A talented, accomplished musician, Ellen (a composite of several of my clients), came to me because she'd had several college teaching interviews but no offers, and wanted help. Ellen said the interviews overall had gone pretty well. Except when the employer asked a...
Most musicians walk into interviews already judging themselves—before they’ve said a word. In fact, they're so busy trying NOT to come across as “less than” that they stop being fully present. When nerves pull you into scarcity thinking, you start believing that...
Want to immediately improve your marketing materials—so you can book more and better work? If your bio, email pitches, grant proposals, or cover letters could use some help, then this message is for you. Let’s tackle Musician Self-Promotion: 8 tips for editing your...
If you’re a musician looking to land a college teaching job, and you’re wondering how to improve your chances of getting hired, I’ve got some good and bad news for you—plus I've got the cover letter secrets for musicians—the secrets needed to help you make the short...
We're asking this: Musicians — why survey your customers? Your audience? Let's find out. Think about whether you really know what the people you're seeking to serve want. Have you taken the time and trouble to ask? Because If you want to genuinely connect with...
'Tis the season when musicians start looking to fill their teaching studios. It's when I start to notice the fliers that they post around town: musicians offering lessons and doing a not-so-hot job of marketing what they offer. Here's an example of what I mean. The...
Let me tell you a story: it’s about a musician—her ego—and her resume. It happened years ago, back when I ran the career center at New England Conservatory. An alum came to see me. To protect the innocent, we'll call her Kay. A talented and accomplished freelancer,...
When applying for a college teaching job, how can you distinguish yourself from the 200 other applicants? How do you detail your teaching experience so that you don't come across as interchangeable with everybody else? Let's unpack for musicians: the Art of the CV...
If you're applying for jobs read on, because I'm revealing the cover letter secrets musicians need to know to get the interview. See if you can spot the common mistakes musician make in this scenario: A typical musician—let’s call her Joan—finds a teaching job opening...
What's empathy got to do with getting hired? You might not think it has anything to do with your hire-ability. With cover letters, CVs, or interviewing. It turns out, you'd be wrong. Here's what commonly happens without empathy: a musician finds out about a teaching...
