how do i actually get an intern/assistant

[mixalot]

how do i get a kid that actually has experience enough to learn how to assist quickly and start assisting sessions? money to me isn’t the issue, its experience ...
i keep getting these starry eyed people that don’t have a clue and have never been involved in the music business. or all they know is pro tools and nothing else..
Where are all these formerly trained people from all these schools?
i want this person to also be pro active in forwarding there career by going out to see bands and trying to get them to record with them etc... god knows i dont want a career assistant , but i dont want someone competent .
am i asking too much at this point in the recording world?

ugh

[Peter Morrison]

as a current student in one of these recording schools I am gaining a lot of experience and knowledge, but mostly I'm learning how to learn and learn quickly

Don't expect a new hire/intern to know everything about your studio from day one.

I know the weakness in my school is analog recording, I literally have to fight if I want to use tape. So as long as you are willing to spend a little bit of your time to introduce your studio to the new guy. With most people it wont be instant so give them a week or two to adapt to everything.

If you want them to promote your studio make that known right off

all the best
Peter

[rewt_]

there are kids out there with experience enough to learn to assist sessions (i'm one of 'em). i have never worked in the music industry, and all i know is pro tools, but give me a few minutes and i'll learn anything about a computer, an audio tool, or anything else that requires a thorough skill and understanding to control adequately.

if i were you, i would much prefer someone who has the capacity to think, listen, learn, and understand to someone who is formally trained. i have friends in the rec schools who know it, but just don't get it. the hard part is determining who's worthwhile and who is just a young, inexperienced waste of time and money.

in my case, the tip-offs might have been that i've been running a home studio for years and recording bands. it might be that the recordings improve with each iteration. it might be that i work a full time high-skill level job and still force myself to record during as much of my downtime as is possible.

forty minutes out of nyc, i'd put my money where my mouth is, but you're probably looking for more of a time commitment than i'd be able to handle right now.. good luck, there are plenty of bright and competent kids out there, if you can find 'em

[Wiggy Neve Slut]

The problem is not finding one...... its finding a GOOD one!


Wiggy

[theblue1]

First you get the packing box for something very large, like a refrigerator, and a very big stick, like a 6 foot long 2x4. Carve one side off the box, so that there are 5 closed sides and one open.

Prop the box on one edge with the stick holding the other in the air, with the open side facing down. Tie a long, stout twine or small rope to the stick.

Now, stick a pizza, preferably right out of the warming bag, under the box. Take the loose end of the rope and hide behind a nearby outcropping of equipment.


Now, when a likely candidate is drawn by the smell of the pizza and steps under the upraised box...

[shipshape]

I got 2 of my assistants/Pro-tools guys from a local recording school in L.A.
They didnt have all the knowledge I'd hoped , but they were both self starters and within a short space of time , figured a lot of things out for themselves , had no "attitude" and now after only a couple of months have a total understanding of what is going on and just get on with it. Maybe I was lucky , but after being "shown the ropes" at my studio by my main assistant so they know how I work, these guys proved themselves very quickly. They started as interns but are now paid staff cos they are so good.
I dont know which city you are in Mixalot , but you CAN get great guys.
Peace Shipshape

[prismtheory]

Hey Mike if you ever need an intern...let me know. Will work for food.

-Christopher Imlay
prismtheory23@aol.com

[jumpnyc]

Get the smartest kid you can find and teach them. Kids today know computers if they are passionate about audio it can work. Worked for me. This probably won't go over well, but I was not impressed with the kids I interviewed from audio schools. I went to a top college and found an awesome intern.

[rewt_]

Originally Posted by jumpnyc

Get the smartest kid you can find and teach them. Kids today know computers if they are passionate about audio it can work.

yup

[Jules]

"Get the smartest kid you can find and teach them"

Double Yup..

Sounds like you want to skip the training part tutt

Whatever schooling they have - everyone we have had through here, has had to be trained to perform their assistant duties.

Mind you, we have had hundereds of CV's from folks claiming to be ready to bypass all the training and get stuck right into the equipment...So I suppose drink the Cool Aid, toss the all the CV's in the air that claim that and just pick the one that lands face up on your desk.

[mixalot]

maybe you missed the point, i dont have the problem training them, i have a problem with them absorbing the training. all the ones i meet here think there coming out of school and are going to make 50k a year to show up 8 hours a day and leave , even if the session isnt over!!! thats not how i came up. i have tons on knowledge to pass off to the next guy or girl who actually want to do this for a living.
but im through wasting my time on distracted people showing up and thinking there a rockstar cause they can patch a mic cable.
do i sound jaded? maybe..

[Jules]

This is what you are looking for, it's hard

Took us about a year to find someone...

a "needle in a haystack"

Jaded? no, realistic more like..

Keep looking...

[djui5]

Originally Posted by mixalot

do i sound jaded? maybe..

No, you sound like a realist.

