Getting started in any industry is difficult, and the radio industry is certainly no exception. There are only so many positions available in the industry and with many people going for that one job, you have to ensure you are doing all you can to stand out from the rest of the pack.
Standing out can be particularly difficult, especially if you are just starting out in the industry. But there are certainly a few things you can do to try to make yourself more visible in the eyes of the employer.
It is also important to remember that if you are just starting out you will need to build up your career from the bottom of the ladder. You won’t be able to skip through all the way to the top, and starting from the bottom requires a lot of hard work and going above and beyond to show how dedicated you are to building your career in the radio industry.
The great news is that if you are dedicated and persistent enough then you should find your way into the industry. Also, there are a number of different paths you can go down in your career in radio, so make sure you don’t have tunnel vision with the type of roles you are looking for. Be sure to cast a wide net and see who bites.
While applying for job after job can sound boring, time consuming and tedious it is important to put in the hard work because you never know where an opportunity may arise from.
On the positive side, there are a few awesome tips that can help you when on the hunt for a job in radio. These tips can really help you stand out from the rest! Have a read on below to find out what the tips are:
Build connections and talk to the right people
Have you ever heard of the saying, “it’s not what you know but who you know”? This is essentially all about connections, so it is important that you build as many connections as possible with as many people as you can.
They may not be able to help you now, but you never know about the future where your connection can help you make your next step up in your career. Building connections is important but you should also look to maintain them. Don’t just contact your connection every now and then, out of the blue and only when you are looking for something from them.
If you have any sort of connection to the radio industry at all, then you are in a pretty good place, and that is certainly where you should start. It only takes one person and one opportunity to help get your foot in the door. Then let the connection build over time and help each other out if whenever you can.
If you have no prior connections to the radio industry, then your job is probably going to be a little bit harder. But if you do your research and determine the right type of people to talk to then you’ll find eventually there’s a space for you to move into. Talking to the right people at the right time can have many benefits to your career long term in the radio industry.
Starting from the ground up
As touched on in the introduction, you will need to start from the bottom. This is where pretty much everyone starts from and you need to learn the ropes and prove your worth before you are even able to begin to start moving up the ladder.
It is a good idea to lay out some clear goals for your career in the radio industry, these goals should be both short and long term. Where you want to end up will have a big influence on where you start and the actions you take while working. Remind yourself of all your goals regularly and don’t be afraid to change or update them.
Over time when you develop and grow not only in your working life, but also in your personal life, you will find that your priorities may change. What you viewed as important 10 years ago may not actually hold that much weight in your new life.
Yes, there is still the traditional ways for applying for jobs through the career section on a website or on job seeking sites. However, make sure you don’t discount the new ways people can find a job, one of which being social media.
By connecting with radio stations and radio presenters online on social media you are automatically being updated constantly about what is going on in their lives as well as within the business. Some businesses even use social media to post about job openings they have, so make sure you keep your eyes peeled for anything like that.
At the very least it will offer you and avenue to start communications with your local radio station and/ or presenter. If you are going to seek communications with a potential employer through social media, make sure your profile is “clean” and professional i.e. no pictures of your drunk and throwing up from last weekend!
Find a radio station
There are a lot of different radio stations out there in your local area, no matter where you live, all with their different niche. So, make sure you find out what you are truly passionate about and find a radio station that fits in with what you are interested in. For example, if you know nothing about classical music then you probably shouldn’t apply to a classic music radio station.
When you have found the radio station/s that you want to potentially work at, then you should do a little bit of digging to find the right person to get in contact with. It is generally not the best idea to send an email to a generic address. If you find the right person and their email address, you are more likely to get a response.
Also, when you are sending out emails make sure that they are actually personal to each radio station, it is really easy for employer to see when you are just sending out blanket emails to multiple radio stations.
So, make sure you add a person touch, i.e. why you love this radio station in particular as well as adding in a video or something similar to show you are willing to put in the work. This something a little bit extra can really help put your application over the top and get people thinking and talking about you!
Apply through job boards
Job boards can be a useful tool because you can find all the potential radio type jobs all in the one area. You also have the ability to filter out any options that don’t suit your personal situation. Make sure you set up an alert so that you get notified every time a new job is posted.
There will always be some jobs on offer; it is just about determining whether it is suitable for your individual situation. Make sure you check out a variety of different job board websites because not all jobs will be posted on every website.