How To Join a Club Promoter Apprenticeship

Apprenticeship HandshakeMany newcomers to the club promoting business find it difficult to get their feet in the door. Unless you’ve spent the necessary time, energy and resources to build your connections, you probably won’t find many clients willing to pay top dollar for your club promoting services. Instead, they’ll likely go with other, more experienced promoters with the necessary connections. If this situation sounds all-too-familiar, perhaps you should consider an apprenticeship with an established club promoting business.

What The Heck Is An Apprenticeship?

Before we start, it’s important to understand what defines an apprenticeship. While you may have heard the term used before, you probably don’t know what exactly the definition is. Familiarizing yourself with the term will allow you to make a more educated decision as to whether or not it’s right for you.

Basically, an apprenticeship is a relationship in which an inexperienced individual seeking to learn more about a trade works under the guidance of an experienced company or person. As opposed to an internship, those working under an apprenticeship typically get paid for their services. It’s a win-win situation, as the apprentice learns important skills to further his or her career, while the company is able to receive cheap labor. You can’t expect to receive the same amount of pay as professional, experienced club promoter during an apprenticeship, but you’ll definitely earn some cash while learning the tricks of the trade.

Club Promoter Party

How To Find a Club Promoting Apprenticeship

Once you’ve decided that club promoting is a career you would like to pursue, you should start searching for an apprenticeship. Although it’s not always necessary, it will help get your feet in the door while building long-lasting relationships at the same time. If you’re a newcomer to the club promoting scene, I recommend trying to find an apprenticeship first.

So, that leaves the question of where to find a club promoting apprenticeship. Contrary to what many people believe, finding an apprenticeship can be equally as difficult as starting your own club promoting business. Unfortunately, most successful promoters and promoting companies don’t want to spend the extra time and effort to train someone who could likely become their competition later down the road. However, don’t let this discourage you from actively seeking out an apprenticeship, as there are people out there looking for eager-to-work individuals like yourself; you just need to know where to look.

The most effective way to find an apprenticeship is to start networking with others in the club promoting scene. Generate a name for yourself on FaceBook, MySpace, Twitter and similar social media networking sites, and use them to find other club promoters. Once you’ve found some successful club promoters, don’t be afraid to send them a message asking if they would be willing to offer you an apprenticeship. This type of hands-on experience will prove far more valuable than any books or courses about the industry.

Note: Do not immediately approach a club promoter asking them for an apprenticeship. Nine out ten times, you’ll get the cold shoulder and lose any real chance at working with them. Enjoy your self in the club scene and get to know the promoter (or promoters). Once you’ve developed a friendship, you can then ask them about an apprenticeship.

Club PromotingQuestions To Ask Regarding an Apprenticeship

  • What type of experience do you have club promoting?
  • How long have you been doing it?
  • Will I get paid? If so, how much? (remember, apprentices always get paid)
  • Are you willing to offer me a job in the future?
  • How many different clubs and venues do you promote?
  • What are some of the various club promoting methods used?
  • Have you taken on apprentices before?
  • How many nights a week do your work?

Other Things To Remember When Starting a Club Promoting Apprenticeship

While most club apprenticeships will allow you to get paid for the work you put into it, you won’t get paid anywhere near the amount you would working by yourself. Remember, the earnings and salary of club promoters is a “pay-by-performance” model. This means the more work you put into promoting, the more you’ll get paid. It’s not uncommon for experienced promoters to earn over $1,000 or more in a single night, but you must have connections in place, which is where the apprenticeship comes into play.

You must treat an apprenticeship as an actual job. Don’t slack off by placing your new promoting responsibilities on the back burner, as this will only hurt your prospective promoting job opportunities in the future. Maintain a professional attitude and give your new apprenticeship a full 100%. Show up to the clubs on time, or early, and above all else — BE SOCIAL! Although club promoting is a job that requires level of professionalism, you must constantly interact with other patrons and club-goers. If you consider yourself a reserved, shy type, then perhaps you should skip on club promoting apprenticeships and look for a more suitable line of work.

There’s a fine line between participating in a club promoting apprenticeship and doing another promoter’s work for a fraction of the pay. At some point during the apprenticeship, you must break your professional ties with the promoter to work on your own. This is undoubtedly a frightening scenario for most newcomers to the scene simply because there’s no guarantee that you’ll find paying clients. If you quit your apprenticeship, you could be left struggling to pay your bills. I recommend waiting until you’ve developed your own (not the promoter’s) connections and have saved up some security money.