"How do I setup a mixer to get a dj up and running?" "That's easy! You connect him to his channels, flick the faders without even looking and go home. Come back with a fire extinguisher when the event is about to end."
I did the uni certification route. You won't be any better or lesser of other engineers who don't take the same path. Speaking from experience it's the connections you make in uni. Of couse doing live shows in a college setting is nice, but reaching out to local musicians is a great source of work; during and out of uni ( i got a job being a personal sound engineer for a metal band because i knew two of the members from uni.) I also suggest to anyone who's in uni to see if you have a radio station. As sometimes they need post-production / live shows engineers. From my experience if you want more band experience (outside of ensemble/jazz/orchestra/theatre typically found in uni) local radio stations have better connections. Use your time wisely!
Great points. Very true that there's connections. I defintely got my first shots at live sound through people I met at uni. Worth noting then that studying audio in a city with no music or audio scene is worth less than studying in a place full of opportunities
