Navigating Internships Abroad: My Journey with Hotvox and London's Live Music Scene

As I’ve mentioned in a previous blog post, one of the biggest reasons that I chose IES Abroad London for my study abroad experience was the opportunity to have an internship and gain professional work experience in another country. While I’ve had multiple internship experiences back home in the U.S., all of which have been incredibly rewarding and positive experiences, I felt that working in a professional environment and gaining that kind of experience in a new country with new workplace cultures would be a great supplement to my prior education and experiences. While the process of being placed for an internship and preparing to work abroad was certainly stressful and even anxiety-provoking, the past month of my internship experience has proven to be one of the best decisions that I have made throughout my time in college. 

While my previous internship experiences have varied across a variety of different industries, what I’m the most passionate about in terms of future career paths is public relations and marketing work in the live music industry. Music has always been something incredibly special to me and something that has always been a comfort in my life, and discovering that I could find a career path that I love in a field pertaining to my own personal passions was incredibly exciting. With this, I’m currently interning at Hotvox in London as a Promotions Intern, specifically working with marketing, social media, and promotional materials. Hotvox is a music promotion company that works with an incredibly diverse array of artists and bands, helping them at various stages of their music careers by helping them book gigs at different venues in London and providing them with promotional materials for their fans and audiences. 

Last summer, I worked as a public relations intern at a live music organization and venue that was also a government non-profit; while this certainly set the foundation for my passion for a career in the music industry and performing arts, my current internship at Hotvox has proven to be very different but just as rewarding. I was definitely nervous to be working in a professional workplace in another country, just an hour into my first day these nerves were immediately calmed. The team that I work with is absolutely incredible and supportive, and they’ve created an engaging environment from the very beginning. The entirety of the team that I work with works in one room which, while it can get cramped at times, has allowed me to form more meaningful relationships with my coworkers and has allowed me to get to know them on both a personal and professional level, which I think is just one secret to a successful internship. 

This past weekend, I also had the opportunity to work as a show representative at a gig at Camden Assembly, where I was able to support the four different bands playing at the show that night. I was able to work directly with the artists and bands and witness all of the behind-the-scenes aspects of live music, specifically at a grassroots level with smaller, up-and-coming musicians. I’m also lucky enough to have wonderful friends who showed up to the gig in support, which was the cherry on top of one of the most exciting work experiences I’ve had. I’m so incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to experience the U.K. workplace through IES Abroad, and I can’t wait to see what else Hotvox has in store for me throughout the rest of the semester.