Sometimes, all it takes is a twist of fate to make you realise that you can be a success in the career of your dreams!

This was exactly what JMC Academy Bachelor of Entertainment (Business Management) student, Sarah Sharman felt after her working holiday in Australia led to her getting a job at Universal Music Publishing Australia, a leading global music publishing company.

And with a leap of faith, she decided to enrol in JMC’s bachelor program so she could progress her career further in the entertainment music industry.

Here is what she has to say...

Are you new to the Creative Industries or do you have a related background?

I’ve always been creative as I was a dancer growing up. Growing up as a dancer, I learnt very early how important performance was to my life. It taught me discipline, creativity, group collaboration, and enhanced my love for entertainment. After training in ballet for almost twenty years, and studying my bachelor’s in dance in the United Kingdom (UK), I noticed a change in my interests from classical dance to more progressive, relevant performance, and had a thirst for the faster pace, contemporary, relevant entertainment industry.

How did you end up coming to Australia for a working holiday?

I love travelling. I was living in New Zealand, which had greater opportunities for career progression than in the UK. After that, I decided to go to Australia as it has a similar culture but more career opportunities.

What do you think about life in Sydney, Australia?

I love the culture in Sydney. I earn more money than I could in the UK and the lifestyle and weather is great in Sydney. Every weekend feels like a holiday here.

How did you get your job at Universal Music Publishing?

Through a recruitment agency. It is an executive assistant role and I had relevant work experience, so I was offered the job.

What did you feel when you were offered this job?

I was thrilled when I was offered this job as it’s a job in the entertainment industry. I always dreamed of working in the entertainment industry growing up. To work for Universal, a global name, is exciting.

Do you enjoy working in the entertainment industry?

Yes, I do. The entertainment industry has a good, positive work culture. People are passionate about their work, and it doesn’t feel like just a job working here. Working in this job is cooler than any of the other jobs I had in the past!

How does your role at Universal Music Publishing encourage you to pursue a career in the entertainment music industry?

When I was at university learning dance, I only got to know about the contemporary base art for culture and community-based stuff. There wasn't enough funding for dance in the UK. I wanted to learn about the commercial side of entertainment, but I couldn’t, so I lost interest.

My role at Universal Music Publishing got me interested in music publishing. I began to see just how large-scale the entertainment industry is and that there is a lot of money to be made in this industry. This got me interested in the industry again.

Why did you decide to study JMC’s Bachelor of Entertainment (Business Management)?

I decided to study JMC’s Bachelor of Entertainment because I wanted to learn about music copywriting and about the technical aspects of my role at Universal Music Publishing.

What do you like the most about studying JMC’s Entertainment Business Management course?

I like learning about the history of music the most. It’s important to know about this if you want to pursue a career in the music industry.

The lecturers of this course are phenomenal and passionate about music. They come from different backgrounds and spectrums of the industry. So, they can teach to us about the different roles in the industry in detail.

With the deep industry knowledge my lecturers have, especially, for example, about stage management and festivals, they can share with us real-life experience, which is very useful to us.

What are your hopes for the future after completing your Bachelor degree course at JMC?

I’d like to work in a more creative and technical role instead of an office support role.

Through my course at JMC, I’ll be able to get more clarity on where I would like to work in the music industry. I might want to do stage management - planning hyper-theatrical stuff.

In your opinion, who are the students who would benefit from studying JMC’s Bachelor of Entertainment (Business Management)?

JMC’s Entertainment Business Management program is suitable for students who would want to work in the entertainment industry but are not sure which area in the industry that they want to focus on.

This course explores a broad spectrum of the industry. So, students studying will develop a vision for where in the entertainment industry they want to specialise.