Using your degree: Music

What do Cambridge graduates do?

Cambridge graduates with a music degree go into a wide range of career areas. The top three sectors that music Cambridge graduates joined were arts/media (circa 40% of those who responded to a recent survey), followed by public sector/business roles (15%) and then teaching (10%). Of course many music graduates continue on to further study (circa 25% of the most recent survey) and this may be something that you want to consider.

Will employers want my degree?

The majority of employers that recruit Cambridge graduates do not require a certain degree. They are usually more interested in what you can do rather than what you have studied. Any musician with a degree from Cambridge will have skills that employers want particularly if you've been involved in putting on concerts as well: independent working, communications, multi-tasking numerous priorities, time management under pressure, project management, teamwork, leadership, problem solving, fundraising and budgeting.

Try looking for ideas for help with identifying your personal strengths and preferences. Then search Handshake for internships, jobs or graduate schemes you are interested in. Note the selection criteria that usually focus on "competencies” rather than having studied a certain subject and see which ones are a good fit.

Using my degree

Music graduates who want to use their degree often think about working in arts management, music education/outreach or as a performer. Be aware that something like arts managment has a wide variety of roles within it. For example an orchestra has staff working in fundraising, marketing/press, publications, audience development, orchestral manager as well as the strategic planning for repertoire and booking artists. So if you are interested in a certain sector think about what you are good at and which roles might be a good fit for you. Network with alumni who studied Music. You can see what they do, their career to date and contact them for further information.