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Center for Careers and Internships

Arts, Media, and Communications

A student in a green tank top and red headphones is sitting in front of three brightly colored computer monitors editing a video.

The arts, media, and communications career path covers a wide range of professions that have one major element in common: highly competitive points of entry that require a lot of determination and effort. 

The Big Picture

Are you interested in BEING an artist?  This could be related to performance, design, painting, sculpting or composing. What about COMMUNICATING about art? That involves more studying, curating, teaching and reviewing. Or even FACILITATING art? This means advocating, organizing, marketing, fundraising, managing, presenting. 

Are you a news junkie? Journalism is certainly changing with the evolving digital landscape, but opportunities do still exist at newspapers and magazines of all sorts. Are you an entertainer at heart?  In the Arts this could be in the visual or performance spaces like galleries, museums or theaters.  In film, radio and television these are other venues where you can unleash your creative zest.  Sports, music and fashion are all parts of culture that you can cover in the media, in many shapes and sizes. 

Another thing true of this career path: trajectories are rarely straightforward and clearly accessible. YOU get to lay out your creative path, so don’t be waiting around for opportunities to come your way.  Go out and get them!  Read on to learn more about how to take advantage of lots of resources in Arts, Communications and Media. 

What You Can Expect

You could be drawn to work in this career path if: 

  • Creativity oozes out of you, but not always.  Yes, you might be the person ready to perform in front of the camera or on the stage, but also equally able to work behind the scenes in an important support role. 
  • You want to influence people’s behavior and decisions.  Whether via the written word or motion picture or audio, you have the chance to make an impression on an audience. 
  • You’re curious to discover and share trends in news and culture.  As someone who likely already follows current affairs, you’re ready to put that interest to work reporting for a magazine, news agency or other publication. 

Areas of Focus

Here are seven areas you can explore within this broad career path: 

Advertising/Marketing/Public Relations

It is quite common to talk about these 3 areas of work together. Although they are all interrelated, there is a significant difference between the three. 

Advertising is the means of communication to a target audience using mostly paid media such as television, radio, the Internet, and print publications. 

Marketing is the overall process of communication and delivering products to a target audience through the marketing mix of product, price, place and promotion. 

Public Relations is a communication method used by businesses to convey a positive image to a target audience and the general public. Examples of PR methods include but are not limited to, press releases, community involvement, and speaking at public forums on issues important to a target audience. 

Architecture and Design

This area includes a wide range of topics related to development, construction and engineering, interior design, landscape architecture, and urban planning.  

Digital/Social Media

A career in social media typically involves working to raise awareness of a company’s mission, products, programs, and services among its customers by communicating with them across social media channels. To accomplish this, the person in this position might create written stories, blog posts, messages, and videos and disperse them across social platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Youtube.  

Film/Radio/Television

There are the big networks and studios (NBC, ABC, Fox, Viacom, Warner Brothers, Columbia Pictures, Disney and more) and plenty of smaller, independent shops too.  Roles range from in front of the camera to pre- and post-production positions in music, sound, lighting, writing, costume, effects and of course acting.  New York and Los Angeles are the major geographic centers of this entertainment business. 

Performing Arts

Theater, Dance and Music make up the core of this area.  Whether your dream is Broadway, Lincoln Center, Hollywood or something else, there are sure to be hours spent diligently practicing and perfecting your craft.  Combined with a little luck, and surrounding yourself with the right people, the performing arts could be the career for you. 

Visual Arts

Work in museums, galleries and auction houses encompass this area.  Art educators and therapists, public art programs, arts advocacy groups, and community arts organizations operate primarily, but not exclusively, in the non-profit sector.  The commercial art world, which concerns itself with the buying and selling of arts objects, is a for-profit arena. Auction houses, art brokerages, galleries, and commercial art dealers fall within the commercial art arena. 

Writing/Publishing and Journalism

For someone considering this career area, the key is getting as much writing experience as possible and to read, read, read. If you have a natural curiosity, like to write and write well, thrive in time-driven situations, know how to ask the right questions, and have good interviewing and listening skills, these areas may be a field worth considering.

Top Resources

Use the links below to help you learn about these career paths. 

Visual Arts

Additional reading available through Middlebury’s library:

Tara Young, So You Want to Work in a Museum? 
N. Elizabeth Schlatter, Museum Careers: A Practical Guide for Students and Novices 

Architecture and Design

Additional reading available through Middlebury’s library:

A Planet to Win: Why We need a Green New Deal
The Death and Life of Great American Cities

Performing Arts

Film, Radio, and Television

Additional reading available through Middlebury’s library:

Peter Biskind’s book Down and Dirty Pictures : Miramax, Sundance, and the rise of independent film
David Rensin’s book The Mailroom: Hollywood History from the Bottom Up
Jonathan Kern’s book Sound Reporting: The NPR Guide to Audio Journalism and Production
Jessica Abel’s book Out on the Wire: The Storytelling Secrets of the New Masters of Radio

Writing, Publishing, and Journalism

Music

Additional reading available through Middlebury’s library:

Donald Passman’s Book All You Need to Know about the Music Business

Sports

Advertising, Marketing, and Public Relations

Additional reading available through Middlebury’s library:

Connected by Design: Seven Principles for Business Transformation Through Functional Integration

Stories from the Field

Finding the right career path starts with hearing real-world stories and connecting with those who’ve been there. CCI offers a range of resources to help you explore careers, gain advice, and build meaningful connections.

Career Conversations

A young woman with long, wavy brown hair, wearing army green pants and a green sweater, sits in an office chair with her leggs crossed and smiling into the camera.

