Talent — picking up a guitar and effortlessly creating a brilliant tune that drives a crowd wild and provides a steady paycheck. Despite your genius talent, launching into a music career requires effort and dedication. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the field will continue to grow at a healthy 10 percent rate in the near future, and the labor markets requires 20,000 new musicians. Ensure that your musical talents transfer into a steady, rewarding career in the following ways.

Hit the Books

A solid educational background in music helps a musician understand the entire industry, including the history of music, technicalities of sound, business skills for negotiating a contract, or landing a good paying gig. In the words of Ludacris, as reported by MTV, “education is extremely important” for a career in music, especially since the business aspect of a music career is so essential. Research resources for attending higher education in music. For example, music production schools in CA offer scholarships to help pay expenses. Getting into a high-profile music school will provide an aspiring musician, music producer, audio engineer, or sound designer with the tools and knowledge to follow their career dreams.

Network Aggressively

Network, network, network. Talk backstage with a manager about internship opportunities at a record label, for instance. Connections can help you break into the industry and get your foot in the door. Business Insider claims that young professionals and entrepreneurs need to understand the value of a strong contact base with mutual benefits, especially in an age when you can contact people with a text, email or tweet. Create a business card that reflects who you are and distribute it at any opportunity. Create groups on social media to discuss ideas and concepts. Follow up on meetings with calls about openings or job opportunities. Music not only depends on your talent, it depends on your connections — colleagues, mentors or partners.

Be Flexible

Musical preference is subjective, but a musical professional should be able to identify riffs and pitches that please all audiences. Versatility and flexibility is important for driving your career. Can you record a tune, promote it and send emails to listings about your next concert performance? It’s called marketing, and you’ll need it to promote yourself. Learn the basics of business marketing etiquette, digital communication, self-promotion, and branding using social media. To share your music, land gigs and get a job, you need to do more than just know the technical aspect of electronic equipment. Don’t wait around for that dream career in music, and be proactive in securing a profession that can help you achieve your goals and make your dreams come true.