Job & Internship Searches in the Arts

Posted vs. Hidden:  Posted internships are usually found on an employer’s website or other job & internship site.  However, opportunities in the arts are more likely to be “hidden”, meaning they may not be entirely visible in online searches.  As a result, you are more likely to identify and obtain job and internship opportunities through networking or a direct inquiry.   Arts organizations are less likely to post their open jobs and internships widely on career sites and will instead primarily post on their own webpages and rely on word of mouth.  (Larger, nationally-known organizations.    Therefore, while it is often easier to browse websites for opportunities, often the best internships or jobs come about through relationship-based strategies.  Leave plenty of time for networking activities – in fact, the more time you spend with this search strategy, the more likely you are to find an opportunity you really want.  Be brave!

Venue-based Search: One of the best ways to identify jobs and internships in the arts is to search by venue.  In a given geography, identify all of the arts venues that are of interest to you and search on their websites or inquire directly with relevant staff.  If you don’t see opportunities in the present, ask when they typically post internships or how they usually post for open full-time jobs.  You can use the Art Venues by City/State list to help you.

Hiring Timelines:

• Internships: Excluding performance opportunities, most arts organizations will post and hire for summer internships in the spring – starting around February.  Larger, nationally and internationally prominent venues are more likely to post and hire for summer internship programs starting in December or January.   Occasionally internships do exist during the fall or spring semesters and hiring for those opportunities will generally occur in the term prior.
• Jobs: Full-time roles in the arts typically come available as needed, usually when there is a vacancy that needs to be filled.  Therefore, seniors who are seeking full-time opportunities will need to wait until the very end of their senior year (late March, April or May) to begin actively applying for opportunities.   This is because organizations will expect you to start soon after you accept the offer.

Highlighted Opportunities: Follow the link ‘Highlighted Arts Opportunities In Handshake to access jobs and internships that have been flagged by the Fine Arts coach in the Piper Center.  (Note: The number of highlighted jobs and internships will vary.)