advice - help me choose a job

[flashback]

If you feel like offering me some insight or opinion...

I have two offers and the deadline is approaching for when I need to decide which one I'm going to take. I work in the music biz, and both jobs are management positions for bands who already have a Primary manager, so I would be like the secondary or day-to-day manager.

Job 1: LA based, working for company that only manages one, albeit large and successful band. Definitely have reached the height of their career and are just riding it out - still have a big, dedicated fan-base and do very well in terms of touring revenue. Band is "alt-rock". Start date June 1.

Pro's: Love the guys in the band (have worked for them previously in a different role), prefer LA, potentially looking at a slow year for the band so my job would be really easy, would be learning from a big industry vet who has managed some of my favorite bands of all time (chiefly, primal scream and the the), more status & respect in general because of who the band is. More of a "sure thing" I guess, whatever that means.

Con's: Lower salary than the other job, signing new acts NOT a priority, unless they are already well-established and an immediate ROI - this is a big thing for me because its really why I'm in this business in the first place. Thats not to say that I wouldn't be able to look for new acts & sign them, especially if the other band isn't doing much, BUT it isn't a priority and I wouldn't be able to sign them unless they were really, REALLY special, OR already established, like I mentioned.

Job 2: NY based, working for a growing firm that has 3 bands on the roster... younger bands that are still building their careers. Bands would be considered more "hip" than the other one (think Hipster Run-Off, Vice, Pitchfork, etc.)
Bands are also multi-faceted, meaning they also write & produce for other artists, and do DJ sets apart from playing live. Job begins later this year, tentatively Oct.

Pro's: Also love the guys in the main band on the roster (also have worked for them previously), have a very close relationship with primary manager, big priority on growing the company and developing / signing new acts. I feel like I would be more of a "Partner" in the company and band than just an employee. Higher salary. Closer than LA to my hometown. Later start date allows me to take a temporary job between now and then that will easily be worth $20k, at least - so thats kinda like a little bonus.

Con's: Bands & manager not quite as recognized or as big as the other job. Relocating to NYC. Higher salary may not matter because of higher cost of living. Thats really all I can think of...

I'm leaning towards job 2... My real passion is in finding young bands and building them up, developing them, and thats really that job to a T. The other position is so far from that. I love LA and am not exactly eager to move, but I have always wanted to live somewhere with a subway.

I know most of you guys are in other industries, but I would love to hear your opinions and insights. Thanks in advance.

 

[dshin]

I'm leaning towards job 2... My real passion is in finding young bands and building them up, developing them, and thats really that job to a T. The other position is so far from that. I love LA and am not exactly eager to move, but I have always wanted to live somewhere with a subway.

QUOTE]

Sounds like you already made your decision. Based on yuor arguments for both jobs, it's plain to me that you want to take job2.

But good luck in whichever job you choose.

 

[VKK3450]

I dont know your industry, but in many situations its worth a lot to have a big name on your resume. "Ohhh, he was involved with X..." If your boss is big he will also intro you into the network.

Slog it out for a year, make the connections, learn from the big boys, then take it to NYC and clean up.

K

 

[rdawson808]

Sounds like a toss-up. Take the one that you truly feel you will be happier with. Which one will give you greater learning potential?

And don't forget the networking potential. The older established guy might have many more contacts that you can take advantage of.

b

 

[flashback]

these are definitely valid concerns, although I have already worked for both so the "big" name is already on my resume... it was just in a slightly different capacity.

but what you guys are saying about the connections is totally true... there are tons that I would be making going with the LA guy. The NY one as well, it would just be a different set of connections. Tough to say which are more valuable. The music industry is in extreme flux and evolution right now.

Sometimes I think the LA guy is like the old guard, with the know-how of the old record industry (you know, when people used to pay for CD's?) and that the NY guy might have a better feel for where the industry is going...

 

[rdawson808]

You'll know this better than I: does one move between LA and NYC in the musci biz, or do you tend to stay in one place? If you stay in one place, maybe that's an important consideration. Or I could be way off base.

b

 

[ctrlaltelite]

i'd go with NY. you'll probably be touring a lot anyway, what with festivals, and it's the shows like sxsw, pitchfork, etc. where you really get to network and maybe even find something better eventually, or even start your own management/pr company. i know plenty of folks who have done this.

and honestly, NY has a lot more to offer than LA in terms of music & culture IMO.

 

[flashback]

Originally Posted by ctrlaltelite

i'd go with NY. you'll probably be touring a lot anyway, what with festivals, and it's the shows like sxsw, pitchfork, etc. where you really get to network and maybe even find something better eventually, or even start your own management/pr company. i know plenty of folks who have done this.

and honestly, NY has a lot more to offer than LA in terms of music & culture IMO.

first let me say thank you for the advice. Although what you're saying is sort of what I have already gone through to get to this point. Prior to this I had been working for the bands as tour managers, which can be a cool & interesting job, but after awhile it wears on you, and you're not making the high-level decisions that really determine the bands career. So after 3 years of doing the touring thing (with more than just these two bands) I have done a ton of networking, made tons of connections, etc. and now I'm moving onto something better, which is the proper management. So, I wont really be touring anymore - although I will probably still go to the big festivals, or occasionally I'll fly out and see how they're doing while on tour. Predominantly its more of an "office" type job. Although I do imagine that someday I will have my own firm and my own bands, I would really like to learn under some veterans for a little while to see what I can learn from their experience.

 

[Alter]

Originally Posted by flashback

first let me say thank you for the advice. Although what you're saying is sort of what I have already gone through to get to this point. Prior to this I had been working for the bands as tour managers, which can be a cool & interesting job, but after awhile it wears on you, and you're not making the high-level decisions that really determine the bands career. So after 3 years of doing the touring thing (with more than just these two bands) I have done a ton of networking, made tons of connections, etc. and now I'm moving onto something better, which is the proper management. So, I wont really be touring anymore - although I will probably still go to the big festivals, or occasionally I'll fly out and see how they're doing while on tour. Predominantly its more of an "office" type job. Although I do imagine that someday I will have my own firm and my own bands, I would really like to learn under some veterans for a little while to see what I can learn from their experience.
Congratulations on the job offers. I worked in the industry for a while and I know how tough it can be to move up to that level. I would go with job 2. Sounds like it will be a better challenge as you already have a lot of experience in the industry. With job 2 you are bringing something of value to the organization that will potentially lead to greater success for the artists...and thus, more job satisfaction.

 

[ctrlaltelite]

Originally Posted by flashback

first let me say thank you for the advice. Although what you're saying is sort of what I have already gone through to get to this point. Prior to this I had been working for the bands as tour managers, which can be a cool & interesting job, but after awhile it wears on you, and you're not making the high-level decisions that really determine the bands career. So after 3 years of doing the touring thing (with more than just these two bands) I have done a ton of networking, made tons of connections, etc. and now I'm moving onto something better, which is the proper management. So, I wont really be touring anymore - although I will probably still go to the big festivals, or occasionally I'll fly out and see how they're doing while on tour. Predominantly its more of an "office" type job. Although I do imagine that someday I will have my own firm and my own bands, I would really like to learn under some veterans for a little while to see what I can learn from their experience.
in that case, i would still definitely go with ny! you said yourself that your passion is to build young bands, so that's the market for that. la seems to sprout a bunch of established bands or bands that tend to have a more "polished" sound because a lot of those musicians are geared more towards studios than grimy rock shows.

 

[Pennglock]

It would take a pretty enticing job indeed to draw me from NYC to LA.