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Here are the job opportunities (or as we like to call them, Grind Opps) from this week's show.
09/12/16
GRIND OPP #1
Position:
Audio Engineer
Industry: Recording
Location: Louisville, KY
Description
Independent studio seeking an engineer to be in charge of all client sessions.
09/12/16
GRIND OPP #2
Position:
Assistant Producer
Industry: Radio
Location: New York, NY
Description
Executive Producer seeks assistant producer to support productions for broadcast, web and social media. Web experience preferred.
09/12/16
GRIND OPP #3
Position:
Live Sound Engineer
Industry: Recording
Location: Sacramento, CA
Description
Applicant will be responsible for FOH and Monitors, as well as prepping equipment for rentals, and delivering backline.
09/12/16
GRIND OPP #4
Position:
Live Streaming Producer
Industry: Film
Location: Nashville, TN
Description
Full service production and broadcast seeks live production, live streaming, and post production help.
09/12/16
GRIND OPP #5
Position:
Cinematographer / Editor
Industry: Film
Location: Kansas City, MO
Description
Interior Design Company looking to create promo videos for online marketing and web series.
Transcript
Cloie: Ooo. Oh. [inaudible 00:00:04]
IZ: Cloie, you’re so black.
[music]
IZ: What’s up, yo. Welcome to Connected. I’m your host DJ IZ, with my co-host, Miss beautiful Cloie. We’re over here having a ball, kicking jokes. I’m sure you heard a little bit of it. You know, what can I say? We’re multicultural here. You know what I’m saying? We’re multicultural. That’s how we get down.
Cloie: We’re [inaudible 00:00:51].
IZ: Man, we got the full rainbow over here. You know what I’m saying? We got a white crew. We got Cloie, who’s African American. We got IZ, who’s Mexican American. Yo, hey, anything you can throw at us that we ain’t prepared for. We got it all covered.
Cloie: Look at us.
IZ: Anywho, welcome to show 29. We’re happy to be here. Man, this seems like, Cloie, we’re just stacking up shows here, man. You know, but for those of you who are just tuning in, we are here every Monday morning at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Standard Time. And we might have some folks that are just tuning in with us for the first time today so I wanna kinda…
Cloie: Welcome them.
IZ: …break it down. Yeah, welcome, welcome, welcome. Kinda wanna give you a breakdown on what it is we do here every Monday, right? So the show is called Connected. I usually say it’s self-explanatory but it might not be to some folks. So, yes, we mentor. Yes, we educate. Yes, we share our personal experiences. Yes, we give advice. But at the end of the day, we back all that up with opportunities and providing…
Cloie: Sure do.
IZ: …jobs for you guys. Because I’m sure you guys just ain’t here to just get that, you know what I’m saying? I’m sure you guys are here to kinda just see kinda what’s out there on the landscape, what’s there for you guys to take advantage of. So we want to make this a full spectrum experience for you guys. And that’s what we’ve been doing. We’re 29 shows deep into this.
Cloie: I’m gonna do the math. Keep talking.
IZ: Do the math, Cloie. Do the math. That might be…that might put us at somewhere around 140. I’m not sure. I don’t want to be wrong. I don’t want to get ahead of myself. And, you know…
Cloie: You’re…145.
IZ: One forty-five, all right. Well, there you have it. We’re at 145 jobs that we have broughten to you all since day one. And that’s something we’re proud about and that’s something we’re gonna continue on doing. We got a wonderful team. And I kinda really wanna talk about this Roland event that I just hosted and DJ’d at.
Cloie: [inaudible 00:02:44]
IZ: Which was called 909 day, which was a huge day for us at rolling. And 909 day, Cloie, was pretty much a drum machine that they’ve been synonymous with throughout the years, from the 808 to the 909 to the 626 to the 707. This was a day where we introduced a new product, which was the DJ-808 controller, which was drum machine and controller. And that’s something that’s never been created and that’s something that Roland did with Serato. Shout out to Serato, who’s so…
Cloie: Serato.
IZ: …forward thinking, keeping things pushing and making things happen for DJs who are passionate about the craft and are passionate about the experience. And it was a great day. I mean, it was streamed in a couple of different countries. It was a full, just a full on party time event. And you know, Cloie, how many times have you ever gone to, like, an event thrown by a company and it’s really, like, corporate and really just kinda stiff, you know? This one was really just, man, it was…
Cloie: So many times.
IZ: So many times, right? This one was just, it was just cool.
Cloie: So many times [inaudible 00:03:53].
IZ: It was just fresh. Yeah, this one was cool, fresh. It was just…
Cloie: Kinda hold up the pictures [inaudible 00:03:57].
IZ: Hold up the picture. That right there is DJ-808. I know it looks like a lot of buttons, a lot of [inaudible 00:04:05]…
Cloie: It’s all over our social media.
IZ: …but trust me. Yeah, yeah. And you know, it was just a great experience to be there and to be a part of that night. It was a special night for me, especially, being that I’ve been around Roland since I was a kid, as a musician, as a creator. And it was just a great thing. And you know, I always say, “Man, you’ll be surprised how far your passion takes you at the end of the day.” You know, to 25 years I never thought I’d be introducing a Roland product, be up there hosting, you know, and it was just a testament to hard work, pounding the pavement, and, you know, staying connected with folks that are culture shifters. And that’s what we’re about here.
Cloie: And which is perfect for today. That’s a perfect transition, because that’s, like, who our…we got a guest today that’s…
IZ: Yeah, exactly. Right? And you know, people always ask us, Cloie, you know, how are you guys accessing these jobs? Are people getting hired? What’s the success rate? Is it working? You know, is it just for the students at our…you know, from The Recording Connection? And the great thing is we’re gonna answer all of that today with our incredible guest. Is there anything…also, Cloie, hit them with our social media handles.
Cloie: Oh, right.
IZ: You know, for those of you who are just tuning in, so they can stay connected with us and with the info.
Cloie: I mean, if you’re looking [distorted audio 00:05:25] at IZ Connected. We’re on the Twitter machine, the Instagram, the Facebook, the this, that at IZ Connected. I mean…duh, that’s it. And thanks to Drake, because he saw the live stream, he said that it looked legit by the by, so shout out, Drake. Thank you. Talking to you right now…
IZ: Shout out to Drake.
Cloie: …on the live stream. The end.
IZ: Shout out to Drake. Thanks for checking it out. Thanks for tuning in. We always like to shout out folks. Also, too, you wow. I got a cat that I went to high school with that I’m just seeing popping up. What’s up, Aaron Alder, man? What’s up, dude? Yo, I went to high school with this cat and one of the common passions we both had was really good golden era hip hop. And golden era hip hop, you know, was, like, our time. That was in the ’90s, right? That was, like, some of the best…
Cloie: Performing [inaudible 00:06:27].
IZ: …hip hop that was made. And I’m actually happy to see him pop up on our screen here, Cloie, because, yeah, I haven’t talked to him in a long time. And he’s a creator, songwriter, producer. So I’m happy to see him here today. That’s dope, man. So…
Cloie: Nice to meet you, Aaron.
IZ: …shout out to Aaron, man.
Cloie: Hi.
IZ: Yeah. So, you know, before we get into these grind opps, what do we usually tell these folks to do prior to us getting…
Cloie: Grab a pen.
IZ: …these grind opps going?
