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By Steve, March 29, 2010 5:13 am

Considering a job in radio?

* Many broadcast employees have erratic work schedules, sometimes having to work early in the morning or late at night.

* Entry-level jobs in news or program production increasingly are requiring a college degree and some broadcast experience.

* Employment in broadcasting is expected to increase by just 7 percent over the 2008–18 period,

* Keen competition is expected for many jobs, particularly in large metropolitan areas, because of the large number of jobseekersattracted by the glamour of this industry.

Check out the Federal Bureau Of Labor Statistics’ facts on their website and you might decide that car sales is more promising, yet the upside to our great business for those of us who know it well still far outweighs the risks and demands.

It gets into your blood.  That’s obvious too.

Source: Jaye Albright’s Breakfast Blog

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By Steve, September 9, 2009 2:41 pm

If you’re applying for an on-air position, a blog with career highlights, awards, photos, videos, community involvement and loads of audio beats an emailed résumé hands down. But if a Program Director requests an emailed package then the résumé is not optional. (Of course, that email should include a link to your blog.)

DivineCaroline.com offers up some signs your résumé is passe (though I prefer the word lame):

1. You’ve forced it to fit onto one page.
You’ve reduced your font size to eight, eliminated margins altogether and left out key information about yourself, all to conform to that age-old “one page résumé” rule. Big mistake. After all, would a recent college grad really need the same amount of resume  real estate as someone who’s been in the workforce for twenty years? Of course not. Your resume  should be concise. But if your experience warrants two pages, by all means, don’t limit yourself to one.

2. You list an objective.
Of course you’re looking to gain more experience in the field/sector/type of company to which you’re applying. Your interest in the job implies that. Do you really need to say it at the very top of your résumé? If you want to explain why you’re applying for the job, say so in your cover letter. Résumé space is far too valuable to waste on information that is both redundant and inconsequential.

3. You write “References available upon request” at the bottom.
Once again, a waste of valuable space. Do you really need to say so? The hiring manager can only assume that if they ask you for references, you’ll provide them. What, are you going to say “no?” Instead, prepare a list of references with contact details and your relationship to each. Hold onto it until you’re further along in the selection process — you don’t want to annoy your referees with repeated contact by employers who are less than serious about you. Most respectable employers wouldn’t bother to contact a reference until they are fully ready to make you an offer.

4. You attach it to your email as a Word document.
While you’re unlikely to be penalized for emailing a Word document, there’s a lot to be said for converting it to a PDF before sending. A PDF document just looks neater. And even if you’ve gone crazy with the formatting, it will show up correctly on the hiring manager’s computer no matter what their settings, Word version, or font inventory. Besides, do you really want those squiggly red lines showing up under your former company’s name? Stick to PDF. It’s the only surefire way to display your resume exactly as you intended it.

5. You list every job you’ve ever had in chronological order.
In the olden days, the person with the most experience got the job. Nowadays, the person who’s most talented, has the most relevant skill set, and has proven to be most valuable to his or her former employers gets the job. If you want to be that person, make sure your resume says so. Don’t list jobs that are irrelevant to the one you’re applying for just to fill up space. Instead, expand on the jobs that are relevant. Focus on measurable achievements in each role as opposed to a play-by-play of your daily responsibilities.

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By Steve, August 16, 2009 11:31 am

Clarissa wrote us:

Radio broadcasting is something I might be interested in as a career, although I’m only a sophomore in high school. What tips would you give me if radio was something that I’m interested in? What are some of the pros and cons of it?

Please offer Clarissa your advice below.

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By Steve, July 7, 2009 12:51 pm

For those of us on the programming side of radio it’s never too late to learn about the business side. If the color of the corporate logo on your paycheck is the extent of your knowledge of your company, do yourself a favor and take 20 seconds to be better informed. Go to Google News and, in quotes, search for your company’s name (e.g. “Miller Broadcasting”). Once Google delivers the latest news to your screen click the “News Alerts” link on the left side of the page. Now tell Google to email you once a day with the latest company headlines.

