I’m a disillusioned sound engineer with 18years experience. I’m looking to bonk it all on the head and start a fresh. I’d need at least £30k a year to maintain the status quo.

Your industry sector suggestions please…..

You should really look into being a teacher

Just out of interest, what kind of sound engineering? I know a few and I think they would love to earn 30k a year!

I’d need at least £30k a year

Good luck!

Don’t most career changes involve an element of retraining and starting at a lower level that you are currently at?

£30k a year on a career change? Good luck with that.

rock star?

Drug dealer or pimp?

Accountancy with a big 5? A 39 yo guy I vaguely know is starting with one in their September intake, his background is web design.

Accountancy with a big 5

Who’s the 5th?

On a more serious note, going from sound engineering to auditing might not be the most exciting move

I’m a professional knob twister and fader pusher. I mix audio for tv,radio,on hold et al. I’m **** awesome at it so can command more than your usual Cubase hacker.

LinkedIn Prof for what it’s worth.

I fancy a career change when I pay off the mortgage. Something relatively stress free, but reasonably paid.

So far I have come up with Boiler Service Engineer (Technician) which is the same industry, and not a lot else

Just out of interest, what kind of sound engineering? I know a few and I think they would love to earn 30k a year!

+1, I’m on about £10k less than that and my job involves more than just sound stuff!

I’m a professional knob twister and fader pusher. I mix audio for tv,radio,on hold et al. I’m **** awesome at it so can command more than your usual Cubase hacker.

If you’re so **** awesome at it how come you’re disillusioned?

Yeah, if you’re disillusioned at that, you should try working in bloody IT! I’d swap if I could take the pay cut 😉

sound engineer

status quo.

Can those two phrases really be used in the same paragraph? 🙂

What about live sound? The corporate conference world pays a lot better than music and can be pretty varied. Generally helpful if your a bit of an all rounder with lighting and video/data as well.

If youre good at what you do and get paid OK at it, then how about going freelance. Do fewer hours of paid for work that covers bills and expenses and have a go at something else with the rest of the time – try out a few course/part time jobs, start your own business maybe, then if one of them works for you slowly let it become your primary role.

Salaries are the thing that holds you back 😉

Who’s the 5th?

Oops, not my world you see!

Health and safety?

Practice:

“Do you want fries with that?”

“Would you like a large meal?”

You’ll need to make sure you pull all the hours you can but 30k should be achievable 😉

IT, H&S and accountancy – if your not disillusioned now you will soon be entering these careers 😀

Eddie – what’s going on on your Linkedin Page?

“Eddia Da wonderful is absolutely wonderful, it’s all in the name. Eddie Da Wonderfull Delag. Says it all really. There are few more fun ways of getting the job done!”

“I know a great Proddie named Eddie,
Whose skills are more than just ‘steady’
His work is top class
And he has a nice ass
And if you need him to work he’ll be ready!

and this is my favourite

“A recommendation?? Well, for sheer nerve this takes the biscuit. A more curmudgeonly, po-faced, utterly unskilled, twisted nightmare of a so-called ‘sound engineer’ you couldn’t hope to come across. When you hear his voice on the other end of the phone with a booking, your first – & second and third – impulse is to take that trip to Buenos Aires you’ve been promising yourself for so long. Leaving NOW. You just know in your sinking heart the session will be a fiasco from start to finish, with a fair chance your own career will lie in tatters as a result of his ineptitu…oh, damn. Not that Eddie, is it? Oh God, sorry, my mistake – too many Eddies in this business. Mr Delag now, he’s just about the polar opposite of the above. All round Good Egg. Delight to work with. (If just a tad….Cornish.)” June 26, 2012

😀
Really, it sounds like you’ve found your groove man!

admin at Tropical Palm Massage

Oh yes? Well, that’s a profession that is always in demand, I gather….

On reflection it’s probably not the job, more the people around me. It would be a shame to throw away so much awesome talent to flip burgers.

Freelancing sounds good though.

Lecturer in sound engineering.

It is getting harder, but it is a common (ish) pathway for media people once they’ve had enough/stop getting work to move into higher education. Lecturers start at about £28k.

I have a chum that started lecturing. He might be worth a call.

Codemasters are looking for an audio manager, if you fancy working in games. They have excellent bacon baps in the canteen. 😛

train/tube drivers seem to earn a disproportionate amount of cash….

batfink – Member

train/tube drivers seem to earn a disproportionate amount of cash….

Really? I think given the responsibility that drivers have upon them, namely the safety of all those passengers. I dont grudge them a penny. Plumbers on the other hand central London £175k a year!

Disproportionate to years of service/experience….. how long does it take to train (ha!) to be a train driver? Compared to an accountant?

Wasn’t a comment about whether they deserve their money

I’m a professional knob twister

Have you looked into the Gay porn industry?

Mrs Toast – ooh, that would be cool. I’ve done audio for games before.

Politics

if you are a talentless fop then you should go in to “management”

darrell – Member
if you are a talentless fop then you should go in to “management”

I did.

If the posters are to believed you can earn £35k driving a bus round Aberdeen 😕

Driving a tank through the heart of the city would be far more rewarding though 😈

Edit… not sure if bad BO is a requirment or long term perk of the position?

You won’t get anywhere near £30k in IT, if you’re new to the industry.

Unfortunately, anybody who can use a keyboard and unplug a printer, thinks they’re worth £lots.

Well if you’re a soundie it might not be too much of a stretch to become sound recordist in the film/TV industry then? Some of the guys i know (freelncers) can earn between 40k and 60k a year averaging about 3 days a week work. But, and its quite a big one, that usually includes a day rate and equipment rate, so you can trim 35% of that salary if you don’t own your own. Most soundies tend to own their own kit (2x mics, carbon boom pole, 6-8 channel recorder/mixer) I guess you can put yourself out there and do weekend work initially and start up that way, although i imagine you have a few contacts already so the process would be slightly more accelerated than a total noob. The point is, and i’m sure you know, its a more dynamic environemtn working on set/on location. The constant having to get out of shot, having to set up quickly, issues with Mic’s. mic’ing up talent, on set banter and new people all the time make it a fun environment. I’ve done camera and sound on set, and although i enjoy camera much more and its more stressful, i see the appeal of being a soundie as you tend to be respected for what you do, but equally as you aren’t camera no one really bothers you much.