Creative Arts, Communications, Sports, and Entertainment Career Community
Students interested in this community may wish to focus on careers in designing, producing, exhibiting, performing, writing, and publishing multimedia content including visual and performing arts and design, journalism, and/or entertainment services.
Creative Arts occupations focus on using various mediums to convey creative expression through visual arts, theatre, dance, film, and presentation of sound and video. Individuals working in this industry spend time developing opportunities to showcase work, building portfolios, studying and rehearsing roles, and collaborating with other arts organizations and individuals.
Communications fields focus on the transferrable skills of written and verbal communication in a variety of different career paths. This includes everything from global, multibillion-dollar businesses that connect manufacturers to consumers and small nonprofits that create and disseminate content to specific constituencies or audiences.
Sports & Entertainment occupations encompass every facet of the sports/entertainment industry at the local, regional, and national levels. The sports industry is a market in which people, activities, businesses, and organizations are involved in producing, facilitating, promoting, or organizing any activity, experience, or business enterprise focused on sports. The most common careers in the entertainment field include jobs in production or direction, business or management, and artistic performance.
Contact Your Career Advisors
Jobs and Internships
Check out the Elon Job Network (EJN) for the latest Creative Arts, Communications, Sports and Entertainment jobs and internships. For additional Creative Arts, Communications, Sports and Entertainment-specific job and internships, check out the links below.
CREATIVE ARTS
Funding
Arts Administrators of Color (AAC) Arts Leaders of Color Emergency Fund
Audio Assemble: State & National Relief opportunities
Playbill: Relief opportunities/ News
Employment
A community for the arts, cultural and creative industries.
Association of Arts Administration Educators
Backstage: Casting Calls & Auditions
Sponsored by the Association of American Publishers, the leading trade association for the U.S. book and publishing industry
A theatre news website based in New York City that publishes daily coverage of Broadway, Off-Broadway, regional, and international theatre productions.
Careers Broadway: Tips on how to find theatre-related jobs, when to apply, interviewing, etc.
Casting Frontier: Online casting opportunities
Dancing Opportunities: Casting Calls & Auditions
Entertainers Worldwide Jobs – dedicated website for performers to find auditions, jobs and opportunities to get work both locally and around the world.
Indeed: Performing Arts Focus
USITT: Industry Resources, job opportunities
Professional Development
Actors Fund: Workshops
Ovation TV Stands for the Arts
Soundfly: Performing arts workshops
WorkingWardrobes: Interactive webinars & virtual workshops
COMMUNICATIONS
(STRAT COM, JOURNALISM, MEDIA ANALYTICS, COM DESIGN, IMEDIA)
American Advertising Association – Job Center
Authenticjobs – Job board for designers, developers, and creative pros
Coroflot – Design jobs
Creative Ham – Advertising jobs
CreativeHotlist – Job board for creatives in communication arts
Diversity Action Alliance – List of communications jobs from organizations seeking diverse talent
Dribble – Graphic design jobs
Digital and Social Media – Gateway to Mashable’s community of leading digital talent (jobs posted)
Interactive Design IxDA – Job board for interaction design
JournalismNext.com – Leading job and community website for minority journalists and media professionals.
Prof KRG – Media jobs and internships
Public Affairs – The career center (Public Affairs Council) lists the most recent public affairs job announcements and career opportunities from top corporations, associations and firms.
Public Relations – Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) job board
SPORTS/SPORT MANAGEMENT
American Junior Golf Association
Blue Fish Jobs – Jobs in collegiate recreation
Comcast Spectator – A leader in sports and entertainment
HigherEdJobs – Athletics and coaching
International Facilities Management Association – IFMA
Jobs in Sports – (Username: careerservices@elon.edu PW: Joyride10)
NASCAR – National Association for Stock Car Racing
NBA – National Basketball Association
NCAA – The Martket – Careers in College Athletics
NFL – National Football League
National Recreation and Park Association
North Carolina Recreation & Park Association
Octagon – Octagon is the world’s largest sponsorship consulting practice and a pioneer and leader in athlete and personality representation and management.
