I recently landed myself my dream job working at Audio Animals as an apprentice. Over time I will be taught mixing and mastering and become an integral part of the company but as it stands I’m at that stage where I need to prove myself. I’ve learned a lot over the past 2 weeks working here and I’d like to share my experiences about what not to do and what to do. I’ve summarised these helpful tips into 10 important key points that I hope anyone landing a job like this or looking to obtain a job like this can take on board and find helpful.
1. No Job Is Beneath You – the mundane tasks may not be the most glamorous but they are essential, if you see the engineers doing mundane tasks you can bet you will be too.
2. Make Life Easier – you’re not being paid to be a liability. Yes there will be times when processes are slowed because of your inexperience but there’s a line between inexperience and ignorance.
3. ASK! – no matter how stupid you think your question is you can guarantee your mentors have asked that question before.
4. They’re Not Your Mates – of course it’s a bonus when you get on with your boss but remember: he/she is just that – the boss!
5. Be On Time (early) – this sounds obvious but simple punctuality goes a long way. The engineers may not appreciate you being late but will appreciate you being early. Greeting them as they arrive with a cup of tea may seem like a small thing but goes a long way to a positive start to a session.
6. Be Innovative – your suggestion to the problem may not be the best (or correct, even) but it does show you are willing to apply yourself in different areas.
7. Make Yourself Invaluable – do all the jobs no one else wants to, set things up, get stuff ready, clean the cups, try to convince the engineers that their studio (and company?) wouldn’t run if it weren’t for you.
8. Write It Down – if you have an idea for a new article or a suggestion for the company make sure you get it down! There’s nothing worse than ‘I’ll do it tomorrow’ and forgetting it and the engineers don’t want to know about your ‘forgotten idea…’
9. Be Professional – when it all comes down to it your career largely relies on you, the way you communicate and conduct yourself in and out of the studio can play a vital role in your future employ-ability.
10. Have A Sense Of Humor – no one wants to work in a dreary, depressing environment and chances are you’re going to be the butt of a lot of jokes. Show that you can give back but always keep in mind tip 4!
