Two Different Roads to Choose From After Audio School - Artistic and Commercial

On the one hand, you have one of Canada's best known playwrights, Quebec City's Robert Lepage. He is an international leader in the use of audio techniques for the theatre. His nine-hour play Lipsynch features a character with audio production college know-how. On the other, you have such international adult contemporary and pop sensations as Céline Dion and Shania Twain. What do these famous Canadians have in common? They all require the services of audio school grads.

If you are enrolled in audio school, take the time now to figure out where you are heading. Would you like to work in the theatre or would you like to work in a commercial recording studio?

Theatre sound production

Right now is an exciting time for graduates of audio training to embark on a career in the theatre. In the past, the goal of theatre sound production audio school programs was to teach students how to reinforce live sound in such a way as to make it sound as natural as possible. Proof of how well the job was done lay primarily in how invisible the audio production college grad was.

Not so anymore. In the last decade, there has been a sound revolution on theatrical stages from London to New York. Audio training grads who work in theatre are now called upon to apply a greater range of audio school techniques to theatre sound production. They use explicit voice-overs; audience members are provided with microphones; and, in some cases, the sound techs are even directly visible on stage.

Audio school students who take this route should do so out of a love of experimentation. They may need to travel from city to city, and may live contract to contract. They must be flexible, imaginative and open to change.

Studio recording

Other audio production college grads may prefer to seek a line of work where their work is presented pre-recorded to the audience. They may want to work in recording studios. If so, they may want to look for an audio school that offers internships in a recording studio. Some schools also have a project in which students are asked to draw up a plan and budget for setting up their own recording studio.

One advantage of this line of work is that recording studios are designed with sound quality in mind, unlike in the theatre, where audio school grads know that they have to roll with the punches. After all, errors and slip-ups are part of what gives the theatre its grace.

Audio school perfectionists may prefer to seek out a studio-based career rather than suffer the imperfections of a live performance.

But, there's nothing stopping audio production college students from pursuing a career in both these lines. Some audio production careers are built piecemeal, contract by contract. Those audio training students who really like the idea of a variety may want to pursue a double specialization in the sound production for the stage, as well as for the studio.

What Do You Think of When You Hear Automotive Training?

When you hear the words "automotive training," what kind of student do you picture? An aspiring automotive service technician? The fact is that many auto colleges offer a wider range of courses, for dispatchers, managers, salespeople and truck drivers alike.

Automotive training for dispatchers

Dispatchers learn how to use the two-way radio and other tools of the trade at dispatcher-specific courses offered in the same kind of establishments as cater to aspiring mechanics.

Why automotive training helps dispatchers: Dispatchers who go on to work for trucking companies will be required to use a variety of sophisticated logistics software packages. Learning them in school can give new job applicants a real edge over the competition, because it gives them a chance to try out new skills in a more relaxed atmosphere where failure does not translate into money lost.

For managers, too

Running a garage involves technical know-how, but that is not all. It is a business, and, as such, garage owners and managers must know how to manage their automotive technician team so as to best serve their customers. They must develop good communications skills and strategize.

Why automotive training helps managers: It can be a real time-saver to get industry-specific management advice. A normal business class can only go so far!

Don't forget automotive training for salespeople

Some automotive service technician training programs are offered alongside programs for salespeople.

Why?: The car industry has seen a lot of turbulence over the past decade. The American manufacturing industry experienced a real dip for economic reasons, and the Japanese market suffered after the tsunami. As odd as it may seem, the lack of new cars led to a lack of used cars. In the past, many so-called used cars were actually remaindered vehicles. This lack of cars led used cars to go up in price, making the used car market a much tougher market for salespeople to navigate.

An automotive training program for salespeople can also help students understand the changing needs of their customers, many of whom will be looking for more fuel-efficient and less polluting options. A course can quickly bring a salesperson up to speed on the changing profile of today's consumers!

And, last but not least, truck drivers

Some of the same schools that provide training in how to become an automotive technician also cater to truck drivers, preparing them to get their necessary licenses.

One other bonus of having all these auto-related subjects being offered under the same roof is that it can increase students' exposure to other people within their industry. An automotive service technician, for example, can start to build their professional network by interacting informally with the managers-in-training. Similarly, dispatchers and truck drivers may benefit from early exposure to one another at automotive training school. In this way, automotive schools offer a kind of synergy, which some students may find exciting.

The Best Healthcare Training for Your Personality Type

"If you don't know where you are going, you'll end up someplace else," said Yogi Berra. That is true for anything in life, including healthcare training.

It's not enough to say that you want to enroll in a healthcare course. You need to get more specific about your goals. Where would you like to work? Perhaps you picture yourself at the front desk of a busy clinic, or helping an elderly patient stay in their own home for as long as possible. Perhaps you don't picture yourself working with humans at all.

These are the kinds of questions you need to ask yourself before enrolling in your first healthcare course. In the meantime, here are three exciting careers for three different personalities.

For the person who enjoys one-on-one contact over the hustle and bustle of a healthcare facility

You love the idea of caring for people - that's why are interested in getting a healthcare diploma in the first place - but you'd rather care for one person at a time. You may want to consider seeking personal support worker training that will enable you, for example, to help patients in the tasks of daily living in the comfort of their own homes.

This kind of healthcare training can also prepare you for a career in an institution or clinic. But if you know that you would prefer to work in private homes, you may be able to tailor your healthcare training to your goal.

For the introvert

Looking for a career that would enable you to help others but that would give you lots of time to yourself? You may want to take a healthcare course for medical transcriptionists. This is a good career for independent types who would like to work on their own, even from their own home.

For the animal lover

Students who pursue healthcare training are often motivated by a desire to help others. But these "others" aren't necessarily human! Some colleges offer courses for students who aspire to work in a veterinarian's office. If you've ever taken an animal to a vet before, you will know that most vets have some support staff, for instance, to help hold the animal in place for a needle, or to make sure that samples get sent to the laboratory for testing.

Sound interesting to you? Call the schools in your area to see if they offer a healthcare course for veterinary support staff. If not, speak with a local veterinarian to find out what kind of healthcare training they would recommend for someone like you who loves to help animals.

To recap, it's not enough to say that you want a healthcare diploma. The field of healthcare is vast, and there is a healthcare course for every personality type. As Seneca said, "Our plans miscarry because they have no aim. When a man does not know what harbor he is making for, no wind is the right wind."