Mark Tavern '94 sings the praises of internships for those looking for the big break in the music industry.  Mark works for Universal Music Group, where he handles Artists and Repertoire Administration for artists signed to the Island Def Jam Music Group and Universal Republic Records. His department handles all of the administration (planning, scheduling, finance, logistics) involved in the process of recording, mixing and mastering their records.

“The biggest obstacle to getting into this business is the very small number of open positions in an industry that is in a major transition,” says Mark. “If students want to work in the record business, they should get an internship at the kind of company where they think they want to work, whether a record company, an artist manager or attorney, a concert promoter or a radio station. Getting inside and proving yourself as an intern will ensure that you can get ahead of the rest of those applying for the same job. Also, informational interviews--if used correctly--can be extremely valuable, both for the research and for the networking that can be accomplished.” 

Tavern, who majored in both physics and music, was a member of the Laurentian Singers, Singing Saints and Academic Honor Council.  He advises students to prepare themselves for their careers by getting as broad an education as they can, “to help prepare you for the many different problems that come up daily in the working world,” he says. “It is easy to overlook the fact that employers are looking for well-rounded employees with broad skills who don't have to be taught how to conduct themselves in a business environment. Understanding this is essential for students who want to differentiate themselves from the rest of the entry-level job-seekers.”

Follow him on Twitter at @marktavern and read his blog post about internships ,Top 5 Ways To Make The Most of Your Music Business Internship.