Cloie: Grab a pen. Grab some paper, right? You can also grab your “Like a Boss” cup. Shout out to [inaudible 00:07:02] Laura, my business partner. We have a wine blog. Like, a [inaudible 00:07:06]…
IZ: What up, Laura? What up, girl?
Cloie: Right. All about that business, we are. Or you can grab your texting phones and your device, but whatever it is that you use to take notes on, get your mind straight, show up for yourself, not for other people. This is for you, and for us, because we like you.
IZ: Yes, and, you know, one of the reasons why we kinda like to really push on, you know, just getting whatever you possibly can to obtain this information, because it’s really crucial information. Yes, the grind opps are great, but the information that comes with the grind opps are even more important for you to have and for you to kinda just really dive into and do your homework. So, we want to make sure you guys are getting the full on experience, here, all right, and taking down as much information as you possibly can.
So without any further ado on this beautiful Monday morning, we’re gonna jump off into our first grind opp of the day. First grind opp of the day is in the field of recording. All right, this is audio engineer. Independent studio seeking an engineer to be in charge of all client sessions. All client sessions, all right. Well, that sounds like a bit much. Audio engineer will be responsible for recording, burning discs, uploading the audio for streaming. Candidate must have at least one year of studio experience. Ideal for externs. Candidate must be familiar with Excel as he or she will be using spreadsheets.
Cloie: Oo, that’s big.
IZ: Yeah, so, you know, any audio engineer that’s actually tuning in with us today, you already know, I mean, recording, burning discs, upload audio and streaming, those are actually very easy practices as far as being an audio engineer. I mean, that’s like engineer…that’s not even 101. That’s like, you know, Campbell Soup ABCs, you know what I’m saying? That’s like…
Cloie: Ah, really?
IZ: Yeah, so…yeah, that’s ABCs. So you know, when you get into…obviously, you know, having more than a year of experience, you know, that’s kinda where we always like to kinda promote, you know, what The Recording Connection is doing with our students, because we are keeping our students in actual real workplaces and real studios with a real mentor. So that’s where the…you know, that’s where the benefits are. Obviously, not just getting the education, but working in a real time working environment.
Cloie: Right.
IZ: And also, too, being familiar with Excel, as you will be dealing with spreadsheets.
Cloie: Can you just talk about Excel for a minute?
IZ: I don’t know too many engin… Yeah, because…
Cloie: Talk about that.
IZ: …I don’t know too many…yeah, I don’t know too many engineers that are advanced in spreadsheets. So go…I’m gonna let you dive into the whole spreadsheet thing, Cloie.
Cloie: Well, I can’t because I’m an artist and I’m just gonna say I don’t know too many artists that are well-versed in Excel, either. However…
IZ: Right.
Cloie: …what I will say about Excel is that it is, like, the ProTools of the admin world.
IZ: Right.
Cloie: If that makes any sense. Probably more complicated…
IZ: [inaudible 00:10:02]
Cloie: Probably more complicated. There are formulas. Sometimes there’s math, but you’re like, “But I’m typing.” Yeah, so get your grind on because Excel’s a real thing. It’s not something you can fake.
IZ: Right. And you know, I think, too…
Cloie: There’s nothing you can fake.
IZ: I think too, also, along with this grind opp, you know, you’re dealing with all…
Cloie: [inaudible 00:10:26]
IZ: …client sessions. Right, right. So you’re dealing with all client sessions. So you know, that, to me, is something that speaks in the realm of, you know, structure, organized, people person, knowing how to talk to folks. And honestly, as an engineer, when you’re dealing with client sessions, man, you’re dealing with content, right? You’re dealing with content that they’ve recorded, content that has been recorded because they’ve paid for studio time.
So that’s a serious thing to think about. I know, for me, when I’ve worked in the past with studios and engineers, the last thing I ever want to hear is that you lost my content or that my content got erased or that the drive kinda just took a dive. You know, so when they say dealing and being in charge of all client sessions, man, you better know what you’re doing. You better know what you doing.
Cloie: Don’t beep it up.
IZ: Yeah, you know, do not…do not even try to do this is you haven’t done it before. So you know, the great thing is that, you know, for our audio engineers, you know, a lot of you guys do have experience under your belt where maybe you’ve worked with local bands, maybe you’ve worked with local artists, but you know, any type of experience in the field of engineering is always great, especially for opportunities like this, because, you know, like I said, you get in these gigs, you want to overperform.
You don’t want to underperform. And you want to know your gear. Another huge aspect to this, Cloie, is, you know, engineers knowing their gear, knowing the latest updates, programs that everybody’s using out there. Whether it’s Ableton Live, whether it’s Logic, Reason, ProTools, know your craft. You know, for anybody who’s passionate about any of these platforms, it’s a must you be passionate about your craft. Because when you’re passionate about your craft, you do the homework.
Cloie: For sure. You’ll learn Excel if you’re passionate.
IZ: Yeah.
Cloie: Like Cat says, to get a check. Cat said he had to learn it to get a check.
IZ: Right. And where the homework comes in handy is you being able to take advantage of this opportunity and be able to get in there and actually fly with flying colors and get things done. So that is it for our first grind opp of the day. Without any further ado, Cloie, I’d like for us to introduce our wonderful guest today that has taken the time to spend a couple of minutes here with us. And hopefully, he’ll hang with us throughout the show.
And I think this guest is extremely crucial, and at the same time, beneficial to our viewers. A lot of time, Cloie, we get questions of how does it actually work? How are you…where are these jobs coming from? Are people getting hired? What’s the success rate? And you know, here we got a guest that can break all that down…
Cloie: All that down.
IZ: …for you guys. And is a huge component and huge asset to what it is we do every Monday. Cloie, without this dude…
Cloie: It’s not gonna happen.
IZ: …you know, I don’t know what we’d be handing out. We’d be handing out popsicles and [inaudible 00:13:34]…
Cloie: Love.
IZ: …tickets, and…
Cloie: Loves and [inaudible 00:13:35].
IZ: We be handing out love. So, without any further ado, I want to introduce my man, Edwin, here. What’s up, Ed?
Edwin: Hey, guys. How are you? Good morning.
Cloie: How are you?
Edwin: I’m excited.
IZ: Hey. Good morning, man. Great to have you, man. How was your weekend?
Edwin: Everything was good, can’t complain. I’m talking to DJ IZ Monday morning. I’m talking to Cloie Taylor. Like, it doesn’t get any better than this, you know?
IZ: You know what? I agree with you.
Cloie: Me, too.
IZ: I’m looking at you on my computer right now and all’s I see is a beautiful background in the back of you. You know what that background is?
Cloie: Connected.
IZ: Connected.
Edwin: Yeah
[crosstalk]
IZ: I like your background, too.
Cloie: I have art in mine, because I’m classy. I have art.
Edwin: I love it.
IZ: Cloie, those are fat lace shoestrings to, like…
Cloie: You know what?
IZ: …[inaudible 00:14:26].
Cloie: Let me tell you.
IZ: Don’t even try it.
Cloie: This is worth money. This is art.
IZ: It is. I’m not messing.
Edwin: Is there a reason you chose those colors?
Cloie: Do they come in other colors?
Edwin: I’m not sure.
Cloie: No, no. This is original art. This is legit shout out Jil Weinstock. She showcases in L.A. She’s got her own thing in New York.
Edwin: That’s amazing.
IZ: That’s dope. That’s dope.
Cloie: Thank you, Edwin. Somebody’s got their grind on.
