As well as providing a private community for audio professionals, the Audio Pro Network is a mentorship platform for future sound engineers and ensures that professional members can give advice to the next generation in a controlled way.
As an audio professional working at various facilities for almost 30 years, Audio Pro Network founder Joe Miuccio has met and trained his share of new employees and interns. ‘There is always a learning curve. For existing employees it’s usually frustrating because we expect a new hire to already be able to tackle the most basic tasks without a lot of hand holding. What I’m trying to do with this platform is help members transcend this learning curve, making them much more of an appealing hire for a pro audio facility.’
The mentorship programme gives its members the tools to become successful by bridging the gap between leaving school and getting that first job. It’s tailored support along with networking, courses, small group webinars, and a supportive community of peers, ensuring that mentees can go on to find work with confidence.
‘If they prefer, Professional members can share information while keeping their anonymity.’ says Miuccio. ‘And Pros that contribute, whether anonymous or not, do so much more thoughtfully in comparison to what happens on other social platforms. They do it because they really want to.
‘I feel this arrangement creates more inspirational communication opportunities, helping mentees gain valuable knowledge that will move them forward. And the most unique thing about the network is that an answer from one of our pro members to a one-off question doesn’t have to stop there. I continue the conversation to help mentees create actionable results from the interaction.’
‘Professional members can choose to contribute to the mentee platform if they want to by sharing their experiences and know-how,’ Miuccio adds. ‘All audio pros know what it’s like to have had a mentor. Someone that helped to open doors, and not only teach the necessary interpersonal skills, but the technical ones too. I want mentees to have that opportunity as well, so they can feel as empowered and inspired as I did from my mentor relationships. I share the lessons I’ve learned while at the same time, giving them the support they need to be successful.’
Audio Pro Network has also had success supporting mentees in getting work: ‘The network is beginning to be “the place” to find young talent,’ Miuccio argues. ‘I often post job openings by broadcasting to the network for both mentees and professionals alike. Once I have responses I undertake pre-screening for the employer. In fact, it was just last month that I helped a mentee land a job with an award-winning studio through the mentorship program. This is one of the most gratifying things for me to do. Giving a young person access to an opportunity the same way I was given my first break means a lot to me, and is at the heart of why I built this platform. I’m paying it forward and that’s a great feeling.’
In addition to helping members find work, Audio Pro Network is supporting mentees by teaching the soft skills needed to be successful. ‘As an employer myself I’ve designed the program to engage with mentees as if I’ve just hired them for my audio post business. The courses are built to foster self confidence alongside audio workflow. I spend a lot of time making mentees aware of employer expectations too, so when they get their first job they become ‘stars’ right away. Many students have found it difficult with the pandemic affecting personal education, so by giving them this extra support, the network is helping them to create a firm foundation to build upon once the world gets back to normal. I like to think that the network is supporting the industry by preparing young recruits that are more knowledgeable, engaged, and thus more likely to succeed for themselves and their employers.’
More: www.audiopronetwork.com
