There are many reasons why hosting a music festival is a good idea, and only one of them involves attending a concert for free. Learn why working at this summer festival is a great way to advance your events career, and why it’s worth working for free.
1. Access to concert events
Some of the best ways to get a job at music festivals are by volunteering. Of course, paying for the hours you attend the festival is more attractive than working for free, but it can be difficult to find a paid job with minimal work experience.
However, music festivals almost always need volunteers. While volunteering for events may not land the coolest jobs, such as performing on stage or helping out with groups, the work that volunteers do is critical to a festival’s success.
2. Hours of voluntary work
The second best reason to volunteer at a music festival is volunteer courses. Volunteer hours look great on any resume and can often be a selling point for college and graduate applications.
3. Experience and knowledge
While we’ve demonstrated this, volunteering provides you with valuable experience in the events industry. When applying for your first job, think about how you would view someone who never volunteers for an event.
As a candidate, you already understand how live events work, where problems arise, and you have the hands-on experience and knowledge to deal with those issues. When someone applies for a job, the volunteer hours on your resume show commitment, experience, and knowledge of the career path you are working on.
4. Interior view
If you are unsure whether you work in a music festival or the concert industry, volunteer first. Volunteering helps you learn first-hand what music festival jobs are, and it’s a valuable way to find out if you enjoy working at an event or not.
5. Networking
It doesn’t happen all the time, but on occasion, volunteers will be asked to take on a role that involves more responsibility. This often involves working directly with events coordinators, event managers, bands, talent buyers, and agents. Regardless of what happens during your time as a volunteer, you will be in and around the people who are already getting paid to work in the industry.
