Milwaukee: a region under construction
Christie McCowen
Issue date: 3/2/07 Section: Features
The Milwaukee 7 is home to more corporate headquarters than most cities its size, acting as a hub to the rest of the country and the world. With General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee and O'Hare in Chicago, there's no reason it shouldn't be.
Conservatory students should not feel discouraged, for there are plenty of opportunities for them, too.
Located within the seven counties of the greater Milwaukee region are more than 150 professional cultural organizations.
This massive gathering of cultural entertainment includes a ballet company, an opera company, and over a dozen theater companies, as well as the largest nonprofit organization in the state this year, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, with approximately 68 members and more performances than there is room to list.
What's the job market like for graduates right out college? It depends on the specific job you want.
For example, getting a chair in the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra might be a challenge - however, as Tony Forman, Executive Director of the Cultural Alliance of Milwaukee describes it, "It is competitive but not as competitive as a larger metropolitan area, and the quality of life you get here is disproportionately good."
Where are you most likely to get your foot in the door? Forman says, "Arts administration jobs [have] a lot of turnover."
Britt Zarling, an alumna of UW-Madison currently employed by Manpower, Inc., started out in Milwaukee.
Believing that the Midwest was all about "beer, and brats, and cheeseheads," she moved to Texas to pursue a job with GE Healthcare.
That pursuit led her overseas to Paris, France, and it was during her time away from the Midwest that she came to realize that "you really value your Midwestern roots and so does everyone else," because they come with a set of values that can't be found elsewhere.
"I love Milwaukee; it's a great place but also has the surrounding communities," Zarling said. "There are great opportunities here you can't beat."
Conservatory students should not feel discouraged, for there are plenty of opportunities for them, too.
Located within the seven counties of the greater Milwaukee region are more than 150 professional cultural organizations.
This massive gathering of cultural entertainment includes a ballet company, an opera company, and over a dozen theater companies, as well as the largest nonprofit organization in the state this year, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, with approximately 68 members and more performances than there is room to list.
What's the job market like for graduates right out college? It depends on the specific job you want.
For example, getting a chair in the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra might be a challenge - however, as Tony Forman, Executive Director of the Cultural Alliance of Milwaukee describes it, "It is competitive but not as competitive as a larger metropolitan area, and the quality of life you get here is disproportionately good."
Where are you most likely to get your foot in the door? Forman says, "Arts administration jobs [have] a lot of turnover."
Britt Zarling, an alumna of UW-Madison currently employed by Manpower, Inc., started out in Milwaukee.
Believing that the Midwest was all about "beer, and brats, and cheeseheads," she moved to Texas to pursue a job with GE Healthcare.
That pursuit led her overseas to Paris, France, and it was during her time away from the Midwest that she came to realize that "you really value your Midwestern roots and so does everyone else," because they come with a set of values that can't be found elsewhere.
"I love Milwaukee; it's a great place but also has the surrounding communities," Zarling said. "There are great opportunities here you can't beat."
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