How many audio engineers here?

A friend of mine studied at SAE in nyc, failed the pro tools final (which was either pass or fail) and worked for a little bit as a live sound tech for documentaries and cable news channels.

He wasn't really getting where he wanted to go so he changed careers after a few years.

 

It's a lot like music, IMO: going to school doesn't guarantee you a damn thing in audio, but really being committed to getting good at it and doing it no matter what will take you to good places. I ran my own studio for 5 years and I still freelance and do mix/master work out of my apartment. The period where I made the most money at the studio I still had some dry periods, but I always had work playing bass to fill it in. I guess I was pretty lucky.

Eventually I discovered that I love recording but I hate running a studio, which is why I do things the way I do them now.

Ultimately, the way you get work is by doing work that people like. If you record people and they are happy with the results they will tell others. The good news is that this can take you far, and you might make a living. The bad news is the competition is fierce, no one has any money, and with the rise of computer audio, everyone thinks they can do it themselves. If you're looking for a easy transition from school to career, look elsewhere, but if you're seriously stoked about recording to the point where you just *need* it, then welcome to the life.

 

I started working as an audio engineer mixing live sound for musical theater productions when I was 15 years old. Got into studio recording a few years later, got a degree in Audio Recording at Berklee in 1982, and have worked as a professional doing studio, live, and consulting gigs ever since.

Reuben's last paragraph (above) is pretty spot-on.

 

I worked part time at a small recording studio that the guitarist in my old band ran. It was more like a hobby then a true business, although we had outside clients. I also plan on interning again at a larger studio now that not living in hicksville anymore. (Wasn't really hicksville, but there was only one larger, professional-level music studio.

I think the industry is moving away from larger studios and more into "DYI" situations. More and more musicians are learning to record, so the demand is decreasing. At the same time, the demand for quality commercial music (background music in a TV show, a decent sounding radio ad, music at a motivational salesmen conference during a PointPoint presentation, etc.) is growing. The more you can get into that by yourself, but still make good business contacts, the better.

Then again, take my advice with a BIG grain of salt, as I'm not really in the industry.