The Music
Industry / Recording Industry Employer's Wish List By
Keith Hotschek
Problem-solving ability is very
important. Bosses generally are bosses because they are the best at
dealing with a million and one problems. So if you develop
problem-solving skills, chances are you're going to go a long way toward
impressing your supervisor.
Technical skills also play a part
too--especially if you've charted a career patch on a technical track.
The ability to responsibly complete
assignments is a critical skill. Employees who can work effectively
in a self-directed manner are a big asset.
There are not "white-coated operators"
standing by at every recording studio and record label waiting for job
assignments. There are just enough people to get by and sometimes not
quite enough people to get by. So to succeed in this industry you're
going to have to hustle. You'll have to work some weekends. You
will occasionally stay until midnight to complete an important job. It's
the nature of the beast. The entertainment industry is not like the
retail business, in which shops are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and then
everyone heads home. Weekends? Prepare to sacrifice quite a few of them
over the course of your career.
Perseverance keeps turning up as
another key attribute. Early in my career, a publisher told me, "Keith,
you've got to be in the right place at the right time...and that means
being aware of what's going on in all the areas you have an interest,
all the time.
What he meant is that if you're serious about a career in the music and
recording industry, you have to get plugged in so that you have constant
access to the information that relates to your interests. You have to be
ready to network every minute of every day, even if you've got a
nonmusic job. You may be pleasantly surprised to discover that someone
in the company at which you work as a kid or a nephew or an uncle who
works at a label or a studio. Let people know what your aspirations are.
Not to the point of annoyance, but it's good to voice where you are
headed in the long run to those you feel close to at your day job. "I
enjoy working here, but I'm also writing songs every chance I get and
studying how to become a successful songwriter." You never know where
you're going to make a key connection.
Integrity is a key component of
your success, not only as an intern, but all the way to the top. When
you say you're going to do something, do it. If you say you're going to
do something and you realize you can't, don't be afraid to go back and
say, "You know, I really can't do that." People will respect you for
that far more than if you hide under a blanket and think "I hope they
forget I said I was going to do that."
Your boss and coworkers are not likely to forget your failure to live up
to your promise to perform. The entertainment industry is surprisingly
small and most people have good memories. It's ok to regroup and say you
can't deliver, but it is a huge liability to just blow off an
assignment, no matter how trivial it may seem to you.
