Location managers, a potential job for Faculty of Arts grads, research the best locations for film production.
Arts jobs in the arts and culture industry
Beyond acting: Here’s more job ideas for Faculty of Arts grads
When you think about jobs in the arts and culture industry, what types of jobs do you think of? Actors? Museum curators? Authors? It is true that you can become any one of these occupations with a Bachelor of Arts. But have you thought about who decides the location of your favorite movie, who developed the character on that video game you are playing or who designed your last tour of a museum? It is a good chance that they were an Arts alumni.
As a student in the Faculty of Arts, you are gaining many marketable skills from your degree. If you are pursuing a liberal arts education and have a passion for culture, here are a sample of some really cool arts and culture occupations commonly performed by Arts graduates.
Location Manager – A quick investigation of the University of Manitoba’s Alumni page on LinkedIn, reveals a Faculty of Arts graduate with a major in Film Studies who is employed as a location manager. A location manager supervises all aspects of an entertainment production’s location, including but not limited to, researching and obtaining the best location for film production. This also includes obtaining permits and negotiating a price for the location.
Senior Writer– Using LinkedIn again but this time through a company search, you can see that Ubisoft hires Bachelor of Arts graduates, some who majored in Theatre and others who majored in English. Ubisoft’s senior writers conduct many different tasks beyond copy-writing including video game character creation, scriptwriting for in-game dialogue, story development and collaboration with the design and audio teams to create the overall gaming experience for users.
Historical Interpreter – Industry directories and professional associations’ websites are also great places to see what type of work is out there. For example, right now on the Canadian Museum Association’s website, featured job postings include one for an historical interpreter for the City of Toronto Museums. One aspect of an historical interpreter’s job is to provide museum services and programming, as well as contribute to research and the development of new museum programs. Historical interpreters can come from a variety of different education programs including those who majored in History or Theatre.
Hopefully these occupations caught your attention because these jobs are just a sliver of what is out there. Here are three easy ways to learn more about jobs in the arts and culture industry for B.A. graduates:
- Use LinkedIn to find employees who are employed in arts and culture. Take note of their education and experiences to get insight into how they developed the necessary competencies to secure that job.
- Look at job postings for arts and culture companies and scan the knowledge, skills and attributes the organizations are looking for.
- Check out Career Services’ online job search resources – or attend a Job Search or Linkedin workshop. Register on careerCONNECT to attend workshops.
Think critically about your coursework and the skills you are developing during your degree, and how that can apply to arts and culture jobs. Enhance your classroom learning by getting relevant part-time or summer work, and if available, apply to the Faculty of Arts co-op education program. Joining a student club on campus is another great way to gain experience. Volunteering on campus or in the community can also help you create professional connections and give you a low-risk taste of an occupation you are considering.
Take time to reflect on your experiences both inside and outside the classroom. Participating in experiential opportunities will not only help you make informed decisions, you will also develop the skills employers are looking for.
If you need help with career planning, exploring your career options or developing a plan to reach your goals, visit Career Services at 474 UMSU University Centre and speak with a Career Consultant. For help planning a course of study congruent with your goals, visit the Arts Academic Advisors at 134 Fletcher Argue Building.