Welcome back to our “6 questions” series where we ask someone 6 career-centric questions about themselves.
This week we’re chatting with Karlie Keaveney, College Marketing Manager at Warner Music U.
How did get your foot in the door in the music / entertainment industry?
Growing up on Long Island, so many people I knew played in bands, including my older brother. When I was in high school, I used to help work the merch table at his shows and would go with them to festivals to hand out promotional items and play music for people around the festival site. I also volunteered at Warped Tour to do street team work two years in a row. When I entered college is when I landed my first internship at Atlantic Records in the radio promotions department, and then became a Warner Music U College Rep for Pace University. The rest is history!
Best part of your job? Most challenging?
The best part of my job is working with the reps. It’s so rewarding to see their ideas come to life. I love getting to collaborate with them on content and event ideas. It’s always such a great feeling seeing where they end up after college, especially when they land a full-time role at WMG. I also love seeing the evolution of the artists we work as well. WMU mostly works with WMG’s smaller, more developing artists, so we love when they turn into superstars. Lizzo is the prime example, we had been working her music since Coconut Oil! The most challenging (but also the most fun!) is to keep the creative juices flowing. We’re always striving to improve and make our content better and better. We always want to find new ways to connect with college students, so we are always keeping our ear to the ground and are thinking outside the box when it comes to both content and digital event ideas.
What is the process in finding new college students to work with?
Our summers are dedicated to recruitment. We post our job description on our corporate site, as well as on campus job boards. We have tons of potential candidates reach out to us on LinkedIn and Instagram. We look for students who love music, are super creative, and have a great understanding of both the social fabric of their school and social media. We always post on WMU’s socials when applications are live, our spots go quickly so definitely follow us to be the first to know when we’re recruiting!
How has the music / events industry shifted during COVID?
Creating innovative and fun ways to connect with fans in a different way has been more vital than ever. It’s been really cool and inspiring to see the creativity in music videos, live streams, and home performances during this time. Virtual livestreams and digital meet and greets have become increasingly popular, I have found myself purchasing tickets for these as well and have had virtual watch parties with my friends which has been really fun.
What steps did you take to go from College Marketing Coordinator to Manager?
I was a Coordinator for about three years, and during that time I assisted in every way that I could in the department, tried to find new ways to improve our internal processes, and always worked closely with my manager to learn new skills. When the position opened, I was extremely ready to step into the higher position and have been manager for over a year now.
Advice for those who want to work at Warner Music Group?
Keep up to date on industry news and innovations, be creative, don’t be afraid of going outside of your comfort zone, and network!
Karlie grew up on Long Island, New York, where she was always surrounded by pop/punk, 80’s hair metal, and bubblegum pop music. Her life changed when she attended her first concert when she was 12 years old. It was from there on that she knew that she wanted to work in the music industry. Once in college, she landed an internship at Atlantic Records, and soon after became a Warner Music U Rep at Pace University. Karlie now oversees the entire Warner Music U team, and she loves getting to work with the reps every day! Karlie is always posting about her new favorite artists , vinyl, and band merch on her Instagram: @karliekeaveney
