Starting a Career in Audio?

[Scorge]

Hey everyone,

I had no idea where to post this, but considering that I haven't experienced a full-time job as an engineer I'm still a newbie

I have never explained my idea of life-long career to anyone and asked them to share their opinions on what I want to do with my life, not even to my family... because they don't know the industry and what it entails at all like some of you guys do
But after recently reading some forum posts on what it's like to get into the business in this day and age, I figured I'd try and get some opinions tailored to myself as an individual.


This is going to be detailed and personal, but I'll try and keep it focused, so here it goes.

I'm 17 years old and am currently enrolled for 2 years in a post-secondary education involving audio production. Since I was 10 I've been playing electric guitar, bass, and drums. I've been directing/engineering/producing/creating/whatever you want to call it videos and short films since I was 13 and I got into producing audio when I was 15. Before then I've always had an interest in engineering. When I was a kid my dream job was to become a heavy machinery operator or some sort of mechanical engineer... my focus has since shifted after realizing that I don't particularly enjoy math.

Since the day I started doing video/audio I've done a whole slew of different projects starting from making LEGO videos, to tutorials, to music videos, to stop motion videos, to graphic design, to recording/producing myself, my friends, local bands, running my schools morning announcements, live sound, live sound recording, making videos for video competitions, audio-post for short films, photography, composing music for short films, wedding videos, promo videos, and so on.

Essentially I'm interested in nearly every aspect of video/audio multimedia production;
I'll hold a camera, boom mic, or position a 57 in front of a guitar cab. Sit in front of a computer and click things for hours on end, or direct a bunch of monkeys. Creative or technical, I enjoy it all.

I don't particularly care for having a social life outside of collaborating with people on creative projects. I pay lots of attention to detail and am very meticulous with what I do. I'm not the best at being an employee, but I can adapt given the situation. I am not easily disappointed and enjoy challenges.


So that's me as of right now.

I guess my questions are - am I cut out to pursue a career in audio or video? What does it take? Should I continue to branch out and become a jack of all trades? Or should I focus on mastering something specific? How do you make a living doing this? What should be my first move when I finish school? As long as I have enough money to keep doing my job, pay rent, eat, I'd be more than happy.

Slap me with a reality check or something! I want to hear your stories as well!

Thank you very much for reading, and thank you even further if you reply


- Zach

 

[Phrasemaker]

Draw yourself a framework on paper, start with measuring your self belief. Write down as many obstacles as you can think of, who you can involve and how you can get them on side. Also what resources beyond people will be required. Work through some obstacles and then re check your self belief to see if it has become higher or lower. Don't set a massive objective but break your aims down into smaller pieces and measure them to see how achievable they are in your own opinion. The things you believe strongly that you can achieve, set a time-frame for a number of items which have a high belief measure attached to them. Brainstorm with yourself to get every thought about what you want to achieve written down which will free up your flow of ideas by allowing those which are holding up new thoughts to be out there. Focus your thinking around solutions and find ways through hindering elements and again check to see how strong your self belief and desire is. And so on, it revolves, evolves through each step. You might even find it's not really what you want after all, but if it is, it will be you who makes it happen.

You wouldn't want to hear my stories lol

good luck

Tim

 

[Seidy]

Think what do you do better than you competitors - why should clients choose you?
Building a client base and making connections is the most important thing.


I recognized myself in the original post.

 

[Scorge]

Haha, probably not, thanks Tim! Good points, it definitely all comes down to self-belief and fulfillment. I'll get some obstacles and objectives written down! I've never really done that.

Yea that's what I hear Seidy, its all in the networking and standing out (in a good way haha).

Thanks guys!