IZ: That’s key.
Cloie: [inaudible 00:14:57] Edwin, back to Edwin. Edwin, you are a career advisor with The Recording Connection.
Edwin: Yes.
Cloie: What does that entail?
IZ: So Edwin, I want to… Oh, I’m sorry.
Cloie: No, [inaudible 00:15:09].
IZ: Go ahead, go ahead. Yeah, break that down for us, Ed. What does that look like on your end?
Edwin: Of course, of course. What I do is I actually I say I’m very lucky to do what I do, because this is actually I don’t just…I’m not just an advisor. This is what I do professionally as well. So every day, I talk to graduates. I talk to students graduating, wanting to get into the field. So I don’t just get them jobs. I don’t just do that. We talk about life. We talk about what tools are you gonna have for the rest of your life. What can you use in any industry? You know? It’s the principles are the same. So that’s what I do.
IZ: They are.
Edwin: In one sentence.
IZ: Right. And you know, it’s good to hear you say that because one of the things I always talk about is kinda reintroducing the fundamentals of presentation in the workplace, right? And that can range from your resume, your, like, video teaser or scissor reel, whatever you want to call it, how you dress, what your posture is, how you converse with folks.
Edwin: Yeah.
IZ: And you’ll be surprised in this generation, this new age culture…
Cloie: Digital [inaudible 00:16:17].
IZ: …that they kinda don’t have a clue, you know? And you know, they think they can just kinda walk through the doors in some shorts and look like they just came from the beach. And one of the things, for me, has been I learned early on it that the opportunities I was able to utilize and gravitate towards was really based off of my know how, my skills, my presentation, and my experience. And you know, so we kinda just…we just, like, for instance, our first grind opp was audio engineer that was being offered in Louisville. And you know, aside from, you know, the details and the expectation, you know, at some point, it still always points itself back to actual experience.
Cloie: Yes.
IZ: And you know, just understanding the nuts and bolts of, you know, The Recording Connection and how, you know, folks can come in and really get firsthand experience in the actual job places that a lot of these opportunities are directed at, you know, how is that process even look on your end as far as just seeing people come through this process and then being able to access these jobs right away?
[crosstalk]
Edwin: So in regards to the grind opps, it’s, you know, we put these jobs out there and then we get resumes, you know? And we look through them. We look through them. We see how they’re formatted. We see the information. I look through…I look for key things, you know? I look for not just a description of, “Oh, I’m responsible. I’m trustworthy.” Everybody can say that. You know? But does your experience show that, you know? So we look for key things like this. And that’s the advantage of, you know, having…being in The Recording Connection, having that, you know. Because if those little things aren’t there…not little, because they’re huge, actually, [inaudible 00:18:12].
Cloie: They’re huge.
Edwin: Yeah, I give them a call, you know? I give them a call and that’s part of my test, too. If their voice mail is not set up, if, you know, if they don’t have a professional voice mail, if they’re like, “Yo, yo, yo…
Cloie: That’s full. Or that’s full.
Edwin: Sure.
IZ: Right.
Edwin: Or if it’s full. It’s like, okay, we’ll call him later. Let me look. I’m looking for the person with that “it”, you know? And that “it”, it’s not nothing. It’s not a magic pill. It’s simply you just want to put effort into it, you know?
IZ: Right, right. Absolutely.
Cloie: Pick me. Edwin, pick me. I have a question. I have a question.
Edwin: All right.
Cloie: Okay. So real quick, for people that maybe don’t know and are new to this whole process of Connected, what we do here, and the grind opps in and of themselves, can you quickly take us through the two parts of it? Meaning how you find the jobs and also what happens after people apply to the jobs.
Edwin: Of course. The way I find the jobs is the way we find jobs just with our graduates, the three different ways. The first one’s through our mentors. We have hundreds of mentors throughout the country that actually do this professionally. So they always call me, “Hey, Edwin. I need an engineer or I need a PA.” That’s the first one. The second one is through our connections, through production companies that we work with for over 20 years. It’s always moving, you know? It’s always for project. It’s always for okay, like, for example, right now, obviously we’re not Christmas. All the Christmas material is already finishing now, right? So right now, we’re focusing for the springtime.
Cloie: And holiday, all holiday. Shout out all holiday. Shout out all holidays.
Edwin: All holidays. All right. But I meant, like, well, for…this is what I meant. For, like, Christmas movies, they’re getting finished right now. They’re getting wrapped up if they haven’t been wrapped up already, you know? So right now we’re focusing on next year, you know? So I get inquiries by employers through that. And the third is just me looking, you know. It’s me practicing what I preach and me looking and me calling employers for graduates.
And, “Hey, do you need this? Do you need this, this?” And the way it’s explained to them, it’s much easier for them to go to me and be like, “Hey, I trust you, Edwin. We’ve talked. I know what you can do. I know the quality of graduates you’re gonna give me. I need five people in two weeks for this film.” Great. And we forward them right away, which some have been from the grind opps as well.
IZ: Yeah, now…
Cloie: And so now people…okay, go ahead.
IZ: Go ahead, Cloie.
Cloie: No, no, no. I just…I wanted to just go into a little bit more detail. I mean, because you know how sometimes…like, if somebody…you’re like, “Enter this sweepstakes and win a car, blah, blah, blah.” People enter and then they’re like, “Uh, but except does anybody ever win it?”
Edwin: Of course.
[crosstalk]
Cloie: Yeah, go ahead.
Edwin: Yeah, no. It’s like that. It’s like does anybody every win it and you’re right. You know? That’s just how a job is. You know, it’s not a…we’re not strangers to the fact that that majority of college graduates, four years at university graduates, you know, don’t have jobs. You know? So it’s what happens is as soon as I land these grind opps, I don’t just hear…I hear from them today afternoon, like, “Hey, I turned in this resume. Just wanted to follow up with you. Have a great day.” That’s a…
Cloie: Yes, follow up. Follow up. Follow up. #followup.
IZ: Yeah, absolutely. #followup. So Edwin, just, you know, just round about rough estimation, what’s the success rate on folks going through the process of The Recording Connection and the mentorship and utilizing these opportunities? What’s the success rate on some of these folks getting hired?
Edwin: Great question. So our statistic is 77% to 78%. The reason I say that is because it always shifts, you know. I want to get my…the graduates, I call them my graduates, because I really care for them. You know? I just want them to win. But there’s a missed connection there, so to answer your question, it’s 77%, 78%. But you know, it’s like…a lot of people will be like, “Why 77% or why does it come down?” It’s like, well, in December and January everybody’s on vacation. So everybody’s…
[crosstalk]
IZ: …shuts down.
Edwin: Everything shuts down, you know?
IZ: Right. You know what’s great, though, Edwin? Is at the end of the day, man, honestly, in this day and age, with the jobs in these particular fields, which is…it’s not, like, you know…it’s not like the companies that are exist every day, right? These are really select, niche fields. And to be able to quote a number at 77% is incredible, still. Especially in this day and age where…
Cloie: Especially [inaudible 00:22:51]…oh, go ahead.
IZ: No, I was just gonna say especially with actual, you know, facilities or business or institutions that are actually paying people. You know what I’m saying? Like, paid jobs. Like, you say, “Show up, let’s see how you do for the first three months and we’ll cover your gas.” You know what I’m saying? Like, these, in this day and age, man, because there’s a lot of that. And you know, I think to be able to still walk away with the platform that we’re bringing and still walk away and say, “Hey, man, we’re still at 77% success rate of these folks actually being hired,” is still incredible.
