• Must be a self-starter.
• Must be self-confident.
• Must be able to evaluate and accept criticism.
• Must be able to act independently.
• Must be willing to do whatever it takes (within moral and ethical bounds) to see a project through.
• Must be doing it for the love of music or communicating with people.
• Must be willing to change when necessary.
• Must be able to judge advice from many sources and decide what works for you.

Employment goals. 

• Where do you want to work?
• Do you like to perform indoors or outdoors? 
• Do you prefer the concert stage or a more informal setting? 
• Do you prefer working solo or in a group? 
• What styles of music do you enjoy performing? 
• Are there any music-related occupations that interest you like teaching, repairing instruments, arranging, copying, etc.? 
• Do you want to work a set schedule or do like to set your own hours? 
• Do you prefer working with people or things? 
• How much responsibility do you want to have? 
• Do stressful situations inspire you or do you prefer to work at your speed?

• Is consistency important to you? 
• Do you like the excitement of improvising? 
• Do you want to play many instruments well or do you want to concentrate on one? 
• Do you like performing many different styles of music or are you more interested in being a specialist? 
• Are you happier playing to a small audience of dedicated fans or a larger, less sophisticated audience?

• What part of the country do you want to live in? 
• Do you like big city life or would you prefer small town living?
• Do you plan to have a family? 
• What kind of clothing do you want to wear?
• What kind of recognition do you want?

• Do you want a steady paycheck or can you live with more irregular income? 
• Are you more motivated to be paid well for providing service or are you willing to earn less in return for more artistic control?

After accurately answering these questions you should have a better idea of your likes and dislikes in music. Once you pinpoint the qualities that you truly enjoy, the direction you should move in will become apparent.

In determining your goal, remember that everyone is different and it's not possible to do everything well. You have to decide what is most important to you and pursue that. 

The point of all this is to get you to think about your motivation to pursue a career in music. There are many people who are happy in their careers in the music world and I am one of them. My goals have changed over the years and sometimes I've been in circumstances that did not make me happy, but I can't imagine myself working in an office 40 hours a week and enjoying it. The more you find out about what motivates you, the better your chances are for being successful in any career you may choose. 

S.O.P. (Standard Operating Procedure) for a career in music.
Go the extra mile. Read the article on How to get what you want.

I hope this has been helpful to you.

If you have any questions or comments, contact genehunn@aol.com.