Ariel Hyatt, Founder, Ariel Publicity and Cyber PR (firms that have worked with over one thousand musicians and bands of all genres)

If you love a specific band or artist, look up whom they work with and put those companies on your list because nothing is more thrilling and satisfying than working for your favorite artists and bands (I still get a thrill out of that, and I’ve been working in the music industry for fourteen years).

Morna Cook, Head of Human Resources, Universal Music UK

Any music-related experience is valuable, whether you’ve volunteered at a festival, done work experience for a small label, or worked on a blog or Web site on your own time. It’s always good to see work experience on candidates’ CVs. Volunteering to work not only shows that you are dedicated and proactive but will also mean you have a better understanding of how things work in a practical sense. This will give you the edge over candidates who have purely theoretical knowledge.

John Kellogg, Assistant Chair of Music Business/Management Department, Berklee College of Music

I think the growth area is in management. [Managers] can coordinate all the various activities of creative talents and maximize those careers. It used to be [that] record companies were the central place where that happened. . . . That’s completely different now.

Lauren Drell, Branded Content Editor, Mashable

If you’re applying for a tech position, and the Spotify team likes what they see on your résumé, you’ll be contacted for a phone or Skype interview with an engineer. Then you’ll have a half day of on-site interviews (three hour-long meetings with engineers, and lunch with an engineer). Depending on the position, you may have to complete a coding challenge at home before arriving on-site. If you’re applying to work on the business side, you can expect one or two phone interviews and two or three hours of on-site interviews. The ideal candidate [according to Alexandra Cohen, Technical Director at Spotify]: “We are looking for motivated, passionate people who want to accept the mission of helping people find the right music for every moment.”

Lady Gaga

Stop taking selfies, because that won’t make you a star.