Teamwork Online – Connecting people to careers in sports and live events
TV/FILM
Hollylist – Los Angeles based opportunities
LA411 – Los Angeles based production opportunities
Mandy.com – Jobs platform for TV/film cast, crew and creative professionals
The Tracking Board – TV/Film roles
Explore Occupations
CAREERS IN CREATIVE ARTS
Careers in Art – How to become …
10 Creative Careers that Won’t Require You to Be a Starving Artist
Occupational Outlook Handbook – Art and Design Occupations
CAREERS IN COMMUNICATIONS
Communication Design
AIGA Career Guide – Information about careers in design
Journalism
Journalism Career Information and Job Duties
Media Analytics
Strategic Communications
Interactive Media
Graphic Design & Interactive Media Career Paths
CAREERS IN SPORT AND ENTERTAINMENT
Occupational Outlook Handbook – Entertainment and Sports Occupations
Majors at Elon University
CREATIVE ARTS
Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts
Digital Art (minor)
Photography (minor)
Bachelor of Arts in English
Multimedia Authoring (minor)
Professional Writing and Rhetoric
Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science
Music Production & Recording Arts
Piano Pedagogy (minor)
BFA in Performing Arts
Dance Performance & Choreography
Theatrical Design & Technology
COMMUNICATIONS
SPORT AND ENTERTAINMENT
Employment Outlook and Trends
CREATIVE ARTS
Creative Economy State Profiles
COMMUNICATIONS
Occupational Outlook Handbook – Media and Communication Occupations
Interactive Media Designer: Salary, Duties, Outlook and Requirements (10/2021)
What’s New in Interactive Media?
SPORT AND ENTERTAINMENT
Occupational Outlook Handbook – Entertainment and Sports Occupations
Professional Associations
CREATIVE ARTS
Art
American Alliance of Museums – Large unifying organization of museums. Strives to create standards of practice within museums within the United States
American Art Therapy Association – A non-profit organization engaged in promoting the profession and the professional practice of art therapy
American Craft Council – National organization which hosts national craft shows and conferences, publishes two magazines, maintains an extensive awards program and is home to a comprehensive library and archives
American Institute of Graphic Arts – A large national cohort of all forms of communication design, including graphic design, typography, interaction design, branding and identity
American Society of Media Photographers – a professional association of imaging professionals, including photojournalists, architectural, underwater, food/culinary and advertising photographers as well as video/film makers and other specialists.
Animation World Network – A online publishing group that specializes in resources for animators, with an extensive website offering news, articles and links for professional animators and animation fans.
Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design – A non-profit consortium of 39 leading art and design colleges in the United States and Canada
Association of Medical Illustrators – the premier global resource for promoting the power of visual media to advance scientific understanding, communication, education, research, and offers certification in the field of medical illustration.
College Art Association – The principal organization in the United States for professionals in the visual arts, from students to art historians to emeritus faculty.
Industrial Designers Society of America – a membership-based not-for-profit organization that promotes the practice and education of industrial design.
National Cartoonists Society – the world’s largest and most prestigious organization of professional cartoonists.
National Press Photographers Association – fights for the working news photographer, videographer and multimedia journalist in the Internet age.
Society of American Archivists – Promotes the value and diversity of archives and archivists and serves as the preeminent resource for the profession.
Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators – Acts as a powerful force to effect important changes within the field of children’s literature, promoting new copyright legislation, equitable treatment of authors and artists and fair contract terms.
Society of Illustrators – A professional society based in New York City. It was founded to promote the art of illustration and holds an annual exhibition.
Dance
American Dance Guild – United-States based guild for American dancers dedicated to supporting artists and bringing the dance community together.
American Dance Therapy Association – Establishes and maintains standards of professional education in the field of dance/movement therapy.
Dance USA – Dance/USA is the national service organization for professional dance promoting Leadership & Learning, Research & Information, Advocacy & Visibility, and Archiving & Preservation within dance.
National Association of Schools of Dance – Was established in 1981 to develop a closer relationship among schools and programs of dance for the purpose of examining and improving practices and professional standards in dance education and training.
National Dance Education Organization – National non-profit organization supporting dance education and dance in the United States, it is a membership services organization that supports dance teachers with programs and services.
Stage Directors and Choreographers Society – An independent national labor union, representing theatrical directors and choreographers, working on Broadway and on National tours, Off-Broadway, and in various resident, regional, stock and dinner theatres throughout the United States
Music
American Federation of Musicians – A large labor union representing professional instrumental musicians in the United States and Canada.
American Guild of Musical Artists – An international organization that offers certification in the field of medical illustration
American Music Therapy Association – The American Music Therapy Association is a resource and organization dedicated to professional music therapists committed to the advancement of education, training, professional standards, credentials, and research in support of the music therapy profession.
Conductors Guild – A non-union organization which offers services to enhance the training and development of conductors and promises to represent the views of conductors to the larger community of music professionals.
League of American Orchestras – is a North American service organization with 700 member orchestras and leads, serves, and advocates for orchestras and the orchestral art form
Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association – An international organization that was formed to bring together educators with leaders of the music and entertainment industries by facilitating an exchanging of information between educators and practitioners in order to prepare students for careers in the music and entertainment industries.
