Brittany Beane Lands Dream Job in L.A.

Getting a start in the entertainment industry is virtually impossible unless you know someone who's already in the business or has some type of professional experience in the field.  Brittany Beane was fortunate to secure internship opportunities that provided the experience and contacts that she needed to compliment her education and “get into” the industry full-time, all while completing her degree.

Brittany’s first internship was at WorkPlay here in Birmingham, as a Marketing/PR intern. “Interning at WorkPlay led me to discover that I really wanted to pursue a long term career in the industry,” says Brittany.  “Thanks to my marketing and business classes at UAB, I was completely prepared for such an undertaking and was able to get the hands-on experience that later enabled me to secure an internship with music supervision, the field I had always wanted to get into.”  One problem for Brittany was the company offering the position only accepted interns if the applicant could receive college credit for the internship.  “Instructor Mickey Gee, marketing internship coordinator, worked closely with me to insure that upper-level marketing credit could be earned through the internship position,” says Brittany. “Mr. Gee was extremely helpful and went out of his way to provide me with contact information of UAB alums who have gone into the entertainment industry after graduation.”

Brittany soon realized that moving to L.A for an internship could be a risky move because many internships lead to full-time positions and she still had a few credits left to complete her degree.  “Again, the school of business stepped in and provided the resources to help me out,” says Brittany. “Through the various on-line courses offered through UAB, I am able to complete my degree from across the country while pursuing my dream career in California.”

Brittany credits Kristin Chapleau, her advisor at the time, with helping her through the transition process and turning the internship experience into a career opportunity.  Brittany has recently accepted a position with Warner/Chappel Music, Inc., the publishing division of Warner Music Group, as a Coordinator of Licensing Administration in Los Angeles.   Brittany says, “I couldn't have done it without the encouragement of Kristin, Mickey Gee, and UAB's awesome marketing program.”

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