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Jobs, Side Jobs & The Holidays...
November 16, 2021
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It Makes Sense ...
It's not uncommon for actors, TV personalities, and radio talent to take regular jobs while waiting on their next opportunity. It's hard to understand why anyone would job shame or look down on someone for working any job.She Was Smart ...
I used to have an air talent who would take a part time job over the holidays. She told me, "I can't rely on getting paid remotes for all my holiday gift buying. It surprises some listeners who recognize me, and I’ve never met anyone who wasn’t cool with it. It’s led some people to become even bigger fans."Any Port In A Storm ...
I speak from experience when it comes to working gigs in between radio jobs. The three I remember the most: car sales, selling newspaper advertising at the Daily Californian in Berkeley, CA, and going business to business selling vibrating massage pillows.Yep ...
You read correctly, me in a suit and tie carrying vibrating pillows under my arms as if it was a normal thing to do. I would casually walk into a business, look someone in the eye and say, "I bet you were wondering what I have under each arm?" Look at it this way, it was no worse than when as an air talent in Detroit, I dressed up as a Ringling Brothers clown at the circus in full makeup. I had to go out in front of an audience and do a car bit with little people clowns. It was part of a station promotion.Best Lessons I Ever Had ...
All three jobs taught me something. I learned how to negotiate and read people from selling cars. Ad sales gave me insight as to how hard it is to convince someone that spending money could potentially make them money. Peddling vibrating massage pillows was a cash-in-hand business that taught me people will take time to listen to anything if you can pique their interest. All three of those non-radio gigs taught me a lot about the average listener.It's All Good ...
Whether you are between radio jobs or working an extra job over the holidays, it doesn’t devalue you in anyway --it’s called survival. In fact, taking a non-radio job keeps you in touch with how listeners use radio and other audio platforms. It will keep you grounded.Full Or Part-time Non-Radio Jobs Air Talents Have Taken:>
- Car Sales
- IT Technician
- Cab Driver
- Uber Driver
- Golf Instructor
- Mortician
- Public Relations
- Web Hosting
- Web Designer
- Fireman
- Real Estate Sales
- Census Taker
- IRS Agent
- Wedding Planner
- Musician
- Mechanic
- College professor
- Commercial Voiceover
- Mobile DJ
- Online Retailer
- Apartment Manager
- House Sitter
- Freelance Writer
The Truth Of The Matter …
Radio personalities are like snake charmers. There's something magical about radio that makes the regular world treat air talents like a relative worthy of nepotism. So, if you're on the radio sidelines, don't sit around waiting on the next radio gig. Take a non-radio job until your next broadcasting opportunity rolls around. And if it's the holidays, go moonlight, you just might learn something. You know your circumstances and should never feel as though you must live up to anyone else’s expectations other than your own. -
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