Mady Despins ’15

Development Executive, Amazon Studios

Early Career and Education

College Jobs and Internships

  • Worked at a local movie theater and as a ball girl during college.
  • Held retail jobs and film/TV internships every summer, starting with J.Crew, then moved through various roles:
    • Unscripted production company (realized she didn’t like unscripted).
    • Lifetime (marketing not for her).
    • A&E Studios in Los Angeles, CA (LA) (scripted - found her passion).
  • Her thesis on international TV adaptations helped her land her first job in LA

Connections

  • Got most internships through her personal network.
  • Another effort: joined Creative Minds Group and interned at Berlin, Cannes, and Toronto Film Festivals.
Post-College and Agency Experience

Started at a Talent Agency (CAA)

  • Knew she didn’t want to be an agent but used it as a fast-track education in industry dynamics and assistant skills.
  • Emphasized how important this foundational experience is for Hollywood roles, especially as most major studios value agency experience.
  • Social aspect was also crucial, it helped build her network in LA.
Climbing the Ladder

Career Progression:

  • CAA to HBO (assistant in miniseries department) to Charlize Theron’s company (coordinator, then manager) to Amazon (executive).
  • Used title negotiations (like changing “assistant” to “coordinator”) to help accelerate perceived growth.
  • Advocated for herself for title changes and compensation over time.

Transition to Executive Role:

  • Described the jump from assistant to executive as one of the hardest.
  • Found more growth opportunities at smaller companies, which allowed more exposure and quicker promotions.
Current Role at Amazon

Position: Development Executive in Tentpole Genre Universe

Responsibilities:

  • Hearing pitches, evaluating submissions, and identifying books to adapt.
  • Managing shows through development, production, post-production, and launch.
  • Provides creative oversight and participates in marketing meetings.
Industry Insights and Advice

How Pitches Get to Execs:

  • Must come through agents, managers, producers, or lawyers (no unsolicited submissions).
  • Projects are routed based on the executive’s interests and department.

Transferable Skills for Entry-Level Jobs:

  • Communication, project management, attention to detail, professionalism, ability to manage logistics (travel, contracts, etc.)
  • Marketing and other adjacent experiences can be transferable to assistant roles if basic assistant skills are present.

Suggested Resources:

  • Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, Variety, and Puck News.

Mindset and Resilience:

  • Starting in the Industry is chaotic and emotionally challenging.
  • Emphasized persistence, resilience, and clarity of purpose.
  • “You often don’t see how the dots connect until you look back.”
A woman with long, straight, brown hair, stands outside in front of water, with a brown fleece jacket on and brown scarf. She is smiling into the camera.

Betsy Twitchell ’01

Editor-in-Chief, Science, W.W. Norton & Company

Betsy’s Career Journey
  • She realized that selling feels like advocacy when you genuinely believe in the product, shaping her sales experience at Norton.
  • Worked in product marketing during the shift from print to digital in higher education publishing, focusing on ebooks, assessments, videos, and interactive content.
  • Biology Acquisitions Editor: Immersed herself in the biology discipline by attending academic conferences and meeting with faculty. Collaborated closely with authors and instructors to create textbooks and digital learning tools that balanced innovation with practicality. Valued knowing the customer (college instructors and students) and the research-driven, collaborative process of textbook creation.
  • Currently editor-in-chief for science at Norton, overseeing STEM editors, financial planning, growth projections, and team management.
Trade and Educational Publishing
  • Trade editing is highly competitive, requiring sharp critical analysis, strong networking, and a good relationship with senior editors.
  • Entry-level roles like editorial assistant are common starting points, often leading to promotions within the company.
  • Educational publishing offers other fulfilling roles such as acquisitions editors, media editors, production editors, and designers.
Advice for Breaking Into Publishing
  • Apply broadly to all roles you’re qualified for, not just your ideal job, to get your foot in the door.
  • Build early interest in publishing through internships, writing for campus publications, or other relevant experiences.
  • Publishing courses can provide valuable industry insights but are expensive and a job is not guaranteed.
Future of Publishing
  • The publishing industry faces uncertainty due to AI and declining readership. However, Betsy remains optimistic about human creativity, believing that people will continue to value human-authored work.
  • Educational publishing may shift from physical books to highly interactive digital experiences, such as virtual labs.
  • Adaptations of books into films continue to grow, with film rights being sold, resulting in increased book sales.
  • The sub-rights department, which manages translation and film rights, provides opportunities for those interested in contracts and law.
Top skills you look for when hiring
  • Intellectual curiosity
  • Collaboration
  • Persistence

MiddConnect

Need career advice? MiddConnect is your gateway to connecting with Middlebury’s global network of alumni and parent volunteers. Search an extensive database using filters like employer, job role, location, or major to find people who align with your career interests.

Use MiddConnect to:

  • Set up 1:1 conversations with alumni and parents.
  • Explore career paths and industries.
  • Network for advice when applying for roles.

MiddConnect is part of the Midd2Midd platform, which fosters mentoring, networking, and engagement within the Middlebury community worldwide. Whether you’re seeking a mentor, exploring career options, or sharing your expertise with others, MiddConnect helps you build meaningful connections across the Middlebury community.

Join Midd2Midd TODAY!

futureforward

Watch alumni and parent leaders discuss their industries, share current trends, and provide actionable steps to help you break into those fields.

Live from DC

Watch Live from DC webinars featuring experts in policy-driven career fields, discussing how current events shape opportunities and challenges.

MIDDVantage

Explore virtual career exploration MIDDVantage episodes featuring Middlebury alumni and guests offering insights into various career paths and industries.

MIDDVantage: Inside the Industry

Exploring Careers in Creative Design

Exploring Careers in Innovation: Start-Ups to Larger Enterprises

Exploring Careers in Technology’s New Frontiers

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