Explore the Arts, Audio/Video Technology, and Communications Career Cluster

Are you interested in working in television, film, or radio?
Do you like to perform or interpret music?
Does computer graphics or computer animation interest you?
Do you like to work with technology?
Do you have a talent for writing?
Are you visually oriented?
Is artistic expression important to you?
Do you enjoy the limelight?
Are you tenacious?

If you answered yes to two or more of the questions above, you're probably cut out for the AAVC career cluster. Perhaps you'd enjoy one of these careers:

• Audio designer
• Museum curator
• Commercial artist
• Musician
• Cable TV engineer
• Journalist
• Animator
• Broadcast technician
• Actor

Cluster Definition:

Jobs in the arts, audio/video technology, and communications career cluster involve designing, producing, exhibiting, performing, writing, and publishing multimedia content including visual and performing arts and design, journalism, and entertainment services.

Career Pathways in Arts, Audio/Video Technology, and Communications:

A career pathway is an area of concentration within a career cluster. Each pathway contains a group of careers requiring similar academic and technical skills as well as similar industry certifications or postsecondary education. The arts, audio/video technology, and communications career cluster has six pathways: visual arts, performing arts, audio/video technology, journalism and broadcasting, telecommunications technologies, and printing technology.

Visual Arts:
There are more than 300,000 visual artists in the United States, including fine artists, commercial artists, curators, photographers, videographers, fashion designers, and art instructors.

Performing Arts:
This pathway includes not only performers, but also all the behind-the-scenes workers who make performances possible. Jobs include production manager, cinematographer, dancer, playwright, director, actor, musician, make-up artist, costume designer, sound effects technician, stage lighting, composer, and conductor.

Audio/Video Technology:
This pathway involves the technology used to produce tape recorders, VCRs, DVD players, special effects, and more. Jobs include audio systems technician, technical computer support technician for stage or screen, audio/video engineer, computer graphics animator, and video systems technician.

Journalism and Broadcasting:
This pathway encompasses everyone involved in journalism for print or broadcast outlets, including control room technicians, station managers, radio and TV announcers, publishers, editors, reporters, anchor people, and broadcast technicians.

Telecommunications Technologies:
This pathway includes jobs designing, manufacturing, installing, and repairing telecommunications equipment. Jobs include telecommunication technician, cable installer, telephone line repairer, and telecommunication computer programmer.

Printing Technology:
This pathway involves the technology used to print newspapers, books magazines, brochures, and more. Jobs include printing equipment operator, lithographer, desktop publishing specialist, and Web page designer.

Click here for a visual representation of the arts, audio/video technology, and communications career cluster.

Print and Internet Resources:

These Print and Internet Resources offer references for career cluster exploration, including trade, professional, and business associations, government departments and agencies, labor unions, and cluster-specific career Web sites.

Arts, Audio/Video Technology, and Communications Print and Internet Resources