Music Teachers National Association – An American nonprofit professional organization for the support, growth, and development of music-teaching professionals
National Association for Music Education – An organization of American music educators dedicated to advancing and preserving music education as part of the core curriculum of schools in the United States.
Society for Ethnomusicology – a global, interdisciplinary network of individuals and institutions engaged in the study of music across all cultural contexts and historical periods
Women in Music – Non-profit working to advance the awareness, equality, diversity, heritage, opportunities, and cultural aspects of women in the musical arts through education, support, empowerment, and recognition.
Theatre & Acting
American Association of Community Theatre – AACT offers a wide range of opportunities to share experiences, problems, successes and love of theatre.
American Federation of Television and Radio Artists –
American Society of Cinematographers – An organization that promotes cultural, educational, and professional development for Cinematographers.
Association for Theater in Higher Education – United States-based non-profit membership organization whose mission is “To support and advance the study and practice of theatre and performance in higher education.
Directors Guild of America – An entertainment guild that represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry and abroad.
Educational Theatre Association – Committed to shaping lives through theatre education by honoring student achievement, supporting educators, and influencing public policy
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees – A labor union representing over 140,000 technicians, artisans and craftspersons in the entertainment industry, including live theatre, motion picture and television production, and trade shows.
National Association of Schools of Theatre – Establishes national standards for undergraduate and graduate degrees and other credentials for theatre and theatre-related disciplines, and provides assistance to institutions and individuals engaged in artistic, scholarly, educational, and other theatre-related endeavors.
SAG AFTRA – Brings together two American labor unions: Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists to preserve the rights of those involved on all media distribution platforms.
Stage Managers Association – The only professional association for stage managers in the United States.
Dramatists Guild – The National Trade Association of playwrights, composers, lyricists, & librettists
Stage Directors & Choreographers Society – Union that represents choreographers and stage directors for both all professional contracts, including Broadway and National Tours
COMMUNICATIONS
Cinema and Television Arts
American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
International Documentary Association
Communication Design
American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) – The Professional Association for Design
Directory of design organizations
Journalism
Society of Professional Journalists
The Radio Television Digital News Association
American Society of Media Photographers
The Association of Magazine Media
Media Analytics
Articles and current information – SEO
Get realistic information and guidance on what works with search marketing.
Networking organization includes great information from leaders in the industry plus opportunities to network with experts within the Triangle area
Strategic Communications
American Advertising Federation (AAF)
Includes members across all disciplines and career levels in advertising.
American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA)
The 4A’s empowers members to drive commerce, spark connections, and shape culture through infinite creativity.
Advertising Educational Federation
Brings together advertising, marketing and academic communities to educate and inspire the next generation of talent while advancing the understanding of marketing and advertising in society.
Resources including best practices, webinars and publications
Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)
Offers career guidance to help get you on the right path to your next job. Career resources are available at every stage of your career.
Interactive Media
Interaction Design Association (IXDA)
SPORT AND ENTERTAINMENT
American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance
American Junior Golf Association
NCAA – National Collegiate Athletic Association
NJCAA – National Junior College Athletic Association
North American Society for Sport Management
Student Organizations
ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL
American Advertising Federation
https://elon.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/americanadvertisingfederation
Interested in advertising? Join Elon’s chapter of the American Advertising Federation to learn more about the industry and collaborate with other creative students. Our goal is to help our members successfully make the transition from just learning about advertising, to actually being able to apply skills and talents to real world projects.
Audio Engineering Society
https://elon.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/audioengineeringsociety
“Students, Faculty, Staff, Mentors and more come together to discuss the music industry and gain professional connections with people in the business of music, from live and studio sound, to game audio, physics of sound and many more.”
Delta Chi Xi
https://elon.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/deltachixi
“Elon’s chapter of Delta Chi Xi Honorary Dance Fraternity, Inc was created to uplift dance as a passion and realistic avenue that connects movement to academic excellence, international studies, outreach and education and business principles.”
Mu Phi Epsilon
https://elon.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/muphiepsilon
“Mu Phi Epsilon is a professional Music Fraternity that is open to music majors and minors who have completed their first semester of music theory and aural skills. Mu Phi does service for the music community and teaches professionalism in the arts.”
Society of Professional Journalists
https://elon.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/societyofprofessionaljournalists
“The Society of Professional Journalists is the nation’s most broad-based journalism organization, dedicated to encouraging …the free practice of journalism and stimulating high standards of ethical behavior. Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to a well-informed citizenry through the daily work of its nearly 10,000 members; works to inspire and educate current and future journalists through professional development; and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press through its advocacy efforts.”
