Taking Control of Your Work Hours

The wonderful thing about being an active engineer is that some weeks are extremely busy. Often times, too busy…like you can’t escape even if you tried.

…BUT THEN, you are finally able to get out for some fresh air. I’ve had time to get farther into Zelda on my Switch (holiday gift from Alex Tumay, best boss ever or what?), prepare for a puppy, and watch the Q: Into The Storm doc series on HBO Max. If you wanna chat about cheat codes or puppy breeds, hit my line!

A self-care routine for engineers isn’t a normal one. We can’t come home at 5pm and call it a day. Often times, our days start at 5pm and end about a week later. These unpredictable schedules can lead to burn out and can seriously affect not just the quality of your work, but also your mental health. Taking a break is definitely a luxury, but even if you can only do it in small increments, I highly recommend it. One way of approaching a healthier lifestyle is by managing your work schedule. Here’s some advice on it:

Don’t overbook yourself

When I first started out, I said yes to everything. Every session, every booking inquiry - e v e r y t h i n g. This is great for building a portfolio and gaining experience , but eventually you learn that being busy isn’t super valuable. It’s more efficient to be able to carefully work on a few projects, rather than rush through a ton. Book what you can handle and diligently work on.

Be selective

Similarly, be selective with the work you take. For myself, I learned that I actually spent just as much time on 2-track mixes than stem mixes because of how limiting the circumstances were. Due to that, I limited the 2-track mixes I booked per month. Likewise, its more valuable to take recording sessions with returning clients, than clients that would just request 2-3 hour sessions. It would take me more time commuting than actually being in those sessions. Be picky! Take work with clients you enjoy communicating with and clients whose music you are excited to work on.

Know your value

Have a rate that matches the amount of time and effort you are putting into your mixes and sessions. Your goal should be able to make a living engineering. The best thing I did for myself was start turning down work that was below my budget. It was hard to do because I was used to saying yes to everything. But clients that really do want to work with you will find a way to make it work, trust me!