Cloie: I just want to add to that, too, that when you talk about 77%, 78% in this industry, in an industry where people keep hiring the same people because of connections, because of networking, because that’s another part of it. But the fact that you’re talking about, okay, great. This is a…yes, I know you know your cousin. Yes, your cousin might be blah, blah, blah. That’s amazing. And here’s this other candidate that would also be amazing. Why don’t we give them a shot? And to have a success rate that is that high, I think that’s pretty admirable. Thank you.
Edwin: Exactly.
IZ: I totally agree. I totally agree.
Edwin: And to finish this off, just this part of the conversation, it’s the same thing what I do with employers. The way I “pitch” to them is like, “Why are you gonna spend time having your hiring manager, you know, sit down with all these new candidates and go, you know, that you’re investing time? Why don’t I just forward you these resumes and your sports are filled?” And they’re like, “Of course.” You know? Because it’s quick. You know, this industry is about hurry up and wait. You know?
IZ: Yeah, hurry up and wait.
Edwin: You know, you have to move, you have to be quick on this. And then, when you get in, kinda wait, make sure you follow up and do those key things. It’s not just about attaching a resume and sending it out. You know?
IZ: Right. Let me ask you this, Edwin, because I’m sure you see a whole lot of it. What are some of the things for you that stand out in someone’s resume? What are some of the things that you look for that make you say, “Ah, you know what? I’m gonna shoot this resume to such and such because there’s some legit things in there that really stand out to me.”? What are some of those things for you?
Edwin: Of course. Just the key things is, like, for example, is it both in film and audio?
IZ: The whole spectrum.
Edwin: The whole spectrum. Great question. For audio, is you’re experienced with equipment. You’re experienced with programming as well. Programming meaning ProTools, meaning Logic. These things, as in, if they want to be an engineer. Right? Let’s say they want to be an engineer. Because we…
Cloie: Like our first grind opp, yeah
Edwin: Yeah. Let’s say they want to be an engineer. Well, the first thing I tell them is, “Well, do you know at least 50 to 100 Pro Tool shortcuts?” They’re like, “What do you mean? I never got taught that.” I was like, “Yeah, those are things that you…they’re not taught. You gotta learn these.” And they’re like, “Why?” It’s like, “Because nobody…you know, we’re in the digital age. People, you know, you’re gonna start working with writers.”
That’s how I started working with Adelis Hardiss [SP]. I started working with writers and I was like, “I want to become the fastest engineer for them so they can recommend me.” That’s just how it works, you know? So things like that. Experience, you know, experience knowing the technical aspects of it. But there’s a direct correlation from the kids that send me finished resumes, great resumes, because I help them out. It’s usually within a few hours. The people that are kinda waiting on it, that lag it, that kinda…it’s those resumes that need a lot of work. So it’s always…if you’re on top of the ball, people are gonna want to help you. That’s just how it is in life. You know? If you’re kinda waiting around, that’s not gonna work that way.
Production, production is very, very interesting for producers, you know? Why? Because you gotta…not only you have to get income, but you also have to improve your sound. Production, nobody pays a producer to just create tracks 9 to 5, you know? It just doesn’t happen. So what I tell them is, “Make it a habit to create, create, create tracks. Just you’re not getting paid for this. You just create them while you’re building experience as an engineer,” you know? And as we know, no resume is perfect and that’s what I’m here for, you know, to improve it. But you’ve got to have that grit, you know? For PAs…
IZ: Right…Nah, go ahead, Edwin. Go ahead.
Edwin: No, for PAs, experience. Do you have experience setting up, tearing down, you know? Do you have experience, you know, being at multiple projects? Always, when I see multiple projects, there’s a correlation. That tells me this student is working a lot. And usually, what happens is when I land these students jobs, they’re like, “Actually, my mentor called me.” That’s just the way it works, you know. That’s just the way it works, you know? I hope that answers your question.
Cloie: I think this is the perfect opportunity for us to move into grind opp two. And then, Edwin, maybe if you want to stick around, then you can check…
Edwin: Of course.
Cloie: …back and see, tell us what you think your take…the takeaway…
Edwin: Of course.
Cloie: …of each of the grind opps would be. Does that sound like a plan?
Edwin: That sounds like a plan. That sounds like a plan.
IZ: Cool.
Cloie: [inaudible 00:27:56]
IZ: So, Cloie, too, while we jump into grind opp number two, let them know where they can actually apply for these jobs and where they can send material, resumes, questions.
Cloie: Guys, you’re gonna send it to us, right? We are at [email protected]. That’s where you’ll send your resumes. Again, on social media we are @IZconnected. And that’s a great way to shout us out and to, “Hey, I got this job.” Because we do want to hear back. You got a job. You went in for it.
IZ: Absolutely.
Cloie: Even if you got an interview, please, we really want to know. We want to hear success stories, you know? Maybe tips of the trade that you learned along the way. So you can get all that information to use at [email protected] to apply for jobs.
IZ: Dope. So here we go. Moving onto grind opp number two. This is in the field of radio. Assistant Producer. Executive Producer seeks assistant producer to support productions for broadcast, web and social media. Web experience preferred. And this is in New York, New York. And the details for this grind opp two are basic audio production, preferably ProTools, deadline oriented, comfortable with organizational tasks. Ideal opportunity for radio or audio graduates that are comfortable with working in a fast-paced environment under strict deadlines.
Cloie: There’s that [inaudible 00:29:26], twice.
IZ: I see your church finger up.
Cloie: You said deadline twice.
IZ: Yeah, yeah. So…
Cloie: Two deadlines.
IZ: I think, too, you know, it’s one of those where, you know, folks kinda go into these things not really taking those words serious. And kinda like what Edwin was saying, like, when you get into these environments, man, they’re really non-error environments. Especially in the production role, because any downtime is a killer, right? And any time you miss a deadline, it’s a killer. Any time you really just underperform, it’s a killer.
And I think, you know, more or less for the young folks who are diving into these opportunities in these workplaces, really important to understand that you really get one time to really deliver and show what you can do. And whether it’s being structured, whether it’s being on time, whether it’s knowing how to talk to folks in the workplace, whether it’s knowing how to talk to clients, you have to be a master or the best you possibly can be in all these different facets. Because, you know, when you’re on the clock, man, it’s go time.
And when you’re dealing with audio production, when you’re dealing with ProTools, and you might just happen to be more…a little more better at Ableton, but you got a gig on ProTools because you might have said on your resume that you do all the platforms and you really don’t. You know, those are the things you want to think about. You know, you take these details and you really just dive in and you prepare yourself, you know? Because a lot of folks, Cloie, we know aren’t deadline oriented.
Cloie: No. [inaudible 00:31:18]
IZ: They’re not comfortable with organizational tasks. And those are the things, I think, that are great that, you know, you can kinda cultivate and become better at when you’re dealing with mentors in real time. I think that’s something that’s incredible. I think, you know, Cloie, we do as much as we can on the show with the timeframe that we have as far as educating, preparation, but at the end of the day, it still all comes down to application, right?
Because no matter what kind of information we pour into you or no matter how much information you sponge up, you still gotta apply it and you still gotta go out there and grind and you still gotta know, or at least have an idea or concept of what the workplace requires and what that presentation looks like.
