Overqualified and Underemployed
by Edna Landau
To ask a question, please write Ask Edna.
A note to my readers:
The question below is a long one. I asked the writer to condense it, which she did, but after reading that version, I felt that the poignancy and impact of the original message were significantly reduced. I suspect that the writer’s dilemma will resonate with many multi-talented young people embarking on careers and have therefore chosen to reproduce the question in its original form. I hope you will choose to write in with your comments because your personal experiences will be of value to others and will provide a broader perspective than anything I, as one individual, might choose to say.
Dear Edna:
I finished my DMA in piano from a top program a couple of years ago and have two MM degrees from one of the best conservatories in the world. I love being able to do a variety of things in both teaching and playing, which has kept me focused on applying for full-time academic positions for the past five years. I have been working part-time as a teacher (college, high school, and private), performer and composer in the large metropolitan area where I live but I really need more work. Furthermore, I am one of the millions without health insurance because I can’t afford a good individual plan. I have always felt that with my many abilities and terrific recommendation letters, a full-time job was just around the corner but in spite of being shortlisted for a number of academic positions, I have come up empty-handed. I have a number of amazingly talented musician friends who work “day jobs” doing something else and I have been thinking of going that route, especially as I possess very strong administrative skills. Financially, it makes a lot of sense for the time being and it would also possibly keep me from taking on musical projects that I don’t really find attractive. It could also potentially open the door for me to be able to fund other things, like starting my own concert series and producing some good quality recordings of my playing. I have, however, been told that once you leave academe, it is extremely difficult to get back into it. I also can’t help but feel a sense of defeat at the idea of working so long and hard for my performance degrees, only to wind up doing something else for a living. I would hate for working an administrative job to permanently keep me from teaching and performing. Do you have any thoughts about that? —Overqualified and Underemployed
Dear Overqualified and Underemployed:
Before I say anything else, I must urge you to please take whatever steps you can to obtain health insurance—at minimum, catastrophic insurance (may you never have a need for it). I am deeply concerned about the number of musicians, such as yourself, who have no coverage whatsoever. In my view, a plan that is admittedly not top of the line is still better than nothing and could tide you over until such time as you might have employment that offers more comprehensive coverage.
You have acknowledged the considerable benefits associated with taking on full-time administrative work. Your major reservation seems to be that “once you leave academe, it is extremely difficult to get back into it.” Yet based on what you have written, you haven’t really entered academe, at least not in a full-time sense. Were you to continue applying for academic positions while accepting an administrative job, an explanatory cover letter would certainly clarify your continuing love of teaching and the financial realities that have forced you to expand your professional horizons. You have never specifically mentioned the possibility of an administrative job in a music-related area, yet there are many such possibilities. They can afford you the opportunity for increased and enhanced networking and perhaps, when you are least expecting it, provide the missing link to the job you really wanted. Alternatively, through such a job, you might meet people who will help to open up new outlets for your performing and composing activities. There is no reason to think of this as an “either or” situation. Many musicians with full-time administrative positions continue to perform regularly. In contemplating the best type of “day job” for yourself that will bring you the stability you crave and deserve, picture a scenario that allows you to keep as many options open as possible. A former boyfriend of mine once recommended to me a book entitled “Directing the Movies of Your Mind.” I never read the book but I have always loved the title. You are clearly a highly effective multi-tasker and if you take the time to sort out your most immediate priorities and act on them, rather than concentrate on how many times you have been rejected for a particular job, chances are this will give you a more positive focus and the confidence you need to ultimately achieve your long-term goals.
To ask a question, please write Ask Edna.
©Edna Landau 2011
May 6th, 2011 at 2:33 pm
I agree with the healthcare advice. Catastrophic can help a person avoid total financial devastation, and also provide them with adequate care should (God forbid) something does happen.
A music related administrative job is a good idea, but is, in a way, choosing a career path that’s a bit different from performance. It never hurts to swallow one’s pride and do something like waitressing while continuing to apply for the academic positions. Also, connections are very very important in this business, so think long and hard about who you know that might be in a position to help you. Just being able to drop someone’s name when a first contact can serve to get you in a door that might not have opened for you without that name.
The harsh reality is that conservatories continue to educate and graduate highly qualified and talented performers, but the number these highly qualified individuals hugely outnumbers the actual number of positions available.
