Applicant #27: Rob Cartwright

Rob Cartwright is a 25-year-old from Barnhart.

Rob's video application:

Rob online:

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Rob's current situation:

I am currently at a crossroads in my life.  My dream has always been to make it in the music business.  And while I've received some success (playing with Keith Urban in 2007), it has yet to become a daily job.  I worked as a performer for Six Flags Entertainment for four years, and while I had a blast doing what I love, it is not something I can do forever.

Over the past several years, I have been working to earn numerous degrees in the music field.  I always thought it was a safe bet to work toward an education degree, but during my schooling, the economy declined.  Though I am also finishing up a composition, there are now roughly 350 fresh graduates applying for six teaching jobs in Missouri...a scary thought for any teacher.

I have since turned my sights to an online Music Production degree with Full Sail University and am looking forward to a fresh start!

My weekly activities usually include playing drums and writing music with up and coming band Kaleidoscope Horizon, filming and posting weekly Youtube vlogs, enjoying time with my friends and family, and doing everything I can to keep my finances afloat!

I feel I can relate to everyone in my generation, because we're all going through the same situations.  Just like everyone else, I've dealt with career choices, students loans, car loans, good jobs, bad jobs, relationships, you name it...  We're all in the same boat and I feel like we can all learn more together.

I cannot wait to start this journey with you!

Rob's blog post:

It is not very often that a job application asks for a blog post instead of a resume.  I write a weekly blog of my own, so I had to put a lot of thought into what I would want to share with a presumably wider audience.  Though my weekly blog usually has something to do with poking fun at what my week was like, I thought I would share something that has been in my life lately:

It is never too late to follow your dreams.

When we were children, most of us had dreams of becoming firemen, ballet dancers, actors, doctors, or superheroes.  As we got older, most of us probably decided on a career path that was more probable, while hopefully staying as close as we could to those childhood dreams.  I can't remember the last time I heard a child say he wanted to be an investment banker, then again, I also can't remember the last time Batman got a paycheck.

My dream has always been to make it in the music business (hopefully with a band), the reality is that the chances of making a living out of it are about a million in one...but how do you know if you never try?

I was just recently talking with an old roommate of mine.  He spent three years in school scraping by on a degree he wasn't quite sure he wanted.  It may have seemed to be the safe route then, but he has just recently chose happiness over uncertainty.  He transfered schools, changed degrees, and I've never seen him less stressed!

This isn't to say that it's not important to provide for yourself, a family, or other responsibilities you may have; but you should never let anyone tell you that something is impossible.

While I will continue to pursue a music career with my band, I am also pursuing a new degree...a degree much closer to that childhood-dream.  It's never too late.

Rob