts on the Square. Annually, over 50,000 people show up. No one knows the value of live music more than musicians, with the CEO stating that the experience is “like a breath of fresh air”. 

When asked about what makes a good arts administrator, Joe had many things to say. Energy was a huge one. Positive personalities mixed with raw hunger and ambition is like the magic music-business potion. Not only do you need to have tenacity, but also genuine passion. Curiosity is also crucial. Coming at arts administration from the lens of a musician is a huge leg up in the industry. Joe has also described the arts as a whole as being ‘resilient and relevant’. Honestly, us aspiring arts administrators need to be like the arts. 

Another piece of advice Loehnis gave was to “jump in the deep end with the piranhas”. The business industry is very cutthroat. You have to take risks! Having a strong background in not only music, but business is huge. You would be surprised at the amount of people working in arts administration that, like Joe, just fell into it. Having a solid understanding of the industry is so important. 

In addition, Loehnis said to use your network! “We all bleed blue”, he said in reference to Lawrentians. Meeting other people who went through the same music theory sequence is an automatic bond. Use the Lawrence community to your benefit. Find alumni who are doing what you want to do, and pick their brain. Trust me, I didn’t expect to uncover this much information from Joe Loehnis, but I am so happy I did.

Lastly, Joe talked about how important experience is. Not necessarily working at Carnegie Hall or a huge business corporation, but having “sticky” experience. Showing that you work hard is evident when your resume has years of experience at the same company, and you’ve moved up a few times. It shows you want to grow. And learn. And improve! Strong references can easily be more valuable than money.

Obviously, CEO Joe Loehnis said many things that really stood out to me in our conversation. My favorite, and my closer, is probably what he said in reference to reaching out to your network: “Get the meeting. Get the coffee. Listen 70% and talk 30%.”

Lauren Chance is a current sophomore at Lawrence University double majoring in Business and Entrepreneurship and Music, also minoring in Spanish. As a Career Peer Educator (NES, VPA), an Admissions Student Ambassador, and an EPIC Orientation Leader and Peer Mentor, she has a passion for helping others. Lauren aspires to work in arts administration focusing on marketing or event management. Connect with Lauren on LinkedIn.

Meet Kat: Empowering Youth By Embracing Diversity

Kat Green ’27, BMus: Music Education (Instrumental/General), Music Performance (Multi-Instrumental)

Music Teacher: Boys and Girls Club of Truckee Meadows

Let’s put the spotlight on Kat Green ’27 who spent their summer with the Boys and Girls Club of Truckee Meadows (BGCTM), teaching kids music through a multi-cultural lens. Kat’s students were taught everything from American folk dances to Brazilian samba drumming. Through instruments and body percussion, the young kids were able to feel empowered in their lives, both musically and educationally. That’s a powerful thing to produce.

“Waking up every morning with the knowledge that I have the power to change a child’s perception of the world through music…informed a summer full of discovery, transformation, and bravery,” Green exclaimed. She described instances of helping students learn to love music and understand different cultures, at the same time. Not only was Kat able to grow as a music educator through BGCTM, they were also able to grow as a person and expand on their own educational values. Kat spent her summer changing lives, one handboning rhythm at a time.

This internship was made possible through generous donor funding, which supports students in gaining real-world experience without the stress of balancing summer expenses. Hoping to intern next summer? Schedule an appointment at the Career Center and we can help you! The summer internship funding application will open in early January, after we get back from break. Learn more about funding for internships.

Lauren Chance is a current sophomore at Lawrence University double majoring in Business and Entrepreneurship and Music, also minoring in Spanish. As a Career Peer Educator (NES, VPA), an Admissions Student Ambassador, and an EPIC Orientation Leader and Peer Mentor, she has a passion for helping others. Lauren aspires to work in arts administration focusing on marketing or event management. Connect with Lauren on LinkedIn.