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Make Appointments With Yourself
February 19, 2013
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Time is either our best friend or worst enemy. Setting goals will not do any good if you don't set a time frame to get them done. Everyone has a lot on his or her plate, but if you have watched TV, read a book or a magazine, that's time you could have applied towards your goals. A day becomes a week, a week becomes a month, and suddenly the months go by without getting anything on your list accomplished. Make an appointment with yourself to work on goals, set the day and time and stick to it. If you don't address this personal issue, time will continue to get away and you will still be working at getting started on projects.
When Should I Change Markets?
It takes practice to become a better air personality. I constantly get e-mails from jocks asking how soon I think they will be ready to look for a better job in another market. My answer is always, "Sorry, I do not know; it all depends on you and how hard you work. And the most important thing, apply for jobs and when someone hires you, it means you are ready."
Time to Leave
Let's go from changing markets to knowing when to leave. Here is a conversation I had with client having problems with their employer.
Client: The owner has told us he only has working capital for three months and that we need investors"
Me: What's the deal?
Client: He is a great guy, use to be a sports agent in the '90s.
Me: Strange, he doesn't talk about any work he did from 2000 until now. I am not getting a good feeling, something doesn't add up. There is a lot of money to make as a sports agent; whatever he did wrong back then, he will probably repeat the pattern with this company.
Client: Sam, I am his Executive Director and there are so many things not on paper or that I do not know. There are no policies or procedures in place and I am trying to fix that problem.
Me: So this guy doesn't leave himself or his employees in a defensible position? Listen to me, leverage your title and get out of there as quickly as possible. What kind of advice did the guy who had your job before you give?
Client: He told me to take anything the owner said with a grain of salt.
Me: And there it is, trust me, update your resume and get out of there while the company is still on its feet. Leverage your position to get something while your position and company still exists. To any future employer it will just look like you are simply moving your career forward.
Applying for Jobs
These days the first hurdle is to apply online; only a select few stations want you to use snail mail any more. It is amazing how many resumes I see needing adjustments. Your resume should give information pertaining to radio and not every job you have ever had. If you are a beginner with only college on-air experience, it's okay to list non-radio jobs. However, if you are a seasoned veteran with an employment gap, it is not necessary to put any of it down; it will come up if you get to the interview.
Only provide the information necessary for the job you are applying for, it will increase the possibilities for whoever reads it to zero in. Be sure and list the digital automation systems you are familiar with; Prophet/NexGen, Media Touch, Audio-Vault, etc. Also include your production audio editing software expertise; Cool Edit, Adobe Audition, Pro Tools, etc. And if the position is for a programming or music director, make sure to list the music scheduling systems you have worked on.
There are no guarantees, but you can increase the possibilities of putting yourself in the position of being interviewed.
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