Dear J.T. & Dale: I’m a high-school student, and I want to get into radio broadcasting. I consider myself a pretty entertaining guy, and think being on-air would be the ideal job. I told my dad, and he thinks it’s ridiculous. He said he won’t pay for college unless I study something that will give me a valuable skill. What should I do — get the degree, or pursue my passion? — Jason
Dale: Keep the dream alive, Jason. In fact, keep two alive — the one about working in a field that excites you, and the one about getting financial support from your parents so you don’t leave school with so much debt that you’ve got to take whatever job pays the most. You don’t have to major in communications to end up working in radio. (There is a hilarious book, “The CollegeHumor Guide to College,” that has a satirical but relevant subtitle: “Selling Kidneys for Beer Money, Sleeping With Your Professors, Majoring in Communications, and Other Really Good Ideas.”) No matter what serious “dad major” you choose, you can volunteer at the college radio station, intern at local stations in the summer and so forth.
J.T.: The day your question arrived, I had a radio interview with radio veteran and founder of Blue Funk Broadcasting, Ric Bratton. I mentioned your question to him, Jason, and like you, he knew early on what he wanted to do: “My desire to be in broadcasting started in junior high. I actually started a low-power radio station while in high school, and in college worked in both radio and TV. I honestly can’t imagine doing anything else.” Ric went on to say that breaking into the business requires being open to starting at any job, at any level, and he added that while many stations have been cutting back on staff, this actually can be a benefit to a rookie: “Many stations who have eliminated full-time staff are adding paid interns or day hires, both excellent ways to gain experience and make an impression.”
Dale: And one way to make an impression on radio people is to not be just another student majoring in broadcasting. Your courses in business, computers or engineering can make you more valuable to a radio station, all while keeping your dad happy … and writing checks.
Jeanine “J.T.” Tanner O’Donnell is a professional development specialist and founder of the consulting firm jtodonnell.com. Dale Dauten’s latest book is “(Great) Employees Only: How Gifted Bosses Hire and De-Hire Their Way to Success” (John Wiley & Sons). Please visit them at jtanddale.com, where you can send questions via e-mail, or write to them in care of King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th St, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10019.
© 2009 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