This is the reason big studios go through interns like toilet paper.

MB had a thread about his interns while he was moderating, might wanna dig it up and see if there is anything useful in there.

The other suggestion is to go to a school (audio or college) and pick the best student in the program. Ask the teachers which one learned the most and looks the most promising, then offer him/her the internship. If it works out, move them up. Give them 2-3 months to whip into shape.

[mixalot]

your right :( i had my needle but as many great asisstants do , they move on the better things.. i thought it would be easier to find a replacement ..
thanks

[frist44]

mixalot,
I would love to talk to you about this.

shoot me an email.

Brandon
bigbluesound@hotmail.com

[spodniczka]

i would recommend students from city college ( http://sonic.arts.ccny.cuny.edu )
the students are smart...i know, because i go there. many have their own clients. i know it's tough because no one really wants to work for free, but many students are just looking for something to put on their resume.
i'm sorry you had a crappy experience(s), i'm a paid intern (i started out unpaid) and i can't believe that there are kids out there that are actually given the opportunity of interning and don't take it seriously. you have to be careful with these college kids, some have never had real jobs before and don't have the work ethic. but i don't want to discourage you (or anyone else) from going to their local college and finding interns...you just have to screen them out by asking the professors.

[kennyd03]

Originally Posted by jumpnyc

Get the smartest kid you can find and teach them. Kids today know computers if they are passionate about audio it can work. Worked for me. This probably won't go over well, but I was not impressed with the kids I interviewed from audio schools. I went to a top college and found an awesome intern.

I totally agree with this as well. I would also add a "teachable" attitude to this. I've had a few guys come in who were really smart, had some knowledge about recording, but then this air that they were "God's gift to revolutionize recording." I would show them things, but it just became futile after a while -- it was like it'd go in one ear and out the other.

Frustrating...

Personally, I've had better luck with the college people than the audio school ones.

-Kenny D

[jdg]

its like this with everything tho.. my wife has a bakery... took is over a year to find a good employee.. now we have her working for us.. .. i'm afraid she'll leave!

keep trying.. over and over.. (as everyone has said) a CV means little.

[picksail]

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/showthread.php3?t=46070

[Mike Caffrey]

Schools don't prepare grads for real session work. It's not a criticism. It's the same as medical school. Graduation makes you a beginner and you've got 3-4 years of residency until you're ready to *begin* practicicing independently.

Owning and being able to operate ProTools also doesn't mean your ready to work in a session. There are so many more things beyond signal path and other fundamentals before you're prepared.


So the answer is get someone you like and teach them.

Over the long term, this is one of the most important contributions you can make to the recording community.

[Shotgun]

Originally Posted by mixalot

maybe you missed the point, i dont have the problem training them, i have a problem with them absorbing the training. all the ones i meet here think there coming out of school and are going to make 50k a year to show up 8 hours a day and leave , even if the session isnt over!!! thats not how i came up. i have tons on knowledge to pass off to the next guy or girl who actually want to do this for a living.
but im through wasting my time on distracted people showing up and thinking there a rockstar cause they can patch a mic cable.
do i sound jaded? maybe..

Are you sure the problem isn't in your training? Maybe you have problems picking a person TO train. I mean, if you continuously find yourself with the same low quality help, why do you keep hiring the same kind of help? Perhaps a new tact might be for YOU to go out and find bands and recruit kids playing that really dig the studio scene. Something to be said for youth and enthusiasm.

Secondly, I'd never work for anybody whose spelling is worse than mine, even at $50k per year. I know it's taboo to comment on spelling on a message board, but you keep ****ing up "there" and "they're" which means one of two things: 1) you don't KNOW the difference or 2) your attention to detail is limited. Either way it makes a poor case for you being able to pick the wheat from the voluminous chaff of young, promising recordists.

In conclusion, maybe take a longer look at your hiring practices. There are no fewer talented, willing canvasses onto which you can paint your audio career masterpiece in the art store, you just have to know which isle they're sold on.

~S

[jhg]

I tried to find a quality intern this past summer to no avail. Used a traditional channel: Mandy.com(through which I had previously found work) but found the people responding completley lacking. Among responses- A couple of them seemed to think that it writing like a 13 year old on AIM was absolutley acceptable for cover letters, resumes. Others seemed to not be able to read - or at least read the requested qualifications. One couldn't spell, was agressive and rude, then couldn't figure out why they weren't accepted. I won't rant on. I could. Basically, if I don't see at LEAST good communication skills(is asking for common sense too much) I don't want to unleash anyone on clients that I've worked with for years fostering good relationships.

[mixalot]

thanks for pointing out my spelling errors.you will definatily never work me , case and point ... i dont want to be an ass on this forum so i'll let you figure it out.
and for the record , i am probably not the best teacher ever. i expect assistants to listen to me so i dont have to repeat myself , if they dont i make them write it down.
i've had 2 really great assistants so i know there out there. just a little frustrating finding someone you click with.

