There are some radio stations jobs, which do not need someone, who is the life of the party to land the position. If your ideal radio job is a DJ or an on-air talk show host, then being able to maintain interesting patter and think on your feet are definite traits that are needed. If you would rather focus on behind the scenes activities then a quieter personality may help make you an ideal candidate for a job in management or production.
Today a radio personality works with a station that has a particular format such as talk, sports, easy listening, oldies, alternative, pop, R&B, or country. They need to have a very good understanding of the music involved in the genre the station features and have a broad knowledge of artists both past and present. Having a real interest in the kind of music, you are showcasing, will help because it can be difficult to express enthusiasm and excitement about something if you really have no love or passion for it.
Being able to stay on top of the interests, trends and likes and dislikes of the demographic group the station is targeting is also very important. Most of the top rock DJs, are also able to relate to their target audience in areas besides music. There are always times when the fans of the station or of the show will call and make comments, ask questions or just offer suggestions.
A good DJ will be able to converse with their audience on many different topics and levels. Most of the radio stations on air today have station and program managers who will compose the play list for the on-air personalities to play for the audience, but there will still be requests that come in from the audience and time is allotted for this type of audience interaction in the daily schedule. There are some rare instances when well-known personalities with extremely popular shows are allowed a great deal of input in the selection of the play lists.
As a way to become an established radio host, most candidates search out available work in the smaller markets to get their first real start in this industry. The larger radio stations are very concerned about their ratings and are very unlikely to give an unknown a chance until they can see how they have done at other stations.
Broadcasting students at colleges will usually work at the college run station in order to refine their on air persona and host patter. It is not quite as easy, as people think to constantly to come up with something to say or relate to your listeners. DJs will take notes, jokes, and other cues into the studio with them so that they can refer to them as needed. However, some very successful on-air hosts can carry the entire four-hour show with no preparation or notes at all.
For an on-air radio host, having a great voice is one of the most important qualities to have, and some radio hopefuls will undergo hours of vocal practice and lessons to change less attractive aspects of their speaking voices in order to increase their chances of being hired.
Equally important is the ability to connect with the audience and interest them in what you have to say. Some people seem to have this natural ability to make almost anything they say sound good, while others can never achieve this level of communication. If you have a good voice and a smooth conversational manner, you have a leg up on much of the competition at the very beginning.
Radio job salaries depend on the size of the station and market where you are employed and on the ratings that your show generates, but most DJs will average $35K-per year. For these radio workers, the salary covers a 5-day a week gig that lasts for 4 hours, but many of these workers will spend an additional 20-30 hours researching and planning their upcoming shows. Some of the on-air hosts that have a dedicated following will bring home salaries of about $50 K or more per year. Managers and directors at radio stations frequently average salaries of $30-50K annually.
Some of the top radio jobs in the industry are considered those at the larger stations and these jobs are usually what many of the workers at small stations want to land. One of the most useful resources to locate Chicago radio jobs or New York radio station openings that are available now is to check out the online job postings on Radio Crossing and similar sites.
