• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

What would you do?

R

radio_pimp

What would you do if you didn't work in Radio?

I'm considering a move out of the business and don't have a clue what I would do if I didn't do Radio...I've given it about 15 years of my life so far.
 
FWIW, I got burned out on radio back when I worked at QID and took a job as a grunt at a TV station. Worked my way up to SR Producer in less than a year and made some extra side money doing voice overs. I was in Radio/TV for 20 years and now I'm a IT director for a government agency and do quite well. The problem is that I miss radio so much it hurts! My advice is stay in radio and look at the sales/management aspect of it. You probably won't get rich, but you'll have a great career. Just my two cents. Kevin Michaels
 
> FWIW, I got burned out on radio back when I worked at QID
> and took a job as a grunt at a TV station. Worked my way up
> to SR Producer in less than a year and made some extra side
> money doing voice overs. I was in Radio/TV for 20 years and
> now I'm a IT director for a government agency and do quite
> well. The problem is that I miss radio so much it hurts!
> My advice is stay in radio and look at the sales/management
> aspect of it. You probably won't get rich, but you'll have
> a great career. Just my two cents. Kevin Michaels
>
I've "worked my way up" to sales/management...that's why I'm burned out! :)
I've done well financially as a result...I'm just reaching the point where I'd almost rather pick up aluminum cans on the highway than get lied to by one more potential client. Stress is about to kill me. I work for an independent and the crosstown competition will give away spots/remotes to undercut me. It's hard to make a living when the fools across town have devalued your product so much.
 
> > What would you do if you didn't work in Radio?
>
> Go to law school, maybe? Nah, a DJ/lawyer? 'Never happen.
>
> DE
>
Are you still on the air?
 
> Are you still on the air?

PT. It's fun when it's a sideline, if you work in a nice place where you are valued, and well-treated.

DE
 
If it isn't fun, then take your communications skills and sales experience and find some other line of work. Stress will kill you. The most fun job I ever had in my life was working at WQID, but at some point you have to have financial security and mental stability, and radio provides neither. And I live in a top 40 market today, and wouldn't think of leaving my career to get back into radio, no matter what someone might offer me.

Don't know where you live, but a lot of businesses will consider communications skills and sales skills to be very valuable.

And if you'd like advice from an expert, take these words from the legendary Neil Rogers, now at 560 WQAM in Miami. 10 years ago, he was on 610 WIOD Miami, and some kid called in and said he wanted to be in radio and asked Neil's advice, and Neil said "run yelling and screaming like your *ss is on fire in the opposite direction of the radio station, unless you have some talent, then by all means get into the business"...

And from Don "Hi Ho" Silver of 94 QID fame, Don told me 15 years ago to get a full time job outside the business to pay your bills, then play radio on the weekends.

Good luck!
 
> And from Don "Hi Ho" Silver of 94 QID fame, Don told me 15
> years ago to get a full time job outside the business to pay
> your bills, then play radio on the weekends.
>
> Good luck!
>
Don was also an assitant manager at Eckard's while at QID. Last I saw of him, he was ate up with Amway and tossed everything to "get rich".
 
> > And from Don "Hi Ho" Silver of 94 QID fame, Don told me 15
>
> > years ago to get a full time job outside the business to
> pay
> > your bills, then play radio on the weekends.
> >
> > Good luck!
> >
> Don was also an assitant manager at Eckard's while at QID.
> Last I saw of him, he was ate up with Amway and tossed
> everything to "get rich".
>
Very interesting.
It sure does help to have opinions other than mine and my wife's to help focus on the "real world".
What jobs out there put value on communications and sales skills?
 
> What would you do if you didn't work in Radio?
>
> I'm considering a move out of the business and don't have a
> clue what I would do if I didn't do Radio...I've given it
> about 15 years of my life so far.
>

I'd probably do something like sell real estate and do weekend overnights on a rock station somewhere...

Oh wait, that's what I do now...

Carry on!

MC
 
> Very interesting.
> It sure does help to have opinions other than mine and my
> wife's to help focus on the "real world".
> What jobs out there put value on communications and sales
> skills?
>

Anything that has "managers".... seriously. You want to aim for something where you don't start over as a peon. But something that you can realistically do also. Don, for example, was an assistant manager at K&B Drugs, acquired by Rite Aid, and I guess now called Eckerds... when I lived in Daytona Beach, the Walgreens stores were always hiring management trainees. If you have a drug store chain, with a "training" store in the area, check it out.

I work for a telecommunications company. Wireless is hot today... do you have carrier-owned retail stores around you? They tend to pay well. It depends on what kind of income you require, and what your available options are. This is the Mississippi board, so if you were in Memphis, I'd say look at FedEx headquarters for good jobs. If you are in Hattiesburg, you may be screwed...

Sometimes it's easy for us to think all we are qualified to do is spin records, but as you go through your day, listen to people talk about their jobs. Any place you hear a good vibe about, do some research and find out what kind of jobs they have that you could do.

Sell yourself and your customer service skills. Radio broadcasting is "communication" and sales is a customer-facing occupation. It's not hard to make the case that your skills translate, if you break it down for them. They hear "radio" and you have to explain what makes you a professional. It boils down to communication and customer service. Just explain it to them more concisely than than what I just did! LOL
 
> > Very interesting.
> > It sure does help to have opinions other than mine and my
> > wife's to help focus on the "real world".
> > What jobs out there put value on communications and sales
> > skills?

Look for Marketing/PR positions. Also, look for training jobs in corporations in your area. That may require some travelling, but its good work if you can find it. I used to live in the PineBelt, so, if you're there.... GOOD LUCK!

Additionally, you might guess that a NUMBER of businesses will be moving into or starting up in the Hurricane ravaged areas of your state. Some of them might be needing advance people and public relations assistants... consider talking to your area Economic/Industrial Development people about any potential upcoming contract jobs that you might could land.... hey, its temp work, but if you do a good enough job, you might not ever want to leave temp-land again!

Just an idea.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom