[SBE] In Need of Mentoring

[Henry M. Seiden]

The mentoring subject has taken an interesting turn and should really  
be about all our careers, goals and motivations, right?

Edwin nailed it down in a short sentence or two. Here are my thoughts,  
FWIW.

To add to, maybe expand what's been said so far, I think the new  
candidates in engineering should look for entry into television or  
radio rather than as an end or even a career path. How many people  
look to gain entry to production positions each year? I think it far  
more folks try and fail to break in than even look here. The numbers  
seem to work in your favor for entry into tech jobs within this  
business. Also there are many more facets to this business than  
working at a studio or even for a station. There are engineering truck  
jobs in audio and video for example. That trend is one the SBE's  
working to change. But change doesn't come easily.

The reality is that there will be fewer of us (not more of us) who  
make engineering a life-long career, perhaps there should be more of  
us who use it as a path towards larger roles- be they business-  
perhaps more generally the arts, sciences. I'm talking personal  
growth, not SBE-wise.

News for engineering wanna-be's is not as bleak as one might think,  
though. Out of 100 or so 'production school graduates' (many with four  
year degrees), zero to two find immediate work within a year after  
graduation, based on numbers I heard before the economic downturn. I  
know of one guy that started delivering pizza, targeting a production  
studio nearby, just to get his foot in the door. I think that it was  
innovative for him to try that, though unproductive. Did he get a job  
at the studio in question? No! Our (membership) numbers that find work  
out of school are higher, but not even close to 100%. Keep in mind the  
overall numbers involved.

Clearly you'll need to know both electronics and computers, they are  
totally intertwined now. It's surprising how few 'computer-savvy'  
folks, even those with high levels of hardware skills, have both  
television/radio engineering principles and an IT core knowledge. I  
think the SBE is working on that one too. Making yourself valuable and  
demonstrating that ability is part of finding work in this economic  
climate.

That said, your ability to troubleshoot a problem to it's cause, and  
the experience gained working with electro-mechanical systems, (even  
training) in this profession we call radio/TV engineering will ALWAYS  
stand you as the candidate in good stead. Most importantly, I think,  
it cannot easily be duplicated anywhere else. For my part, I do not  
regret my years in it. Nor do I think of it as a dead end profession  
in any way, as some here have opined.

There probably will continue to be the old 'warhorses' (meant in  
nothing but a good way, and perhaps count myself one of those being  
around 40 or so years in related fields)- those who made their careers  
in this business from the ground up. I think that good, basic  
electronics training is what's actually needed in terms of formal  
experience to do our jobs. You don't enter our profession as a game- 
winning major leaguer. Sometimes it happens, but less and less often.  
Sometimes want and need are not the same in impressing a potential  
employer in an interview.

The associate experience, hands-on training opportunities offered in  
this business were fabulous in the past. You can start young and learn  
by experience- many of us did just that- and had a great time doing  
it, too! Edwin's point about what the future holds as the business  
evolves and changes is a good one. This industry is downsizing from a  
diverse industry to one that is highly concentrated- a more  
centralized universe. One that is more mature. This trend won't change  
anytime soon.

So what can newer, technically gifted individuals expect in the  
industry they see from the outside as a challenge? Not a free ride,  
that is for sure.

Why go into a career that has such low growth potential? Taking some  
opportunities for granted is a buzz (oops, I mean adrenaline) kill,  
though. Opportunities provided through organizations such as this one  
are for training more than employment. Guidance more than guarantees.  
Find work opportunities within the business instead of looking in from  
the outside. You might need to sweep floors. Stardom is possible,  
regardless of your entry level. And it's not easy, we're not all stars.

Take on the challenge then, study and train for innovation. Don't come  
in from the sidelines expecting you will win the game on the first  
pitch (sorry, it's October, sports metaphors abound!) Our businesses  
will likely continue, perhaps in a smaller ways, and similar to any  
general employment positions. If you are lucky to find entry, take  
advantage of specialized training geared toward your specific long  
term goals, outside of the day-to-day work (what do you want to do  
next?) or general schooling (if you have no idea which direction to  
pursue) towards a 4 year degree. Meanwhile, concentrate on looking for  
opportunities to demonstrate your skills to people who are hiring.

If you want to do engineering support at a station, youneed to be  
lucky enough, and talented enough to find a spot to start work, you  
will then have to become more of a skilled, self directed manager in  
addition to what you are doing, and developing your skills as a  
technician second to advance or even to stay there. Why? Your boss  
wants results- the project complete, the station on the air making  
money- think larger than yourself. Everyone wears multiple hats in  
what they do. We will likely continue and wear more. So make hats!

There still will be a need for practical, innovative technical folks,  
especially at smaller market stations, but going forward, I think, is  
clearly declining (and maybe now in radio is at the point) where the  
concentration of ownership makes engineering operations a cookie- 
cutter design, if not centralized. However, there will always be those  
opportunities even in that environment, to innovate.

Said differently, in a smaller market more of an ownership path. I  
think that soon you'll need to buy into that by owning/starting up a  
small station on an entrepreneurial basis and doing that yourself if  
you really have the motivation.

Henry S.
On Oct 11, 2009, at 16:54 , russ at russvanderhorst.info wrote:


> Hi Jeff,

>

> over the last 15 years, there has been a 'dumbing down' of high  

> school courses and

> students. I have literally seen high school honor society students  

> who couldn't multiply.

>

> This being the case (and don't get me wrong, I am not trying to  

> start a debate about h.s.

> education)...but wont some degree of technical knowledge beyond the  

> h.s. level be needed,

> even if that is just an associates degree?

>

> Thanks,

>

> Russ

>

>

> On 11 Oct 2009 at 15:50, Jeff Carter wrote:

>

>> What do you think will happen, long term?

>>

>> I predict that technology will completely do away with the need for a

>> real engineer, and common tasks will be done by someone at a high

>> school competency.

>>

>> For heavier things,  contracts with the transmitter manufacturer will

>> be the norm for the rare occasions that something must be serviced.

>>

>> Jeff

>>

>> On Sun, Oct 11, 2009 at 3:11 PM, Edwin Bukont <ebukont at msn.com>  

>> wrote:

>>> Jeff is correct.

>>>

>>> We have two radio CE's in DC that did not even graduate HS.

>>> One even brags about it!!  Some could care less about color codes,

>>> electrical codes, good practices etc.  I had the DOE of a publicly  

>>> traded

>>> group tell me that standards are a waste of my time and his  

>>> money!!  TV

>>> appears to return a better value on the cost of education,,,but  

>>> there are so

>>> many changes that the learning is quickly outdated.  I think  

>>> vendor seminars

>>> are a better use of one's time, talent and money.  Studio Hub has  

>>> removed

>>> alot of the need to spend money on learning audio wiring.

>>>

>>> Edwin Bukont CSRE, DRB, CBNT

>>> V- 240.417.2475; F- 240.368.1265

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>> _______________________________________________

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>>>

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>>>

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>>

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>

>

> my webpage

> http://russvanderhorst.info

> _______________________________________________

> The SBE Roundtable, SBE at sbe.org

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>

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Techworks Professional Systems, Inc. Henry M. Seiden, Founder
henry<at>techworkspro<dot>com