Take a deeper dive into specific career paths within the visual and performing arts, including:
- Film or television professional
- Arts administrator
- Museum/gallery (takes you to CJW community resources)
More resources are on the way!
We’re building and adding to the Resource Portals and Common Career Path resources regularly so check back frequently for the most current updates.
Looking for general #VPA resources?
Discover sample internships, job and internship feeds, student organizations, and examples of professional associations.
Musical Performer, Producer and Educator
Sample Resumes
- Sample Solo (Vocal Opera)
- Sample Instrument Performance (Tuba)
- Sample Music Education Résumé
- Sample Music Education Résumé 2
- Important documents for performers
Career Spotlight
Specialized Job Boards
- Musical America
- Opera America
- Musical Chairs
- CS Music
- Chicago Artist Coalition (Music and other arts jobs)
- Association of Performing Arts Professionals (Music and other arts jobs)
- Music Match Music Jobs
- Berklee Careers in Music
- Careers in Music
- Where have other Lawrence Students found #VPA Internships?
Resources, Tips and Tools
- Applying to grad school (part 1, part 2, part 3)
- Audition tips (part 1, part 2)
- Interviews with alumni in grad school
- Summer music festivals
- Music competitions
- Music grants and scholarships
- Grad school degree options for artists of all types
- Stagetime, the professional hub for the performing arts
- Musical America 2024 Guide to Summer Music Festivals
- Musical America 2025 Guide – Top Music Competitions
- Musical America 2024-25 Guide to Music Schools (Undergrad and Graduate Programs)
- Musical America 2025 Guide to Summer Camps, Institutes and Programs
- List of professional music organizations
- Preparing for Music Teacher Job Interviews
- A music career, a military life (NY Times Story)
- American Federation of Musicians
- American Guild of Musical Artists
- American Music Therapy Association
- Conductors Guild
- League of American Orchestras
- Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association
- Music Teachers National Association
- National Association for Music Education
- Society for Ethnomusicology
- Women in Music
- Podcast with Jeni Houser ’06 (A Career in Opera)
- Podcast with Marissa Lake ’22 (Graduate School for Musicians and Vocalists and other career paths for Musicians)
- Podcast with Sarah Morris ’01 (Life of a Singer-Songwriter, writing songs, getting started in the music business and landing gigs!)
- Podcast with David Pickar ’23 (Being a Musician in the U.S. Air Force Band, explanation of the Audition process and how music can be about more than you)
Studio Artist and Designer
Sample Resumes
- Studio Art Sample Resume
- Artist Portfolio (information)
Career Spotlight
Specialized Job Boards
- Behance (jobs for creatives; owned by Adobe)
- UpWork (freelancing site, users must create profile)
- Freelancer.com (freelancing site, users must create profile)
- Fiverr (freelancing site, users must create profile)
- Animated Jobs (global jobs in animation)
Resources, Tips and Tools
- American Alliance of Museums
- American Art Therapy Association
- American Craft Council
- American Institute of Graphic Arts
- American Society of Media Photographers
- Animation World Network
- Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design
- Association of Medical Illustrators
- College Art Association
- Industrial Designers Society of America
- National Cartoonists Society
- National Press Photographers Association
- Society of American Archivists
- Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators
- Society of Illustrators
Theatre Professional
Specialized Job Boards
Resources, Tips and Tools
- Stagetime, the professional hub for the performing arts
- Actors Equity Association
- Association for Theater in Higher Education
- Directors Guild of America
- Educational Theatre Association
- International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees
- National Association of Schools of Theatre
- Screen Actors Guild
- Stage Managers Association
- Podcast with Matt Murphy ’06 (The Power of Theater: Building Leadership, Discipline, and Career Success)
Film or Television Professional
Specialized Job Boards
- MediaBistro
- Mandy.com
- Staff Me Up
- Entertainmentcareers.net
- Showbiz Jobs
- Corporation for Public Broadcasting Jobs and Internships
- Production Hub (Video and Film Production Jobs)
- Oscars Gold Rising Internships (Internships with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and select partner studios)
Resources, Tips and Tools
- Current Filming Locations in Chicago
- Chicago International Film Festival
- Driftless Film Festival
- Wisconsin Film Festival
- Grad school degree options for artists of all types
- Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
- Actors’ Equity
- American Cinema Editors
- American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
- American Society of Cinematographers
- Association of Talent Agents
- Casting Society of America
- Director’s Guild of America
- Independent Film and Television Alliance
- National Society of Film Critics
- Podcast with Katherine Langenfield ’10 (Writing for TV and Film)
- Podcast with Jacob Dalton ’17 (Writing and Producing a full-length movie)
Arts Administrator
Sample Resumes
Career Spotlight
Specialized Job Boards
Resources, Tips and Tools
- Academy of Country Music
- American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers
- Audio Engineering Society
- Broadcast Music, Inc.
- Country Music Association
- Gospel Music Association
- International Bluegrass Music Association
- International Computer Music Association
- International Entertainment Buyers Association
- Nashville Songwriters Association International
- National Association of Record Industry Professionals
- Recording Industry Association
- SESAC
- Interview with Kylie Zajdel ’22: Development Operations Coordinator at Seattle Symphony (Building a professional network and advice for working at a non-profit and in arts administration)
- Careers in Arts and Design