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By Steve, March 13, 2009 2:25 am

Jaye Albright

• Forgets that the most important part of the job is to protect the station’s license.
• Still thinks that it’s a sales versus programming world and as long as (s)he gets ratings (s)he has done the job.
• Doesn’t worry about heavy radio-users or passionate fans of the kind of music the station plays.  Targeting takes care of itself.
• Does whatever it takes to win.  Ethics and fair treatment of his/her employer and coworkers do not matter as long as the station is winning and profitable.
• Has a ‘not invented here’ attitude about new ideas and approaches.  Doesn’t bother to network or seek objective opinions of knowledgeable counsel.
• Under-estimates the competition.
• Sees radio as a craft, not an art.  You can get everything you need to know by copying winning radio stations in the same format in other markets.
• Feels that people are replaceable.  As long as everyone is working as hard as possible, everything is fine.
• Thinks that business management is the GM’s job and time management is a sales thing.
• Doesn’t need research.  (S)he knows what listeners want.

Reach Jaye at:  jaye@albrightandomalley.com
.
 Michael O’Malley

• Doesn’t make time to listen critically to his/her own station and the competition.
• Doesn’t competitively evaluate jocks, music, content, freshness, benefits, etc.
• Fails to make people a priority.
• Doesn’t spend time in talent development.
• Doesn’t communicate effectively with the staff.
• Doesn’t have an intimate understanding of Arbitron.
• Doesn’t maintain a product focus/vision. Too frequently can’t see the forest for the trees. Gets too caught up in tasks to see the big picture.
• Elements of the station are out of synch with the target. Too many programming decisions are made without regard to the target and mission or because of succumbing to internal and external pressures.

Email O’Malley at:  mike@albrightandomalley.com

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By Steve, January 20, 2009 6:44 am

Great story at Radio And Internet Newsletter on the five things radio CEOs need to do in 2009. #1 is invest in talent and talent training. 

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By Steve, January 6, 2008 10:37 am

Between InterPrep and my own morning show, staying organized is damned important. I was going through my ‘temporary’ Firefox bookmarks (the sites I bookmark that I’ll check “later”) and found TaDaList.com, a web-based to-do list on steroids. (Oops, sorry. Didn’t mean to accuse them of using steroids. It’s a web-based to-do list on lots of vitamins. Probably a whole fistful of Flintstones Chewables.) I did a little research and discovered a whole slew of services that can help me manage my to-do list:

• Ta-da lists
• Todoist
• Toodledo
• Tudu Lists
• Remember the Milk
• Voo2do
• Bla-bla list

If you want a separate web service handling your to-do list, any of these will work. You might also try tracking your to-do’s using Gmail, or with my personal favorite.

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By Steve, December 30, 2007 8:10 pm

Over at his blog, Joel Raab is offering up some timeless tips for air talent looking for a new job, including:

Do: On an aircheck, put your best stuff first. Sounds obvious, but you’d be amazed at how many airchecks start with a thud. If you don’t hook me from “hello” you don’t have much of a chance.

Do: Include a professional picture. Video is becoming more a part of radio and how you look does matter. You don’t have do be a model, but a professional photographer can cast you in the best light.

Do: Use your name in the file name you send. You know how many files I would have on my computer that say “aircheck” if I didn’t have to go change them? 

The entire post is worth a read.

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By Steve, November 18, 2007 9:27 pm

My friends Mary-Lynn and George recently launched the Bigg Success blog, “The How-To, Can-Do Place.” They want to help people “find daily solutions for a better work/life balance. Tips that will help you: advance or change your career, make more money, promote yourself, increase productivity, and manage your time … inspiration when you need a lift, and motivation when you need a push.”

This may sound like some late-night infomercial shtick, but it ain’t. I worked with Mary-Lynn for years and she’s a true go-getter with enough goals, dreams and fortitude for a dozen people. (And I don’t use the word fortitude to describe just anyone.) But more importantly Mary-Lynn is a caring person, and I truly believe she and George want to help others not just succeed, but be happy.

The biggest part of their blog is the Bigg Success Show, or podcast, if you prefer. They’re short, conversational, sometimes funny, always inspirational, never rambling, and very well produced. Oh, and I think they’re putting enough work into them to justify them being called “shows” and not just podcasts.

If you’re looking for a bit of daily career inspiration, I’d suggest bookmarking Bigg Success.

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By Steve, October 29, 2007 2:46 pm

Listen honestly to an aircheck and you’ll probably discover you have a crutch or two. Every broadcaster has them — even big-time CBS hosts…