Cloie: Yes, and before we go into…
IZ: And I kinda…
Cloie: Wait, I was gonna say, before we go into grind opp number three, what I do want to say is I also want to just take into account the world is changing, it’s shifting. But when you’re talking about application and just showing up, in the real world, not everybody gets a trophy. In the real world, there are no honorable mentions. So this is also to Edwin’s point of, like, what you’re looking for in a resume. These are all things that we know to be ahead, to stay ahead, to work harder, to overperform not underperform, and know…sometimes you’ll get in, sometimes you’ll not, but if you try that’s fine. But just know that in the real world, unlike current trends, not everybody gets a trophy.
IZ: Not everybody gets a trophy. But here’s a great thing about this grind opp opportunity. Audio graduates. Hmm, I wonder where we’ve got some audio graduates sitting at?
Cloie: I don’t know. I don’t know.
IZ: You know, that wouldn’t happen to be The Recording Connection, right?
Edwin: Yeah.
Cloie: Wait, Edwin, do you…[inaudible 00:33:08] most important takeaway in grind opp two?
Edwin: The most important takeaway, honestly, it’s…and I want to tell our viewers this is actually listen from Cloie Taylor and DJ IZ. You guys read it, but there’s a lot of material there that needs to be broken down, starting with IZ. He mentioned something about, “Well, what if, you know, you put that you’re…you know all the platforms on your resume but you’re not so sure on ProTools.” That’s something that I’m missing from graduates. You know, which is fake it until you make it. You’re working…you’re competing with too many people. If you put that you know all four, just don’t sleep one night and learn it all. You know? [inaudible 00:33:54]
Cloie: I love it.
Edwin: You know? That’s just how it works. It’s like, for example, like, IZ, before getting that gig with Macy Gray, it’s like, what…you know, how many other gigs did that prepare you to get to that? You know? Even [inaudible 00:34:07].
IZ: A lifetime.
Edwin: Exactly, a lot of time.
IZ: A lifetime.
Edwin: A lifetime. And that’s how it works, you know?
IZ: You know, and I’m glad you pointed that out, Edwin, because, you know, the reality is these opportunities and the success rate of being able to be here, be in these and actually perform, man, it comes with years of experience, man. And if I was able to actually dive into just the grunt work that I had to do and investment, you know, I had to be a fly .
Cloie: Fly on the wall.
IZ: I had to just shut up. I had to just watch and listen. And before I ever got to touch a dial on the board, you know, I had to go, “Hey, man. Can I get you something? Can I…” You know, and that’s the discipline, right? That’s the discipline. I always tell folks, you know, “If you’re gonna jump into this role, be a student from every aspect,” because you get in here and you underperform, you short change yourself. And guess what? In these industries, because I’ve done it before. I can spot an engineer a mile away if he has it or not and I will replace him that very minute.
Edwin: Of course.
IZ: And it’s been great. Go ahead and take the day off. Unfortunately, you’re just too slow.
Edwin: And it’s nothing personal.
IZ: It’s nothing personal. But the thing is, I know for me, when I’m creating, you know, I need to be able to capture that thought and that inspiration, right there.
Cloie: And [inaudible 00:35:36].
IZ: If it’s, “Oh, man. That computer…” Oh, it just doesn’t fly. And I think people…it’s crucial for people to understand the discipline that goes into these opportunities because it’s no joke. You know, there’s…I always say man, the modern day instrument, these days, is the laptop because you actually have to learn to play it like an instrument when you’re on ProTools. And that’s crucial. That’s why I think, you know, I like to always say, you know, a lot of these jobs, they’re packed with information, but they’re also…they also require real time experience.
And that’s why, you know, we’re always confident in leaving these opps saying, “Hey, man. Another job opp that’s great for our Recording Connection students.” Because just because of the process and the template that exists that you guys are making happen every day. So, shout out to you guys, Edwin, for having a…
Cloie: I mean…
IZ: …legitimate…
Edwin: The whole team.
IZ: …legitimate process. It’s the whole team, man.
Edwin: Yeah, it’s the whole team, but yeah, not to take too much time, but I do want to tell graduates, like, you guys are filled with experience and that’s the key thing here. You know? Anybody can read out anything. You guys been in the game, I mean, Cloie, since 1998, ’99. I mean, I was…do you want to know how old I was?
IZ: Tell her, man.
Cloie: I don’t know what you’re talking about. You don’t know how old I am.
Edwin: But it’s just…it’s like no other school will give you that. You know, and even learning extra DAWs, our graduates, after they graduate, they actually still have access to our student advisors where they can actually learn this. So what’s the excuse?
IZ: Right, there’s no excuse. And you know, I’m glad you stressed that, Edwin, because nobody can give you drive. Right, Edwin? No matter how many…
Cloie: [inaudible 00:37:25]
IZ: …resumes you push through, no matter if we get to show 400, Cloie, you still have to go out there and go get it.
Edwin: Yes.
IZ: We’re just trying to give you, you know, that leap start. You know, that projection of this is what to look for, this is how to prepare yourself. And that’s really what it’s about, man. Because I know, for me, when I get up, man, I’m hitting the pavement and I’m grinding.
Cloie: I mean…
IZ: I don’t know any other way.
Edwin: But that’s the thing.
Cloie: [inaudible 00:37:57]
Edwin: And that’s the thing. And then, you know, we have this new generation…and just not to…I’m not…there’s great, great things, but what gets to me is, like, you’re waking up 11:00 a.m., at 12:00, getting on your instrument for an hour, getting lunch, and then you open your laptop at 3:00 p.m. It’s like, DJ IZ already…how many hours does he have ahead of you? It’s like…
Cloie: He’d be done for the day.
Edwin: And he started…
IZ: I’m done.
Edwin: You know, you’re done. And this if after, so all these years. It’s like, how can you compete with that? You know?
IZ: Yeah. And you know, and even…I don’t even…today, Edwin, I don’t even care about our time limit, because today’s a special day. We have…
Edwin: Ah, thank you guys. Thank you.
IZ: I want to make sure we extract as much information from you as possible, because it’s all beneficial at the end of the day.
Edwin: YEs.
IZ: You know, folks that want to stick around, they’ll stick around.
Cloie: Folks that have an audition, have audition.
IZ: I see you. I see you. But you know, that’s great, man. And I’m glad you were able to kinda dive into that with us. So, Cloie, let’s move into grind opp number three. This is Live Sound Engineer. And this is in Sacramento, California. And Live Stream…actually, wrong one. Live Sound Engineer, applicant will be responsible for FOH and Monitors. Tell them what FOH means.
Cloie: [inaudible 00:39:19] FOH is.
Edwin: Front of house.
IZ: Oh, yeah.
Edwin: Sorry. I’m sorry, Cloie. I’m sorry. I [inaudible 00:39:25].
Cloie: No, no, no. [inaudible 00:39:26]
IZ: Dive in. Dive in.
[crosstalk]
IZ: So responsible for front of house and Monitors, as well as prepping equipment for rentals, and delivering backline. Edwin, what’s backline?
Edwin: Backline is anything from instruments, anything that a band or…you know, has in their list, like we need these, you know, whatever the band asks for. It can be anything from instruments to certain line or whatever their setup is, that’s what’s gonna be delivered to the actual venue.
Cloie: Got you.
IZ: Yep.
Cloie: Okay.
IZ: Okay, so here we go. Audio and video production facility with various departments, which include stages for music and filming, a recording studio, a rentals department, artist relations, and event production.
