JEFF OLSON
I was surfing on the web looking for an opportunity and found your site. I read it over and immediately filled out the information to investigate this further. After our conversation I wanted to communicate my personal background to facilitate a better understanding of where I am at.
I recently was laid off from my position as a Sr. Process Engineer at a prominent semiconductor company. This was the first time in my entire career I was actually let go with a decent severance package. I initially was reactive and wanted to go and find another job immediately. Then something inside me just said, “wait a minute, sit back and take a good look at the situation”. I am 39 years old, married, and have two children. I have been working for 10 years in the industry, house, transportation. My wife is currently an employed professional. I decided to take a moment to assess my current condition and think about the best way to move. My wife and I discussed this and I have her support and love going forward which makes me very happy.
As I contemplated my situation I began to realize that I was financially secure but not really very happy professionally. Despite the fact that I had risen through the ranks of engineers I still have a deep longing for music and this passion had not ceased – it just smoldered within. I have always enjoyed recording. I had suppressed that for many years as my family had basically made it clear that I should pursue what in their minds was respectable and let the musical aspirations go.
I refused to give it up. I played music to support a college education. I changed my plan, went to school at the University of Minnesota – Institute of Technology where I received a Bachelor of Science in Physics with a minor in mathematics. I still had my guitar, and 8 track TASCAM, and a FOSTEX mixer that I started recording my own material and other bands and gave them quick mixdown demos on cassette. But still I focused on the mathematics and physics program and eventually graduated. I have to admit that I really enjoyed the Physics program at the U of MN.
After I graduated and sought out a career I finally found a good paying position and made enough money to accumulate gear. I moved to 16 track setup and now have a 24 track studio. I really enjoy experimenting with different mic techniques on drums, compression and gating, and eq settings to try and get the best drum sounds. I understand that I need to do this every day to get proficient at it. I realized that an on the job training opportunity and a solid mentor program could really open up the door to a whole new world – one that I dreamed about for a long time.
While I was taking stock I had already started to move in this direction, its been a burning passion in my life for so long, and I am in a position to go ahead and go for it. If I don’t go for it now I will not have this opportunity again.
So now here I am, 24 track studio, unemployed, enough money to survive and solid engineering skills to fall back on, and a golden opportunity to move forward and really do something new, exciting, and personally rewarding. I am looking for an opportunity to work with a mentor and learn and change my career to do what I
love to do.
Sincerely,
Jeff Olson
