For those of you who are looking to get your foot in the door towards a career in audio engineering, you will find that getting your foot in the door will become a way of life for you if you’re to have any chance of success working as an independent in the recording industry. You need to get into the mindset that YOU are the one who makes things happen. You have to become an entrepreneur. If you only expect to engineer, you’re already behind the curve. If you own some good gear, that helps. If you can play an instrument or two, that’s even better. If you’re out there in the clubs and know artists and bands and can get them in to record, that’s another big plus. If you can produce, that’s another feather in the possibility hat.

After you get your audio degree the best thing to do is get an internship. “Interning” at a commercial studio is not about sitting around and reading magazines. Be proactive everyday. Treat the studio like it’s your own business — because it is your business! Look for anything to do: straighten cords, make duplications, take notes for the engineer, check every connection in the studio individually and make sure they’re optimum, straighten the mic cabinet, dust the furniture, take out the trash, straighten up file cabinets and clean out dirty or cluttered areas.

Make constructive use of downtime in the studio, because that is really the “deal” you’re making by interning for free. You’re not really working for free. You’re working in exchange for access to what is often very expensive studio time. You get to use the studio! Start a simple project — anything! Get a friend who plays guitar and sings to come in and cut some tracks. Finish something so you can play a CD that’s an example of your work. Once you can do that, you’ll be the one who just might get hired to do some of the simpler sessions.

Little things like being able to print neatly and legibly are a big deal, as is a sense of organization. Studios are service-based businesses, and prospective clients will always determine the level and quality of service based on what they can actually see. A clean and organized studio is an indication of a professional and successful business.  Be prepared to record some crap bands, because face it, you’re going to be a crap engineer for a period of time until you hone your chops and can start attracting better clients. And never underestimate the power of a crappy band to be just the people who save your ass during a slow month.

The only reason to engineer is because when you step inside a nice studio full of gear it hits you where you live so deeply that you become single-minded and want to do nothing else than life as an audio engineer.

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