Cloie: This is big.
Edwin: Yeah.
IZ: Flexible scheduling. Flexible scheduling. The company runs three shifts a day, seven days a week. Perfect for graduates that are focused on live sound.
Cloie: Perfect.
IZ: All right?
Edwin: Yes.
IZ: Now, there’s a lot we can dive into on this one as well, but I feel like, you know, some of the things, I feel like, you know, if you’re gonna entertain them, then obviously you know the language.
Edwin: Yep.
Cloie: Yes.
IZ: And audio video production facility with various departments, it sounds like they got a lot going on here.
Cloie: [inaudible 00:40:52]
IZ: They’ve got their own stages for music and film.
Cloie: [inaudible 00:40:54]
IZ: So it sounds like, you know, a really cool production facility with tons of departments. You know, they got their own rentals department, recording studio, artist relations, and event production. That’s a whole lot. What I like about this is they mention flexible scheduling. And that’s interesting because you know as well as I do that when the…
Cloie: [inaudible 00:41:14]
IZ: Most people love flexible scheduling, right? It’s like one of those things like, “Well, am I off all weekends, you know, holidays?” You know, it’s like… And so the fact that they mention flexible scheduling is pretty cool. And folks, that doesn’t always come with every job, so definitely keep that in mind.
Edwin: Something, if I may say something. When I see flexible scheduling, I actually see the opposite. What I mean by this is okay, well flexible scheduling means I’m gonna be working 80 hours a week, and I’m okay with that. You know? I’m just gonna have everything open, you know?
Cloie: Right.
Edwin: You know, the mentality is, “Hey, I’m here to work. I’ll work whenever,” you know?
Cloie: Yes.
Edwin: It doesn’t matter. And that’s where I [inaudible 00:42:00] flexible schellering…scheduling, my apologies, is on you. Like, flexible scheduling, be flexible.
Cloie: Yes.
Edwin: There’s no birthdays. There’s no New Year’s party. There’s no Christmas. And like, “Oh, but I want to hang out with my friends.” Okay, well that’s where your priorities are at right now. You know? And there’s nothing wrong with that.
IZ: Yeah, and I’m glad you brought that up, Edwin, because, you know, I know for me, man, you know how many birthdays and holidays that I’ve sacrificed? Even my son, because, you know, I know at the end of the day, it’s a sacrifice. You know, if I want to be the best at what it is that I love and my craft, there’s just some things I gotta be okay with in saying, “You know what? I’ll catch you on the next one.” You know? And it’s not that I don’t, you know, have that love for my family or it’s not that I’m on this paper chase. It’s just my dedication at the end of the day, man. It’s my dedication to my craft. I want to know, by the time I’m 60, and when I get to those years, that I gave it…
Cloie: Everything.
IZ: …every ounce of me.
Cloie: And the other thing is, like…
IZ: Because I want to be…
Cloie: …it’s not forever. It’s just for right now [inaudible 00:43:10].
IZ: Yeah, it’s for right now. But you know…
Cloie: …doesn’t have to be your forever.
IZ: Yeah. And when you take on the mentality of I want to be the best, man, that comes with a hefty price. And not everybody’s meant to pay it. Not everybody knows how to pay it. I know from me and my journey of music for the last 30 years, man, I’ve paid a whole lot of prices. But you know what? It’s because I love what I do every day. And that has propelled…
Cloie: [inaudible 00:43:35]
IZ: That has propelled me to even be here to talk to folks that are looking to get on the same journey or take the same road path. It’s what I call community service, man. Because you know, my hunger, my appetite, has afforded me the ability to come here with great folks like Cloie and great folks like yourself and our team, to just be here to offer information out. You know? And that all came through hard work. And you know, it’s like being flexible, you know, is one of those things where be flexible as in when they call you, be there. You know, like, when those times, when those hours come up, whatever you got on the table, hey, man, you can only have one master.
Edwin: Yeah.
IZ: You can only serve one master. What’s it gonna be? You know, and so those are great fundamentals and great practices to have at the forefront of your minds. And you know, the last detail ending in this grind opp was perfect for graduates that are focused on live sound. How many graduates would you say that we have at The Recording Connection that are really focused on the live sound aspect and live engineering?
Edwin: Yep, within the last two months, I have about 15 graduates.
IZ: Nice, okay.
Edwin: So to…
[crosstalk]
Edwin: …it’s something that we continuously are working on as well, you know? Because it’s…I get the most jobs is live sound. That’s the most inquiries, you know? Because everybody’s on the road. Everything is always running.
IZ: Right, everybody’s on…okay. Great info there, guys. We’re gonna move into grind opp number four.
Cloie: Grind opp number four.
IZ: Cloie, I’m gonna let you…I’m gonna let you, Cloie, hit them with this grind opp.
Cloie: Consider yourself hit. So this is grind opp number four. It is for a Live Streaming Producer in Nashville, Tennessee. I also just want to say, I’m gonna call back to episode 28, last week, somebody was asking do we get opportunities in Nashville, Tennessee. We totally do. So if you are watching, if you were there, this is a shout out to you. I don’t remember, maybe your name was Casey, but I could also be making that up. So here’s an opportunity in Nashville, Tennessee.
Is a full service production and broadcast company focused on live production, live streaming, and post production. And the details are editing experience on Premier Pro CC preferred. You will be assisting and creating production and streaming concepts for clients. And it is ideal…it is an ideal entry level position for graduates that want to focus on live broadcasting for major networks. And our guys here know a lot about that.
Shout out to Mike and Howard, because that’s what they do. And it is intense. It is a lot. It is very, very technical. So this is definitely, like, you talk about knowing your stuff, this is one of those, even on an entry level, knowing your stuff. I almost said a bad word, but I didn’t.
IZ: Anything you see there, Edwin, that you like to kinda just reiterate or just shed a little light on?
Edwin: No, I would just back Cloie. Same thing, you know. It’s a process, something that I’ve noticed is graduates see the goal. They see the end goal and they don’t fall in love with the process. They hear the hard work and they sit down, they’re like, “Oh my God, did I do this?” It’s like, it’s not bad. It’s great. You’re gonna meet a lot of people. You’re gonna have a lot of sleepless nights. But this is what you’re meant to do, so fall in love with that and then the rest is gonna come.
IZ: Man, spoken like a true Jedi.
Cloie: Oo, and that’s a power button. That’s a button.
IZ: That’s what you call a Jedi. All right, folks. We’re gonna move into our last grind opp of the day. This is in the field of film, cinematographer…
Cloie: Oh, wait, wait.
IZ: …editor.
Cloie: I just want to…wait, wait. Before we jump into that, I just…some…so Mike, one of our guys, live broadcasting, he wants to just give this point, too, for that since we’re talking about it. He says for live, it’s always a good thing to thrive on pressure and to be able to keep calm when everything is messing up.
Edwin: Yes.
Cloie: I just needed to add that. That’s all.
Edwin: Oh that’s…yeah. Well, in anything, really. In the studio, in film. You know, when the director says, “Go get that stand,” go get it. Like, go get it now. Like, before he finishes, you should be walking there. You know? It’s approaching that…it’s just we want to be professional, yet we don’t compare ourselves, for example, for professional athletes. The only difference, that we don’t have the shining lights, but we’re still expected to be perfect the way we expect them to be perfect. Same thing with professional actors, producers, etc., etc.
Cloie: Right.
