Live Event Design is a versatile degree that can lead to jobs and careers in many different areas. Visit the department website, watch the videos below, or scroll down and select an option under Related Career Fields to see more information about potential careers you can pursue.
Live Event Design Minor
Related Career Fields
Select a career field below to see some of the various areas it encompasses, types of employers, and some sample occupations.
Directing
Career Areas
- Direction
- Technical direction
- Casting
- Set design
- Stage management
- Production
- Dialect coaching
- Dramaturgy
- Support staff
Employers
- Theaters of varying types
- Television and motion picture studios
- Video production companies
- Other performance venues
General Information
- Seek formal training and experience.
- Develop leadership skills through participation in campus and community organizations.
- Gain both directing and technical experience by participating in college productions.
- Seek technical experiences in local theaters.
- Volunteer with directors in local theaters to become familiar with the environment.
- Serving as an assistant is a great way to get started in this area.
- Experience with fund-raising is important. Volunteer to do this with local theaters and arts councils.
- Learn what types of permits and insurance are needed to film or perform in certain areas.
Behind the Scenes
Career Areas
- Stage management
- Stage direction
- Set design / Construction
- Costume design
- Hair/Make-up
- Special effects
- Wardrobe
- Prop management
- Broadcast technology
- Rigging
- Electrical work
- Carpentry/Scenic artistry
Employers
- Community theaters
- Regional theaters
- Commercial theaters
- Summer stock theaters
- Dinner theaters
- Children’s theaters
- Repertory companies
- University theater groups
- Touring companies
- Industrial shows
- Show groups
- Amusement and theme parks
- Television/Film studios
- Radio stations
- Nightclubs
- Cabarets
- Cruise lines
- Acting conservatories
- Public or community programs
General Information
- Learn to work well on a team.
- Develop a sense of artistry and creativity.
- Get experience. Offer your services to school and local theaters.
- Read industry magazines and books to learn about your area.
- For sound design, become familiar with computer technology as digital sound effects and electronic music replace traditional means of sound design.
- Take courses in computers, math, and physics.
- For costume design, supplement your program with courses in art history and fashion design.
- For set design, take courses in architecture and design.
- Basic knowledge of history and architecture is helpful.
Business
Career Areas
- Producing
- Management
- Agents
- Marketing and advertising
- Fundraising and development
- Coordination of volunteers
- Administration of arts programs
- Box office sales
- Promotions
- Patron services
Employers
- Theaters
- Arts councils
- Television/Film studios
- Broadway
- Road company productions
- Regional theaters
- Stock productions
- Dinner theaters
- Cabarets
- Talent agencies
- Advertising agencies
- Art museums
General Information
- Administrative positions in theaters and studios can be stepping-stones to other positions and a good way to make contacts.
- Gain undergraduate training in business, public relations, communications, advertising, and theater.
- Complete an internship in area of interest.
- Develop skills in leadership, negotiation, budgeting, and fundraising.
- Seek as much experience on the college and local level as possible to develop a strong resume.
Education
Career Areas
- Private instruction
- Teaching
- Research
- Self-enrichment teaching
Employers
- Public and private schools, K-12
- Colleges and universities
- Performing arts centers
- Various types of theater
- Freelance
- Self-employed
General Information
- For K-12, obtain certification for the state in which you wish to teach.
- Obtain dual certification for more teaching opportunities.
- Get experience in various areas of theater and working with young people.
- Obtain a graduate degree to teach on the college level.
- Develop one or two areas of expertise within theater arts.
Join Organizations
Being active in both student and professional organizations can help boost your career. You'll have the opportunity to network with and learn from peers, mentors, and professionals. Working within these groups helps build leadership, teamwork, and communication skills. You'll gain hands-on experience, showing employers your proactive attitude and commitment to growth, making you a stronger job candidate.
Student Organizations
Check out the organizations listed below, search Laker Life, or talk with a Career Coach to find others.
Search for Employers
General Guidelines and Strategies
- Read newspapers and periodicals related to theater to keep up with new developments.
- Read the “trades”—magazines and newspapers that report events in the entertainment industry.
- Read the “Theater” section of daily newspapers to find out about upcoming productions.
- Join a relevant union or guild to be eligible for work assignments.
- Be prepared to do various tasks assigned by stage managers or producers.
- Volunteer with fundraising efforts for the arts.
- Some graduates relocate to a metropolitan area where more opportunities exist.
- Take advantage of unexpected opportunities.
- Have a back-up plan. Understand that you may face frequent and long periods of unemployment. Develop skills that qualify you for other jobs while you wait for opportunities.
- Consider pairing this field of work with another career interest or major to open more career possibilities.
- This industry helps students develop verbal and written communication, public speaking, and teamwork skills. These transferable skills are valued by many types of employers. In particular, positions in sales, marketing, management, and public relations may be open to students with this area of study.
- There are many ways to be involved in theater arts while working in another career field if you choose not to pursue theater as your way to make a living.
- Gain both directing and technical experience by participating in college productions.
- Seek technical experiences in local theaters.
- Volunteer with directors in local theaters to become familiar with the environment.
- For sound design, become familiar with computer technology as digital sound effects and electronic music replace traditional means of sound design.
- Serving as an assistant is a great way to get started in this area.
- For costume design, supplement your program with courses in art history and fashion design.
- For set design, take courses in architecture and design.
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