Pro Sound Web: There are many unwritten rules in any industry, and ours is no exception.
Know how some people just seem to get it, while some are clueless?
I’m sure you’ve observed people trying to make their way in this business of sound, and you think to yourself, “That guy is never going anywhere because of X, Y and Z.”
What if there were people in positions of power and/or influence observing you in this way?
7 comments:
EVERYTHING.
7 Habits that can ruin your career.
All of those things (minus the cable twisting) can be said about any profession really. Unless it is a profession that you are really specifically trained in like any job in the army. Really, I think that what this blog is trying to say is, treat every job like it is your first job and pay attention to everything around you. Do this regardless of your experience and try not to fight with others. These are relatively simple tasks but sometimes they can challenge us. I feel like disagreeing and fighting with the talent happens a lot. Simply trying to be a good worker and to work well with others is the easiest way to do your job and keep that job.
I agree. I don't think these 7 habits apply singularly to the sound profession. They're applicable in any field, be it artistic or not. all of your interactions should be grounded in respect, for those in positions above you and below you. Never make assumptions, speak condescendingly, treat equipment poorly, or neglect resources. When you have a question, or there's something you don't know, ask. You would like to think that these principles are common sense....But that's not always the case...
When I read things like this I often wonder if any other professions are as concerned with these things as we are. This semester I'm taking 2 classes that dedicate a majority of their curriculums to learning how to work efficiently on a crew at every level of the totem pole. For a career path that's often viewed by the outside world ("muggles") as a bunch of nancy actors and designer-types, we spend a lot of time worrying about perfecting our work ethic. Certainly, every single habit on this list is applicable anywhere else, but do other people care as much as we do? What makes our industry so concerned with this?
Doing these things can ruin anything. More basically, tis article is saying don't suck. It is easy to suck without believing that you are sucking. In fact, I have found that most people who suck actually think they are doing a fantastic job. They are so arrogant that they cannot see that everything they do and say is somehow wrong or off base, and cannot accept this criticism from others.
This doesn't just happen in theatre. I've worked outside of the theatre (shocking, I know), and I've seen it there too. It's those types of people who don't last very long in their position, and have a tough time getting hired in a new one because they can't understand what it is they are doing wrong. It is perhaps the most annoying human-type I have encountered in my life thus far.
As others have said, several of these points are useful to any career, particularly the points about arrogance and knowing it all. However, having worked with a good number of audio people, it is amazing how accurate this list is. For some reason, the audio world is full of know-it-all personalities who seem obsessed with pressing their ideas on everyone around them, without once stopping to think if the techniques they learned volunteering at their church might be wrong. I am certainly not talking about every audio person, but this personality type seems more common in sound than in other areas of technical theatre. Initiative is important in life, but is doubly important in the audio world. This is because the vast majority of audio people would rather do a task themselves than waste time explaining it to an assistant. If you wait for people to teach you something instead of jumping in and trying to figure it out and be helpful on the fly, then you should probably consider a change in careers.
This is a great list. This is a great list for practically every thing in life. Except the proper way to coil cables but even then the point is that there is a right way and a wrong way to do something. This list should be posted in every office or class room everywhere. They are such great axioms for every walk of life. I could apply them to a multitude of situations. In fact, I am going to print them off and share them with my daughter . 7. Don’t be a know it all 6. Don’t be arrogant 5. There is a right way to do things. Learn it. Do it 4. Do things the first time you are told 3. Don’t argue with the teacher (talent) 2. Have initiative and 1. Know your place. These 7 things will get you through many a situation. Even grad school.
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