IZ: Great point. Great point.
Cloie: Thank you, Mike.
IZ: Okay.
Cloie: [inaudible 00:48:23]
IZ: Thank you, thank you. Thank you, squad. Thank you. Okay, we’re gonna finish off with the last grind opp, which again, is in the field of film, Cinematographer/Editor. Interior design company looking to create promo videos for online marketing and web series. I’m gonna even…I’m gonna have to check this company out because I definitely love interior designing. And this is in Kansas City.
Cloie: [inaudible 00:48:44] that.
IZ: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know, right?
Cloie: So [inaudible 00:48:47] Film Connection, yeah.
IZ: So let’s see. Candidate will have creative freedom in the development of the project. Strong communication skills and leadership experience preferred. Candidate must have a real display and promotional material. So you know, when we get these kinda grind opps, you know, it really lends itself to just mass production of content pertaining to whatever the marketing strategies are, the web series, or whatever the overall concept and goal is.
Cloie: For sure.
IZ: You know, these…I know, for me, like, when I dive into marketing meetings or listen to people’s strategies and angles, I always kinda look for just an overall goal. How they’re looking to create the market for a particular product, what’s the message, what’s the visual aspect? Because I know, for me, when I look at anything visually, whether it’s a reel or whatever, I always look for the creativeness in it. You know, just what’s gonna keep me there, right?
Cloie: Right.
IZ: What’s gonna keep me focused? What’s gonna get me excited? And you know, for our editors and cinematographers, I always say, “Man, look at the dopest cats that are out right now and what they’re doing.” And pull from all these places, because I know, for me, when I look at a product, I always look at how well it’s marketed and what are the angles and how are they going about creating the culture for this particular product. So you know, those are definitely things to keep in mind. And the great thing is you’re gonna have creative freedom, which is always good, and can also be very scary.
Cloie: And also…mm-hmm. You have to…
IZ: Yeah, because, you know…
Cloie: …deal with your freedom. And not only that, but in terms of the creative aspect, you need to be confident in your creativity. So it’s not like looking for a whole bunch of input from other people, right? You may only get it from the top. You might get the yes. You might get the no. And that doesn’t mean come to it with one idea. No, come with a plethora of idea. Plethora. Come with a multitude of ideas so that one gets knocked down, you’ve got 16 more ready to go, right? So structured in your creativity.
IZ: Yeah.
Cloie: Look, structure can set you free.
IZ: Right. And I think, too, in this field, it’s really important to know how to take in a concept, ideas, take in all this information and then take that, assemble your creativity around that, and then present it. Some people present it and it’ll be all over the place and you’ll be like, “It’s not really what I was…” And so, I think being able to digest things and being at a level where you can hit the target at least within the vicinity, you know, is where you want to end up on the side of things. And two, you know, strong communicational skills…Edwin, how many times you talk to folks that they just don’t have really good communicational skills? Like…
Edwin: The majority.
IZ: …that’s pretty common, right?
Edwin: It’s common, but for me, it’s common. It’s worrisome, but it’s just that’s how we are right now, as a society. Because technologically, we’re so advanced that we don’t know nothing but to look down, right?
IZ: Right, right.
Edwin: That happens. That’s okay. That happens. I don’t mind, actually, you know, sitting with someone and actually just talking and be like, “Hey, let’s sit down.” But it’s very common. To answer your question, it’s the majority. But it’s because of where we’re at right now and it’s totally understandable. And for me, I just see that as, “Okay, how am I gonna improve for them and give them a better shot at to a job?” You know?
IZ: Right.
Cloie: Speaking of [inaudible 00:52:21], I just want to correct what I said before, because about where to…you can send your stuff to us. Like, in terms of updates and blah, blah, blah, that’s at connected@rrfedu. But to apply for the jobs, you’re applying for them at rrfedu.com/connected.
Edwin: Yes.
Cloie: If that makes sense.
Edwin: Yes.
IZ: Crucial info there, Cloie. Also, too, in your experience, Edwin, what do you think the best way…how can I put this? What’s the best way to really go about understanding leadership and what that role entails? And I always say the best way to find out how to be a leader is to be a servant. And you know, in the workplace, how important is it to be a leader, confident leader, and knowing how to deal with people so that people can respect your leadership and have confidence in knowing he knows where we’re going. He understands. He can direct the vision. He can…like, how are those dynamics? How do you look at those dynamics and how does one become a great leader?
Edwin: I think that’s much, much more import….that’s super important, especially nowadays, you know? It’s super important. What I tell graduates and what I’ve done personally, just because I speak out of what I’ve done, I love psychology. So my books, it’s just about leadership and things like that. But also, YouTube. I just, instead of just looking at, you know, I don’t know, some…I don’t know, some clips, I actually…
Cloie: [inaudible 00:53:57]
Edwin: Yeah, I look at leadership. There’s so many, so many stuff because I don’t know how to do that. I don’t know how to talk in front of this camera, but I learned it. How? By just doing it, by just practicing by myself, talking, okay. I shouldn’t be looking down. I should actually be looking at the camera, things like that. And I just learn it through research. It’s something that we have. It’s some super important.
If you cannot be, like you said, if you cannot be a servant, you can’t be a leader. But in order to be a great servant, you gotta be a servant with leadership skills, you know? That’s how you get there, you know? You don’t work in the big projects just like that, you know. You actually have to be a great communicator and listener. You know, listen first and then talk. Yeah, it’s incredibly important.
Cloie: I’m going to take this opportunity to [inaudible 00:54:44] to listening versus talking. I think…let’s hear what folks have to say in terms of, like…because people have been just chiming in and thank [inaudible 00:54:53].
Edwin: Yes. Yes, yes.
Cloie: [inaudible 00:54:54]
Edwin: I mean, it’s Cloie Taylor, DJ IZ, the Abla Brothers, I mean, come on.
IZ: Wow.
Edwin: Come on.
IZ: Wow. All right, Edwin. I see you. I see you, Edwin. All right.
Edwin: So for example, this is my example for…and this I did it for our viewers, actually did research on you guys. I actually wanted…I want to know about you guys. That’s how you’re gonna learn. You know, stop talking about yourself, talk about your dreams, talk about your employer. Ask your employer, “Wow, like what have you been up to?” Research your employer before you actually talk to them.
Cloie: Yes.
IZ: Absolutely. And that’s…you know, it’s funny, man. It’s like, I like how you’re saying everything that we’ve been, you know, reiterating from just the start of the show. And it’s just…I always say, “Man, be a student of your craft.” And when you’re a student of your craft, you do all those things, right? You do the necessities. You study. If you don’t know something, you figure it out in hours, minutes.
And that’s really…I mean, that’s what separates you from the next guy or the next person applying for the same job. It’s your ability to constantly go for it, go, go, go, go, learn it, get it going, perform, do it. You know what I’m saying? And those are the dynamics that are so crucial, man, because, you know, this day and age, we deal with a lot of people that really just stand on their talent. “Hey man, I’m talented, man. How much am I getting paid?”
But the actual grunt work and the know-how and the actual experience, man, nobody has time for that anymore obviously. And it’s like, man. You know, and what sustains you, man, is the information. And a good friend of mine, Terry Lewis, would always say, “Sponges don’t talk. Sponges don’t talk.”
Edwin: They don’t.
IZ: Take your…
Cloie: They’re an inanimate object.
