Breaking into the industry


Hello all,
This may be off topic, but i was wondering if anyone has any advice on how to work in the HiFi industry. I am graduating from college in May with a degree in economics and the more i think about my options, the more i want to turn my back on a career in banking or finance. I absolutely adore music and would nothing more than to be surrounded by it everyday. Thanks fo the help,
Matt
asonicyouth
Er .... sorry to say this but you should work in the banking or finance industry. Work hard, make a lot of money and buy all the hi-fi you want. Trust me!
Asonic:

The best bet for a college graduate who will have a generalist/liberal arts degree is to pursue a graduate/trainee program. I say this because unless you have a very specific skillset, graduate programs are the best way to start out in most companies.

I run a graduate program for a major investment bank and quite frankly, you have waited way too long to start the interviewing process for a graduate program in just about any industry, let alone banking and finance. With that said, you have asked a very similar question that young adults with a strong interest in most hobbies (like bicycling) would ask. So, here goes ...

1. Look at the major, mass production oriented electronic companies (like SONY; Matsushita/Panasonic; Sharp) that offer graduate programs in their marketing; IT/technology; or distribution/operations areas and apply for a spot. Expect keen competition, as graduates who know early on what they want to specialize in, have been doing internships in these areas for the past two summers already. The days of "working your way up from the mailroom" or thinking that that an employer will be impressed just because you are "young and willing to work hard" just don't exist in big companies anymore. Check out their web-sites and see if they have a "careers" section.

2. If there are any hifi companies in your area, see if they have any job openings. This could look like an opening in their Accounting departments.

3. Try the audio retail or service route.

4. Lastly, you can get training in some aspect of the industry. One potentially lucrative career path could be to pursue the certification in home theatre design and installation. I had done some reading about this field and ...
a. there is relatively high demand, as many homeowners are building and/or retro-fitting home theatres.
b. so many installers today tend to come from the HVAC installation ranks (makes sense in a way, as you are cutting through walls and pulling cables).

Think about the hifi industry, as you would any business and see how you would fit in. What core skils do you have that an employer would pay for? HiFi is like any product ... you can design 'em; you can sell 'em; you can service 'em; you can write about 'em; or like most of us ... you can enjoy 'em.

Good luck, Rich
Circuit city and bestbuy are are always looking for new people..hahahha..stick with the bank....