Sincerely………A graduate of a very prestigious conservatory with a degree in vocal performance who has had a successful career in performing but has also work as…..
a bus driver
a messenger
a carpenter
a seismographic field worker
a baker
a teacher
a music director
a mover
a camp director
a saxophone player
a voice over personality
a cheese clerk
and now…..a talent agent
Good luck to you!!!
P.S. – The trick is to marry someone who’s work can provide you with health insurance. That’s what I did
May 6th, 2011 at 7:01 pm
It is difficult to keep your dreams while being completely aware of reality, but we all must. A great french flutist, who was my teacher some years ago always tells me that one has to look always what we want, but trying to make sure to have -at least- a basis, even if it isn’t exactly what we expect, for things are difficult everywhere. Your case is pretty similar to my own, and I know how boring and frustrating it can be sometimes to feel yourself overqualified and/or undervalued, but it is also helpful to remain in contact with others, because you can never know when an opportinity that fits you perfectly will arrive…so go ahead for something to start, and don’t give up!
May 7th, 2011 at 2:44 pm
Edna has given a very good answer. I would add: All of us in the arts need to realize that the “marketplace” for our skills is not what we would like it to be. You are not the only person who has gone to great schools, done excellent work, feels overqualified for the career of your choice, and haven’t “landed” in a satisfactory position. There are a lot of people like you out there, and there will continue to be more. That said, I would add three comments:
1. If you are really dedicated, don’t give up. Develop a specialty that will give you an additional “marketing tool.” One pianist I know has recorded the “Unknown Ives” and made a great impression recording interesting works that were obscure. Find some niche in music that you can be passionate about and become the world expert on that. It sets you apart. If you’re skilled or lucky in choosing, it will be exactly what some university or conservatory is looking for.
2. Having given your job search “your all,” and finding yourself continuing to find only part-time and unsatisfactory situations, you may choose to develop another of your skills, such as administration. See if it works for you. In my own case I kept getting rejections from my musical pursuits but unsolicited offers to work in a field that had been a hobby; eventually I decided that “going with the flow” worked better for me than anything else I could think of doing.
3. Regarding health insurance, Edna is obviously correct. However, our health care system is so messed up that I’m not sure I would scrape to pay into it. If you have no substantial assets to lose in a bankruptcy situation, you might be better off saving the insurance premium costs and “rolling the dice.” However, if you can afford at least minimal coverage, that would be a much better plan.
May 9th, 2011 at 10:42 am
I agree that Edna’s answer is terrific. But I would tweak the idea suggested for your cover letter, that financial realities forced you to consider other possibilities. I understand being in that place, and I agree with Mr. Kirby that in today’s economy this is not an unusual experience. But rather than looking at that place as something that has “forced” you into accepting other options, you might consider looking at it as a blessing in disguise . . . and I would even express it in your cover letter/your interview/your own thinking as a chance to see and act on new opportunities. Can you be inspired by the “other” worlds your unexpected employment brings you to, an inspiration that manifests itself in your performing, your teaching and your building of the path that is your career? Call me hopelessly idealistic, but I would urge you to think outside the box, and consider that perhaps your box is too small and perhaps even that what you find yourself in is not a box at all, but a growing pond in which you can swim. Let your eyes dream and yes absolutely, direct the movies of your mind.
May 11th, 2011 at 11:25 am
I sympathize with your situation, as I was there at one time. The reality is that most of us with advanced degrees in performance do other jobs to sustain ourselves: teaching privately, teaching at a college, working in the business martketplace, etc. Is it possible for you to expand your private teaching into a “full-time” business? This would provide better financial security and still allow you to manage your own schedule. Also, do you belong to any professional musicians’ organizations? I believe that MTNA (www.mtna.org) and other organizations offer group insurance policies and other services to their members. Best wishes in pursuing your dreams!
May 12th, 2011 at 9:14 pm
Great comments here! I agree with Barli that when you are presenting yourself, whether it is in a cover letter, in networking situations or in interviews, it helps to do so with confidence and with a positive attitude. What skills and strengths do you bring to this new situation? What about you is unique? What are the needs of the organization that you are looking at and why are you the best person for the position? And while you are at, what opportunities can you create for yourself? Career paths are rarely build along a straight line; the zig-zags create the tapestry that is your life. Keep the faith in your dream and think of the many different paths that will get you there. Each step you take will get you closer to your dream. In the meantime, you will build up experience, meet more people and learn a lot more about yourself and your potential.