IZ: Yeah, take all, as much information as you possibly can and learn. And man, just shut up. Just shut up. You know, and that’s the school I’m from. And you know, I know you know what that’s about, Edwin, because that’s…in that time, that’s how folks were able to move ahead was, man, you know, you couldn’t touch a dial on the board for years. Now, when you did get called on to do it, you had to do it. You know what I’m saying? You had to be able to do it.
Cloie: Know how to do it.
IZ: So the know-how. You know what I’m saying?
Edwin: Yes.
IZ: Man, it’s been great having you, man. And I think it’s important for our viewers to really understand the dynamics of how everything works together from getting the insight of just what you’ve been able to share with us as far as the jobs and the functionality and how it all comes together. And what you look for, you get a slew of resumes across your desk and, you know, what pops out to you.
And for folks to hear those things, I mean, guys, this is a guy who’s at it every day, who’s out there pulling these jobs in for you guys. And you know, this is the part of the show where we love to do our Q&A, Edwin, because it allows us to really connect to the people that are viewing us. And you know, to take in as much questions as we can and to give as much information back as we possibly can. So Cloie, let’s read off some of these questions that we have in here today.
Cloie: Well, I think that some of the questions it’s shout out to our team because as we’re answering and they’re answering. Minol [SP] is saying he would like to apply for any of these jobs but he holds back since he doesn’t know how much the job is paying. I want to know what advice can you give me since I don’t want to get a job that gets paid less money than he’s getting paid now. And he is working in a computer lab in a college as an IT support assistant where he gets $20 an hour. He also has his own company called Y Evo Entertainment. But he works as a producer and an engineer. So it’s that money…the money question.
IZ: What would you say, Edwin?
Edwin: This is what I would say is are you passionate about this or are you in it for the money? Like, what are we in this for? Because this career is incredible, right? So what I would tell him is you stay that. We want to make sure that the bills are being paid, but let’s have a few sleepless nights. Let’s take a session at 7:00. Get up at 6:00, take a shower and let’s go back to work. You know? A few days, and get into hang of it. Get in people’s view. Out of sight, out of mind. You know? Keep doing those things.
That’s what I would say. I wouldn’t say just quit, quit. No, be smart about it. You’re a businessperson as well. That’s where the music business, film, and as well, business, being a business mentality, what’s the best for you? So it’s not quitting right away, but getting something. Be innovative. You know, work in music, but make sure that everything is safe. I would say don’t worry about money right now. Make sure you get in the studio, by all means necessary.
Cloie: For sure. That sounds great.
IZ: I totally…
Cloie: We have another question.
IZ: I totally agree.
Cloie: Yeah, go ahead.
IZ: Go, no…
Cloie: Oh, the other question is…
IZ: I said…
Cloie: For how can we get a mentor. How can people get mentors?
Edwin: Great, great question. So at The Recording Connection, that’s what we specialize in. We get one on one for students. They just give us a call, 1-800-295-4433, quick drop-in. And then we’ll get you connected with a mentor within a week. I mean, you guys, that’s pretty, pretty good. You know? It’s like…
IZ: No, that’s excellent, Edwin. That’s excellent.
Edwin: It’s like, who does that? Who does that? I traveled 3,000 miles across the country to learn what they’re learning just with a mentor, you know, 10 minutes away, 20 minutes away from them. It’s pretty good.
Cloie: Yeah, yeah. Well look, back to what we have for questions today so that…I mean, which are super big questions and also you guys can see everything that’s been popping up in our feed in terms of other things that people wanted to add. This has been an amazing day.
Edwin: This has been incredible, you guys. I know this has been very audio heavy, but I would love to be back and talk to Cloie also about film. I have a lot of questions for her as well, that could help our viewers.
Cloie: Sure.
IZ: You know, that would be great. That would be great, Edwin. I think, team, I know you guys heard that. Let’s definitely make it a point to get Edwin back on the show, because Edwin is loaded with information that’s crucial…
Cloie: A plethora.
IZ: And yeah, absolutely. And I think, too, the great thing for that question, Cloie, at the end of the day, you know, for a mentor, they can catch us here every Monday, also, at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Standard Time.
Edwin: Yeah, exactly.
IZ: Because that’s what we’re doing. And we’re not only mentoring but we’re also bringing you jobs. So there’s…you kill five birds with a pebble. That’s what, you know…
Cloie: Edwin, if people want to get in touch with you, how is the best way to do that? With you, in particular.
Edwin: Yep, just email me. It’s easy. It’s [email protected]. Easy as that.
Cloie: Great.
Edwin: Yep.
Cloie: Great. Got that, guys? [email protected].
IZ: Dot com.
Cloie: You guys find us across social media, IZ Connected.
Edwin: YEs.
IZ: Yeah, and you all better follow us because we got some really cool pics of just everything we got going on. Cloie, me, working with companies, giving you an idea of what it looks like in real time, visually. And it’s a great way to, you know, to be at us and to track our day-to-day movement. Guys, it’s been a great show, man. You know, a lot of information we were able to share with folks that took the time to view in a day. And this wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for our team: Cloie, Mike, Halley, Brian, Edwin. Edwin especially, man. You know, just to hear at the end of the day just kinda the nuts and bolts of what it is you’ve been doing and consistently do, and even do for us.
Edwin: Yeah.
IZ: Believe it or not, our show is built off of what you do. And we’re happy to have you be a crucial…play a crucial role in what is it we’re bringing. Because I believe, you know, and I’ve believed since day one, along with Brian, is that we want to give a full on experience. You know, sharing information, mentoring is great.
Edwin: It is.
IZ: But at the end of the day, people want to know how can I get hired? I need a job. How do I…what’s the best step to take for, you know, that’s gonna get me to where I wanna be as far as my career path. And you know, you’re making this possible for us every Monday, man. So take my hat off to you, bro.
Edwin: Thanks to you, guys.
IZ: And man, I look forward to having you again, man.
Cloie: Oh, for sure.
IZ: I’ll make sure the folks that we figure out a day where we get you back here, man. So without that being said, I gotta long week. I gotta get out there and grind and pound the pavement. I know you do, too, Cloie. And I know you do, Edwin. And man, it’s been great. I don’t think we’re missing anything. I want to make sure that we sign off without saying, “Oh, man. Dang, I forgot to…”
Edwin: I have…
Cloie: I [inaudible 01:04:02]. We’ll tweet it.
Edwin: Cloie, IZ, I just want to wish you guys a great, successful week. Let’s keep working it hard, you know? Just let’s keep doing it. Best of luck with everything. Great energies to you guys, and let’s keep doing this.
Cloie: Thank you. Get your grind on, you all. [inaudible 01:04:19]
IZ: Yeah, sounds great. Get your grind on. We will see you next week, Monday, 11:00 a.m. Pacific Standard Time. Shark, you all don’t miss it. You see what we’re doing here. It’s exciting. It’s fresh. It’s innovative. I’ll catch you on the next one. Peace.
Edwin: Take care, guys.
Cloie: Bye.
[music]
Previous Episodes of Connected
- Electronic musicians, DJs and beat-makers
- Runners and assistants
- Filmmakers
- Broadcasters
- Aspiring show hosts and more
- Get job tips on all the best jobs and career opportunities
- Get mentored and find out how to get and keep the best gigs in the music and film industry
- Get to know your favorite artists
- Hear industry success and horror stories from the legends inside the business
- Find out real tips to get hired at your dream job
- Connect!
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