Careers in Arts, Media, Communications & Entertainment
Do you see yourself as expressive, original, creative, and independent? Does a structured environment sound boring to you? Then you’ve found the right page! Careers in Arts, Media, Communications & Entertainment offer opportunities to use written and verbal communication, creative expression, and various mediums to convey meaning and information to audiences. We invite you to explore this cluster to determine if it is a good fit for you and leverage our resources to launch your job, internship, or graduate school search!
Meet with your career coach
Your career coach can help you:
- Explore industry career options
- Update your resume
- Search for jobs/internships
- Graduate school applications
- and more!
Hailey Shastid-Wilson
Career Coach, CCI, HRTM, Architecture, Art, Music
Michael Hazan
Career Coach, Humanities, Art, Music, and Cinema Studies
Example career paths and job titles
Art & design
- 2D/3D & 4D Animator
- Archivist
- Arts Administrator
- Arts and Cultural Planner
- Art Curator
- Art Director
- Art Historian
- Art Therapist
- Game Designer
- Graphic Designer
- Illustrator
- Multimedia Designer
- Museum Director
- Museum Curator
- Painter
- Photographer
- Printmaker
- Set/Stage Designer
- Web Designer
Media
- Content Creator
- Director
- Editor
- Photo Journalist
- Producer
- Reporter
- Studio Technician
- TV/Radio Host
Public relations
- Account/Brand Manager
- Account Executive
- Community Relations/Outreach
- Communications Officer
- Crisis Manager
- Media Coordinator
- Publicist
- Public Affairs Officer
- Public Relations Officer
- SEO/Search Marketing/Analyst
- Social Media Manager
Writing
- Author
- Advertising & Marketing Professional
- Blogger
- Bookseller
- Concept Writer
- Content Editor
- Copy Editor
- Copy Writer
- Journalist
- Freelance Writer
- Ghostwriter
- Game Designer or Writer
- Literary Agent
- Poem Writer
- Proofreader
- Publisher
- Scripting
- Sports Editor
- Social Media Manager
- Technical Writer
- Writing Tutor
Film & performance arts
- Actor
- Agent
- Audio Producer
- Band Director
- Camera Operator
- Casting Director
- Comedian
- Creative Director
- Critic
- Choral Director
- Cruise Ship Entertainer
- Choreographer
- Dancer
- Film & Video Editors
- Film Market Researcher
- Film Scorer
- Gaffer
- Location/Set Manager
- Lyricist
- Makeup Artist for Music/Film/TV
- Motion Capture Performer for Video Games/Film/Animation
- Producer
- Music Director/Composer
- Musical Performer
- Musician/Singer
- Music Therapist
- Screenwriter
- Stage Designer
- Stage Manager
- Storyboarder
- Teacher (Music/Drama/Art)
- Video Game Music Producer
- Vocal Coach
Fashion
- Colorist
- Consultant
- Costume Designer/Costumer
- Creative Designer
- Embroiderer
- Fashion Designer
- Merchandiser
- Pattern Maker
- Production Planner
- Stylist
- Trend Forecaster
Career resources
Explore the industry
Research career paths, typical job titles, and what it takes to enter this industry.
Build your network
Join student organizations at UT and connect with professional associations in this industry.
Apply on Handshake
Search this industry’s Handshake feed and use specialized job boards to find roles.
Get experience with Vol Edge
The How to Get Experience module covers finding internships, research, and other hands-on opportunities in a field like this one.
Explore and learn more about the industry
Below are several resources that will be helpful to learn more about this industry. Start by exploring the Occupational Outlook Handbook.
- Art Career Project
- All Art Schools
- Broadcasting (BLS OOH)
- Careers in Publishing Video
- Center for Media and Public Affairs
- Creativemornings
- Dear English Major
- Entertainment Community
- Editing/Publishing (BLS OOH)
- Fashion Net
- Fashion Schools
- Freelance Writing
- Film/Video (BLS OOH)
- Guide to Careers in Communications
- Grant Writing
- Journalism (BLS OOH)
- Media-Match Film and TV Job Descriptions
- Music Industry
- What in the World is Graphic Design (AIGA)
- World Wide Art Resources
- Writing (BLS OOH)
- Production (BLS OOH)
- Public Relations Specialist (BLS OOH)
- Publishers Marketplace
- TeamworkOnline
- Tennessee Entertainment Commission
- 5 Tips for Growing a Freelance Business
Student organizations and local involvement
Use this section to learn about student organizations you can join at UT as well as local platforms to learn more about this industry, network with professionals and peers with similar interests, and build transferable skills.
