The Center for Career Exploration and Development (CCED) offers resources and support for students' professional development across campus. In addition, the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance benefits from a designated Career Engagement Specialist who provides students with tailored guidance, helping them navigate the industry and pursue their unique career goals.
Drop-In Hours & Appointments
CCED Drop-In Hours: Stop by Muller 101 anytime Mon-Fri 11am-2pm and meet with a trained Peer Career Advisor to have your résumé or cover letter reviewed, discuss your grad school search, and beyond!
This list is intended to assist in your job search, but does not cover all areas that MTD students may be interested in exploring. Students are advised to verify the legitimacy of each posting before applying. Job scams can appear even on reputable sites.
Casting sites are online platforms where performers can find and apply for acting opportunities in theater, film, and television. These sites are valuable as they provide access to a wide range of casting calls, helping students gain experience, build their résumés, and connect with industry professionals.
Actors Access: One of the most widely used casting websites in North America; tv shows, films; can submit to roles without talent representation
Backstage: Oriented towards beginners; smaller commercials, theatre, student films; includes educational articles about the industry
Playbill: Broadway’s #1 job site - acting, internships, administrative, design, technical, and all other stage employment opportunities
Freelance platforms are online marketplaces that connect freelancers (independent professionals who work on a project-by-project basis) with clients seeking their expertise and services. Many individuals in the music industry are freelancers. Freelance work offers the chance to build a diverse portfolio, hone skills, expand professional networks, and enjoy a flexible schedule, all while choosing projects that align with personal interests.
Airgigs: began in early 2012 as the first marketplace for hiring session musicians and recording engineers and has since grown into a global talent base
Fiverr: popular freelance platform with a variety of services and users, including musicians, sound engineers, composers, and voice over artists
SoundBetter: a music-specific marketplace where musicians can find and hire professionals for tasks like mixing, mastering, producing, songwriting, singing, and more
Twine: connects companies with creative and digital freelancers, including various music and audio services
Upwork: businesses post projects and freelancers can apply to those projects, essentially acting as a job board for freelance work
Summer music festivals, institutes, and competitions offer music students opportunities to enhance their skills, gain performance experience, collaborate with peers and mentors, and showcase their talents in a focused, immersive environment. These opportunities are amazing résumé-builders!
ENTWORK’s Directory of Summer Theatre: An extensive list of professional theatres and theatre festivals in the US that present stage productions in the summer; broken down regionally
Take Five: resource created to increase accessibility to internships, apprenticeships, and fellowships for young theatre professionals by providing the information necessary for position consideration and application all in one place. Select the opportunities tab to explore!
League of Resident Theatres: LORT theatres operate under a collective bargaining agreement with unions like Actors' Equity Association, ensuring specific standards for compensation, working conditions, and other benefits for its employees.
BIPOC Arts Job Board: Opera, theatre, festivals; celebrating BIPOC professionals in the industry
Handshake: an online career platform designed for college students and recent graduates to find jobs, internships, and networking opportunities, connecting them with over a million employers. Use your Netpass username & password to sign up / log in. Be sure to follow IC's Performing & Fine Artscollection (explore tab, Ithaca College "view your school's resources," scroll down to our collections)!
OffStage Jobs:Behind-the-scenes jobs in the live entertainment industry
Playbill: Broadway’s #1 job site - acting, internships, administrative, design, technical, and all other stage employment opportunities
Take Five: resource created to increase accessibility to internships, apprenticeships, and fellowships for young theatre professionals by providing the information necessary for position consideration and application all in one place. Select the opportunities tab to explore!
The Online Application System for K-12 Education (OLAS): job application system serving schools and districts throughout New York state and the surrounding areas of CT, MA, NJ, PA, and VT. There is no cost to register as an applicant on OLAS - multiple job opportunities, one application.
Teacher Recruitment Day (Western & Central, NY): annual job fairs connecting K–12 teacher candidates with school districts, including open networking and scheduled interviews, offering schools an efficient way to recruit qualified educators in one day.
K12 Job Spot: Build profile, upload resume, and apply to multiple teaching jobs; get insight on school districts, such as their student population and upcoming events
Higher Ed Jobs: College and university faculty and administration jobs
School Spring: Teaching job board with openings nationwide
BIPOC Arts Job Board: Opera, theatre, festivals; celebrating BIPOC professionals in the industry
Digital Music: music industry jobs, from major recording labels, streaming services, universities, merchandising companies, startups, and more
Handshake: an online career platform designed for college students and recent graduates to find jobs, internships, and networking opportunities, connecting them with over a million employers. Use your Netpass username & password to sign up / log in. Be sure to follow IC's Performing & Fine Arts collection (explore tab, Ithaca College "view your school's resources," scroll down to our collections)!
Music Careers: Built by music professionals for music professionals; includes opportunities in music recording & performance, marketing & PR, live entertainment, and more
Musical Chairs: Best for classical music and academic jobs (orchestras, conservatories, etc.)