CREATIVE ARTS
Dance and Performing Arts
DanceWorks
https://elon.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/danceworks
“Elon DanceWorks is a student run dance organization open to dancers and movers of all levels. We hold dance classes every week in a variety of styles ranging from ballet, contemporary, jazz, tap, hip hop, and much more hoping to the get the Elon community moving!”
Elon’s Finest
https://elon.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/elonsfinest
“To better the Elon University Community by celebrating our unity through service and entertainment.”
Elon Irish Dance Club
https://elon.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/IrishDanceClub
“Elon Irish Dance Team provides opportunities for former Irish dancers to practice and perform on and off campus and opportunities for other dancers to learn and experience Irish dance.”
Please Clap
https://elon.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/Laughelongs
“Please Clap is the premier all-inclusive improv club on campus…similar to an episode of “Whose Line is it Anyway”. We’re always looking for more members and more show opportunities, come laugh with us!”
Music
Melanated Melodies
https://elon.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/melanatedmelodies
Melanated Melodies is a predominantly Black-identified group that performs a cappella music. Our goal is to provide opportunities on campus for Black-identified students to engage in the making of a cappella music while also providing a space for Black-identified students to express themselves through music.
Renegade Productions
https://elon.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/renegadeproductions
“Our mission is to promote and enact the production of student written, directed, and/or devised theater. We strive to expose students and faculty (performing arts and otherwise) to alternative methods of theatrical production, design, and performance.”
Rip_Chord
https://elon.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/rip_chord
Rip_Chord is Elon’s premiere all-male a cappella group. The group was founded in 2006, and its members dedicate themselves to providing the community with top-notch a cappella music.”
Shirley Tempos
https://elon.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/ShirleyTempos
“The Shirley Tempos are an all-female a cappella group at Elon University consisting of 17 talented girls who love to sing and have a great time! When Tempos aren’t recording in the studio, goofing off in rehearsal, or performing at their end of semester concerts, they perform regularly at gigs both on and off campus.”
Smooth Progressions
https://elon.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/smoothprogressions
“Smooth Progressions is an all-male A Capella ensemble. The purpose of Smooth Progressions is to enrich, entertain and inspire the Elon campus through a cappella performance.”
Sweet Signatures
https://elon.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/sweetsignatures
“Sweet Signatures is Elon University’s oldest all-female a cappella group. The group was founded in 2001 by a group of women bound by their passion for singing. It has grown and evolved into an established, successful group with a strong presence both on and off campus.”
Twisted Measure
https://elon.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/TwistedMeasure
“Founded in 1999, Twisted Measure is Elon’s oldest a cappella group. Comprised of a close-knit group of male and female students from a wide range of vocal and personal backgrounds, TM performs frequently on and off campus with 7 completed studio albums.”
Vital Signs
https://elon.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/vitalsigns
“Vital Signs is a coed a Cappella group founded in 2011. They regularly perform on-campus at Elon and in the greater Burlington community. The group is a family of singers across all different interests, majors, and backgrounds who share one common love – performance and music.”
COMMUNICATIONS
Cinelon Productions
https://elon.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/cinelon
Cinelon Productions is Elon’s only student-run film production company. It exists to connect students through film and facilitate production of film projects at a professional level.
elondocs
https://elon.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/elondocs
elondocs is a School of Communications program where students participate in a year of technical assistance, small group workshops, and documentary collaboration.
ESTV
https://elon.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/estv
Elon Student Television is the home to 5 student-produced TV shows here on campus. There are opportunities to get involved weekly through on-air talent, creative producing, technical aspects, and public relations for our shows!
Limelight Records
https://elon.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/limelight
“We are Limelight Records, Elon University’s sole promotional group for up-and-coming student musicians. We give the unheard a voice by providing undiscovered, talented student artists with the opportunity to record their music, play live shows, develop an image, and acquire a fanbase.”
Sport Management
Elon Sports Vision
https://elon.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/phoenixall-access
“Elon Sports Vision is the official broadcasting organization of the Elon Athletic Department and aims to prepare members for careers in the sports video industry.”
eSports Club
https://elon.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/esports
“Goal: Elon University Esports is an organization which strives to provide a community for students interested in the world of Esports. Including popular games such as League of Legends, Overwatch, Rainbow Six: Siege, Super Smash Brothers, and many more, we make it our goal to help students form teams for games they wish to compete with against players across the United States.
Sport Management Society
https://elon.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/premiersportandeventsociety
“The Sport Management Society is a student-run organization that allows students interested in Sport Management (SPT) to connect and network with fellow students, professors and industry professionals.”