Originally Posted by Shotgun

Are you sure the problem isn't in your training? Maybe you have problems picking a person TO train. I mean, if you continuously find yourself with the same low quality help, why do you keep hiring the same kind of help? Perhaps a new tact might be for YOU to go out and find bands and recruit kids playing that really dig the studio scene. Something to be said for youth and enthusiasm.

Secondly, I'd never work for anybody whose spelling is worse than mine, even at $50k per year. I know it's taboo to comment on spelling on a message board, but you keep ****ing up "there" and "they're" which means one of two things: 1) you don't KNOW the difference or 2) your attention to detail is limited. Either way it makes a poor case for you being able to pick the wheat from the voluminous chaff of young, promising recordists.

In conclusion, maybe take a longer look at your hiring practices. There are no fewer talented, willing canvasses onto which you can paint your audio career masterpiece in the art store, you just have to know which isle they're sold on.

~S

[davenutz]

let me shed some light on this from the recording school student perspective(currently attending SAE NYC, thanks for the pens you left, Jules!).

about 70% of the students ive had contact with in school have little to no previous real experience in studios. of that 70%, about 40% of them are "producers" who make "phat beatz" with a Boss drum machine they got during the thanksgiving sale at scam cash. sorry bros, but you aint a producer.

a story to represent how little most of the students get out of school:

..last night, i was supposed to be doing a mixdown....but instead...i spent my 2 hours fo lab time teaching 4 classmates how to use a 1/4" machine, how to splice tape, and how to mark tape edits. I know for a fact that all of them were present during the 2 days(entirely too much time, IMO) we spent learing the machine. yet none of them had the slightest idea of WTF they were doing. Kids treat it like highschool and dont learn anything. Pretty sad considering they just dropped $18,000 for the "edjamacation"



Mixalot, if you still need an intern, PM me and ill gladly send/bring you my resume.

[Shotgun]

Originally Posted by mixalot

thanks for pointing out my spelling errors.you will definatily never work me , case and point ... i dont want to be an ass on this forum so i'll let you figure it out.
and for the record , i am probably not the best teacher ever. i expect assistants to listen to me so i dont have to repeat myself , if they dont i make them write it down.
i've had 2 really great assistants so i know there out there. just a little frustrating finding someone you click with.

This is what we, in the business, call "spitting crackers". Thank you for it.

~S

[mixalot]

if you promise not to correct my grammer and align my tape machines your in..!

Originally Posted by Dr. Nutz

let me shed some light on this from the recording school student perspective(currently attending SAE NYC, thanks for the pens you left, Jules!).

about 70% of the students ive had contact with in school have little to no previous real experience in studios. of that 70%, about 40% of them are "producers" who make "phat beatz" with a Boss drum machine they got during the thanksgiving sale at scam cash. sorry bros, but you aint a producer.

a story to represent how little most of the students get out of school:

..last night, i was supposed to be doing a mixdown....but instead...i spent my 2 hours fo lab time teaching 4 classmates how to use a 1/4" machine, how to splice tape, and how to mark tape edits. I know for a fact that all of them were present during the 2 days(entirely too much time, IMO) we spent learing the machine. yet none of them had the slightest idea of WTF they were doing. Kids treat it like highschool and dont learn anything. Pretty sad considering they just dropped $18,000 for the "edjamacation"



Mixalot, if you still need an intern, PM me and ill gladly send/bring you my resume.

[rodabod]

On the subject of studio jobs, I'm on the look-out for work in a studio at the moment.

I've just finished a four year engineering degree in Electronics with Music in Glasgow, but have not found any work in Scotland as yet.

Any ideas? I'm thinking I'm definitely going to have to move, but where I do not know.

Roddy

[The Spark]

If anyone is looking for an intern/runner/assistant Im looking for a gig and I do have some experience. Im a little older than the average grad so my outlook might be a little different than some others. Working long hours isnt a problem. Im Canadian so maybe that might throw a wrench in things. PM me if interested.

[mixalot]

i spit crackers out every day.. only the ones that correct my grammer though...
wanna meet i can show you...

Originally Posted by Shotgun

This is what we, in the business, call "spitting crackers". Thank you for it.

~S

[Shotgun]

Originally Posted by mixalot

i spit crackers out every day.. only the ones that correct my grammer though...
wanna meet i can show you...

Why is it every ass-on-his-shoulders Internet tough guy wants to "meet me and show me"?


Sure, man, I'll meet you and you can show me. Be at the corner of Long St. and Main at 2:30 this afternoon. If I'm not there in 15 minutes, start without me.

You get really touchy about someone pointing out your weaknesses don't you? You know, the ability to see one's own faults is the first step to correcting them. Conversely, an inability to see said faults is the main cause of never being able to progress past those faults. To which group do you belong, Mr. Lot?


~S