Music Jobs: Jobs board for freelancers and companies in the music industry
Opera America: Opera and theatre opportunities including artistic administration, marketing & PR, technical / production
Orchestra Plan: For orchestra musicians to find and apply for auditions by creating a professional profile with their information and achievements
Soundlister: For audio professionals to showcase their skills and find employment opportunities and projects; also serves as a recruitment portal for those seeking sound talents
Appel Farm Arts Camp (NJ) – inclusive arts camp hiring counselors and specialists in all disciplines
Belvoir Terrace (MA) – girls’ performing arts camp hiring dance, music, and theatre staff
Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp (MI) – music, dance, theatre, and visual arts camp that hires seasonal staff
Brevard Music Center (NC) – classical music institute; offers staff and internship roles
Luzerne Music Center (NY) – music camp offering counselor and teaching assistant roles
Stagedoor Manor (MA) – theatre camp famous for its alumni; offers counselor and production roles
Professional associations, organizations, and labor unions offer students valuable connections to industry standards, networking opportunities, and career development resources. These groups help emerging artists stay informed, build professional relationships, and access tools that support a successful transition from student to working professional.
Actor's Equity Association (Equity): labor union that represents more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers; advances the careers of its members by negotiating wages, improving working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans
Audio Engineering Society (AES): only professional society devoted exclusively to audio technology; unites audio engineers, creative artists, scientists and students by promoting the growth, knowledge, and appreciation of the science and art of audio
Dramatists Guild of America (DGA): the national, professional trade association for American theater writers, including playwrights, composers, lyricists, and librettists
Music Teachers National Association: a collaborative community of music-teaching professionals, connecting both the seasoned educator and those at the beginning of their career; networking, leadership, mentoring and educational opportunities
National Association for Music Educators (NAfMe): collaborative community that supports music educators and advocates for equitable access to music education; check out their collegiate membership section
Theatre Communications Group (TCG): commitment to modeling and advocating for the structural, cultural, and equitable environments that a just and thriving theatre ecology requires; check out their student membership section to learn about what is included
Women's Audio Mission (WAM): dedicated to the advancement of women and gender-expansive people in music/audio production and creative technology, fields in which they are critically underrepresented; music and media arts training, mentorship, and conferences
ACX: Amazon's and Audible's platform that connects authors with voice actors to create and distribute digital audiobooks. It serves as a marketplace where narrators audition for projects from self-published authors, independent publishers, and literary agents.
Backstage: a leading online platform providing a casting engine and resources for voice actors to find auditions and apply for voiceover jobs; under the “Job Type” drop down menu toggle to “voiceover”
Upwork: a large online freelance platform where clients seeking voiceover talent post jobs, and voice actors can apply to these jobs or create "gigs" to offer their services for projects like commercials, animations, explainer videos, and more
Voices: a global online marketplace that connects businesses and creators with professional voice actors for projects like audiobooks, online ads, and e-learning content
Voice 123: a pay-to-play online marketplace that connects voice actors with clients seeking voiceover services; voice actors create a profile to showcase their demos and skills, then use paid membership plans to gain access to and audition for projects posted by clients
This general résumé guide offers essential tips on formatting, showcasing achievements, and tailoring your résumé to job descriptions. While it provides useful advice, it may not be as specialized as other resources on the MTD Career Engagement webpage. For more specific guidance, refer to those documents or meet with the MTD Career Engagement Specialist.
This guide for music performers outlines best practices for effectively showcasing your performance experience, education, training, and additional skills. As a musician or vocalist, your résumé serves as a key tool for securing auditions, interviews, fellowships, festivals, grants, competitions, and graduate programs. This guide will help you craft a clear, compelling résumé.
This résumé guide for Acting and Musical Theatre B.F.A. students focuses on best practices for showcasing your theatre, film, and TV credits, as well as your headshot, training, skills, and union/non-union status. The guide is an outline on how to effectively present your performance experience and make a strong impression in the competitive entertainment industry.
Freelance work involves self-employed individuals offering their expertise on a project-by-project or contract basis, allowing for independent work. This guide covers the pros and cons of freelancing, key skills for success, and a step-by-step approach to getting started.
IC Internship Funding Resources Ithaca College has several excellent resources to assist students with unpaid or low paying internships. These include the IC Career Center Internship Fund, The Class of '08 Scholarship, and The Washington DC Scholarship as well as the Alice Flaum Berman '71 Summer Music Festival Scholarship. Applications go live at the start of the spring semester.
IC’s Student Emergency Relief Fund The Student Emergency Relief Fund provides financial assistance to students facing unexpected emergencies. This application-based funding is intended for unforeseen and unanticipated situations. Additionally, the fund helps students with financial need to purchase course materials at the start of each semester.
bold.org Provides a variety of scholarship opportunities to students at various education levels and fields of study, helping them reduce college costs without taking on debt. Users create a personalized profile, allowing them to find scholarships tailored to their background and goals, and can also earn "Bold Points" by engaging with the platform to increase their chances of winning.
Entertainment Community Fund National organization providing vital social services, emergency financial assistance, career development, and support for affordable housing, health care, and senior care to all professionals in the performing arts and entertainment industry, including those in film, theater, television, music, radio, dance, and opera. Formerly known as The Actors Fund.
National Endowment for the Arts Federal agency established in 1965 to promote and strengthen the arts in the United States by funding artistic projects and education. Find information on funding opportunities, research resources, and application forms for eligible organizations and individuals. For application submission, you may also need to use Grants.gov, the federal government's portal for all federal funding opportunities.
Princess Grace Foundation USA The Princess Grace Awards identify and support extraordinary emerging artists in theater, dance and film through career-advancing grants.