By Allison Hambrick
On Oct. 9, Spotify brought its search for talent to SCAD Atlanta. During their first-ever presentation at SCAD, or any design school for that matter, Spotify showcased their options for students of virtually any major to find employment within their company.
Founded in Stockholm in 2006 and launched in late 2008, Spotify’s corporate mission is to “unlock the potential of human creativity by giving a million creative artists the opportunity to live off their art and billions of fans the opportunity to enjoy and be inspired by these creators.” In the decade since its launch, Spotify has surged in popularity with more than 200 million active users across 79 countries and around 5,000 employees.
“As a musician, Spotify has become a major platform that has allowed me to share my music with listeners all over the world,” said SCAD student and musician Maggie Schneider. “I am so thankful for that! In just one month, after the release of my single “Don’t Tell Me,” I reached up to 7500 monthly listeners and over 14,000 streams, a personal record for me. All I hope is that one day, the streaming royalties allow artists to make more money off of their work.”
Additionally, Spotify has changed significantly in recent years, expanding into the realm of podcasts and offering more unique methods of enjoying music catered to the individual listener. To the student wondering where they fit into the equation, the more specialized Spotify becomes, the more innovators they will need to keep up the pace.
At noon, Spotify hosted a workshop to help students determine what elements of a resume make you stand out as a candidate and what Spotify looks for as opposed to other employers. The key takeaway from this workshop was to make sure that your resume adequately represents who you are, what you know, and what you want to know.
Cherise Bernard, who manages academic relations, talent acquisition and diversity at Spotify, said “Don’t just turn in the same resume that you would anywhere else. Show us why you belong at Spotify.”
Joel Ostlund, an engineer at Spotify, stated that “if you have a drive, you can have an impact.” He further elaborated that Spotify has a commitment to investing in people, so it is important to have a resume, portfolio, and cover letter that reflect a drive worth investing in.
Later that evening at 5 p.m., Bernard led a panel of current Spotify employees to introduce the various internship opportunities available to students at Spotify.
Internships usually fall into one of two categories: research and development or business. Research and development internships involve technical aspects such as data science or software engineering, while business internships are geared toward one of several specializations: legal, consumer marketing, finance and accounting, advertising sales and content, which includes artist and label marketing, Spotify Studios, podcast production and music culture.
Spotify’s recruiting website proudly states that “it doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from, what you look like, or what music you love — at Spotify you’ll be part of a band that reimagines the entertainment industry.” At Spotify, band members from different backgrounds often work in teams together, giving just as much potential for a writing major to find their niche as an engineer would have.
In response to a question from a student majoring in film, Bernard stressed the importance of “creating your own lane.” A film student might consider applying for an internship in podcast production. In doing so, they would “gain transferrable skills and be seen as an audio expert.”
“At first, I was hesitant to attend the Spotify mixer because I thought about music.” said Fashion design major Elizabeth Keyes. “But when I came to the event I felt very welcomed and the panelists were very approachable. I enjoyed learning that I had a spot in the Spotify band, and I look forward to applying.”
Internship roles are paid, full-time positions designed as a pipeline to a full-time career at Spotify upon graduation. After applying, interested upperclassmen can expect a recruiter to contact them for interviews and further evaluation throughout November and January, with official offers coming out in March.
Students can apply now at spotifyjobs.com/students. Applications for Summer 2020 internships are due by Nov. 11.