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How can I get paid to design audio equipment? - Kerplunk So, I've always had an interest in audio equipment, both home and mobile. This interest motivated me to go to RETS technology school while in High school and then to go on and get a B.S. in Electrical Engineering. After that I got stuck though. I'm 27 now and currently have a well paying job at a large defense contractor, but I'd love to work for someone like JL Audio, Polk, or some other US based audio company. I've emailed several of them already with my resume and a cover letter expressing my interest in working for them, but never heard anything back. Any ideas how to break into this field?

Best Answer: Try consulting for smaller companies in your area. There are tiny, high-end audio equipment makers all over. Get some of the high-end audio mags (if you aren't already taking them) and look up those in your area. Call them up and try to talk with the owner and/or engineer(s) they have. See if you can take them to lunch to talk about possibly doing some work for them in the future. Be persistent but not obnoxious. While they may not have anything right now, I'm sure they'd be interested in anyone who was passionate about the same thing as they are. Do the "networking" thing and keep up do date with them -- with a personal touch. Call, don't e-mail at first. Go to lunch with them even if they don't have any plans for your job right now. Someone may call them one day looking for someone with your skills -- and you'll get a referral for your big start. I know a guy who spent decades at a defense contractor, retired, and then started a high-end audio company. So, you could always bide your time until you have enough to start your own company, too. Maybe not all the way to retirement, but long enough to build up a cash reserve to get the ball rolling (and maybe even get out of the recession). If you came up with a hack on a low-priced item that would radically improve it's performance for a relatively few dollars, and published it in an audio mag, I'm sure you'd get noticed by someone in the audio design area. Or, at least you could introduce yourself to them while referencing your hack. Have you attended the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Vegas yet? If not, you should pay your way there and chat up the tech guys in the booths. Of course, it would help if you knew what they did before you got there, but even chance encounters sometimes have good outcomes. I wouldn't expect much in today's economy, but, if you make a good impression, someone might give you a call when times are better. It's another good way to start networking in the audio world. If you're really hot for the audio profession, let them know that you'd pay your own moving expenses (assuming you would). That's a big barrier to lots of companies, especially small ones; it can cost tens of thousands to move someone. It's a big risk, too -- what if they are only a good interview but can't do the work? No company wants to pay for that today. If you're willing to pick up the tab to be happy with your career, let them know. You'll be near the top of the list, on price alone. Have you joined the IEEE and any of their audio societies? If not, why not? There are many networking possibilities in professional societies. You might be able to talk your employer into some of the costs, for professional development (well, maybe not these days). But if you pay your own way to a few meetings in your region, you'll meet lots of people in the professional area you say you want to eventually be in. It might take some time to get where you want to be, but you seem to be lucky enough to have a good income that you can stockpile while you search for an opportunity. So, save some of it and invest the rest in your future by getting to know the audio engineering world. Make a plan and then do it -- your dream job isn't going to fall into your cubical! - sd_ducksoup

Not to burst your bubble but this is a tough time for high end audio manufacturers in the US and my guess would be that many are not hiring at this point. Like with anything, the "prestige" jobs that everyone wants are harder to come by and usually pay less. If you are really passionate about working in audio, just keep trying and as the other person said try to immerse yourself in the industry as much as possible. My only caution would be to avoid the "high end" companies that are selling way overpriced equipment with dubious performance claims. There are many out there. - Daniel K

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