Arts & Design
- Central Programming Council Cultural Attractions Committee
- Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville
- Knoxville Museum of Art volunteering
- Knox Makers
- Creative Generation
- Art Residencies
Media & Public Relations
- The Volunteer Channel
- The Tennessee Journalist
- WUTK Radio
- Write and take photos / digital media
- PRSSA
Freelance
- Knox Makers (workshops)
- Rala
- Knoxville Entrepreneur Center
- TN Entertainment Commission
- Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Film & Performing Arts
- Clarence Brown Theatre and Theatre Knoxville Downtown volunteering
- All Campus Theatre
- Music student orgs (MTNA, Student Composer, VolVoices, LUGC)
- Joy of Music School volunteering
- George DeVine Music Library
Professional associations
Use this section to find out about professional associations and institutes within this industry. Many have student membership options and joining a professional organization can be a great way to learn about the industry and network. In addition, many have their own job listings page.
Arts & Design
- American Institute of Graphic Arts
- Americans for the Arts
- College Art Association
- Creativemornings
- Advertising Photographers of America
- Graphic Artists Guild
- South Arts
Media
- Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ)
- Tennessee Press Association
- Tennessee Association of Broadcasters (TABTN)
- National Sports Media Association
- American Copy Editors Society
Public Relations
- Council of Public Relations Firms
- International Public Relations Association
- Public Relations and Communications Association
- Public Relations Society of America
Writing
- Society for Technical Communication
- Education Writer’s Association (EWA)
- East Tennessee Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication
- Knoxville Writers Guild
Film & Performing Arts
- Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP)
- New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA)
- Tennessee Theatre Association (TTA)
- Actors Fund
- American Federation of Musicians (AFM)
- Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association (MEIEA)
- American Orchestras
- Entertainment Community
- Musical Artists
- American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP)
- Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
- American Society of Cinematographers
- Association of Talent Agents
- Independent Film and Television Alliance
- National Society of Film Critics
Fashion & Freelance
Job and internship resources
Check out these sites for specific job and internship boards in addition to the Handshake industry feed below.
Arts & Design
- Behance Jobs
- Animatedjobs.com
- Creativemornings
- Behance.net
- Entertainment Community
- Jobs.disneycareers.com
- Nickanimation.com
- Pixar.com/internships
- Workingnotworking.com
- Internships.com
- ArtJobs
- Incredible Art
Media
- Creative Jobs Central
- JournalismJobs
- MediaBistro
- CCI JEM Internship Listings
- Entertainment Careers
- Production Hub
- Journalism Next
- Public Media Jobs
- Radio Online
- Staff Me Up
- TVJobs
- Work in Sports
- Creative Pool
- Digital Media
- Sports Jobs
Public Relations
- Opajobs.com
- PR Crossing
- PR News Job Center
- krop.com
- Commarts.com
- Creativecircle.com
- Mediapost.com
- UT Advertising/PR Internship Listings
Writing
- Writers Write- Technical Writing Links
- Investigative Reporters & Editors
- Editor & Publisher
- Eloquenti
- Freelance Writing
- Writerlance
- Ed 2010
- Book Jobs
- New York Times Summer Internship Program
- Boston Globe Co-op Program
Film & Performing Arts
- American Theatre Wing
- The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
- Clarence Brown Theatre
- Showbiz
- Staff Me Up
- Music Jobs-USA
- Musical America
- Entertainment Careers
- NBC
- Disney
- Musical Chairs
- Americandancefestival.org
- Danceusa.org
- Schooltheatre.org
Fashion & Freelance
Graduate school resources
Many graduate school resources can be found on our Graduate Plan & Apply Resources page, including deciding on graduate school, resumes, letters of recommendation, and admissions essays/personal statements. Graduate School Applications take time and will require roughly 6-9 months of preparation. The key to a successful graduate program in Arts, Media, Communications & Entertainment will be deciding on the right program. You will likely need to research the details of the programs to see what they offer and to identify their requirements. Regardless, you will want to work on having a good portfolio that will aid your graduate application process. Below are some examples of graduate programs:
- Master of Fine Arts (MFA), wide variety of programs (creative writing, photography, illustration, interior, industrial design, graphic design)
- Master of Arts in Communications, specializations in advertising, journalism, PR, film, television
- Master of Arts in Film Studies, history and theory of filmmaking
- Master of Fine Arts in Producing for Cinema-Television
Jobs on Handshake: Arts, Media, Communications & Entertainment
Are you interested in exploring opportunities in this industry? Check out Handshake, where you can find personalized job recommendations, career events, and networking opportunities.
Explore other industries
Ready to plan your next step in arts, media, communications, and entertainment?
Talk to your Industry Career Coach about your major, your career path, or your next experience. They’ll help you map the steps from where you are to where you want to land.