10 Questions with ... Haleigh Dever

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

I enrolled with the Specs Howard School of Media Arts straight out of high school to obtain a certification in radio broadcast. After graduating eight months later, I began interning with Detroit's heritage Rock station WRIF. I tried on many hats in my seven months there before finding a weekend board-op position with MacDonald Broadcasting in Lansing, MI. I was with them for another nine months until I received a job offer with Results Radio in Parkersburg, WV. I made the move to work for Active Rocker WHBR and was with them for a year-and-a-half. In that time, I'd attended Rock On The Range numerous times and racked up a bit of a reputation for interviewing bands. WRKZ/Columbus, OH recognized this and brought me on staff in 2014. In addition to my nightly airshift, I hosted two specialty shows with them -- Local Stuff and Metal Shop, each an hour in duration and produced entirely by me. I gave The Blitz some of my best work and this past August, they let me go so they could test out some new ideas. I feel I've still got a long radio career ahead of me and am excited to see which station I'll call home next.

1) What do you do to maintain a positive attitude and stay motivated?

While losing my job in radio was initially difficult, I've taken this opportunity to build my own brand. I had new promo photos taken and had a logo designed for my "Hales On-Air" social pages. I launched a post schedule that would keep me interacting with my listeners online during my time away from the mic. I've also been on tour to learn more about the other side of the industry and am currently managing two bands in my spare time.

2) Are you able to slow down and enjoy free time doing things with your family and friends that you probably did not have time to do while working?

Absolutely. If there's one major thing I've learned in all this, it's that you should never take your family and friends for granted. These are the people who put up with our crazy hours in the studio, the endless amount of moving we do to stay in a job, and all of the important life events we miss to be at a work event. Getting to experience some of the joys I've sacrificed in my seven years of radio has been amazing, but I can't help missing the feeling of cracking a mic.

3) What has been your best resource for finding out about job openings?

Not to kiss ass, but there isn't much out there for us radio folk without All Access. I've tried top-notch job search sites, and they don't hold a candle to this website and the job openings forum. I found my last job there and I plan to find my next the same way.

4) Are you spending as much time listening to radio as you used to?

Surprisingly, yes. For a while I avoided radio because it reminded me of how I'd lost my job. But now, I actually have time to listen to all of my radio friends doing their shifts. It's been refreshing to hear different voices on different stations and learn from it. I'm excited to take some of the things I've learned while listening from the outside and incorporate them into my next air shift!

5) What do you miss most about music/radio? The least?

The thing I'll always miss the most is my interaction with bands. I got into radio to help bands grow by sharing their music and have always found passion in speaking with artists about theirs. That said, no interview is worth some of the drama that happens at a radio station. I can't point out any one person or station because frankly, it's all over the music industry. We definitely need to work on building each other up in this business instead of tearing each other down.

6) Having been through all that you have in the biz, what advice would you give to people trying to break in?

You have to want this. My favorite people in radio are driven by their love of the music, or the community, or the business. If you are trying to get rich or famous, this isn't right for you. You will have to make sacrifices ... missing life events, ending relationships, moving to foreign places on your own, always worrying about finances, etc. So if you don't have your passion to fall back on and drive you forward in those hard times, you will fail.

7) With consolidation, there are definitely fewer jobs. How do you separate yourself from the pack?

The most important thing is to not only be yourself, but put value in yourself. If you've never had on-air experience to provide you with a demo, make a station up and teach yourself. If you're bad at interviewing bands, schedule them until it becomes second nature. If your brand looks stale, invest in making it unique. If you feel like you don't know enough people, network your ass off until you do. I can pride myself on saying I've done these things and will never stop putting that work into myself to achieve my goals.

8) Is there anything specific that you regret doing while you were still working?

I regret not sticking up for myself more often and with more confidence. There were times where I stood my ground and a person in a higher position would make me feel helpless, so I'd shy back and let people treat me poorly. I've learned that you can be on your best behavior and still lose everything in this industry. So why let people walk all over you at the same time? Going back to question 5, there needs to be more love and mutual respect in this business than jealousy and egos. I would lead the charge on making that happen in the future.

9) Do you plan on sticking with radio?

For now, yes. That said, I'm mostly looking for freelance gigs ... Voicetracking and imaging jobs I can do from home. This way, I can continue exploring my options within the music industry by touring and managing bands. For all I know, I may be better with a label, or organizing festivals. I don't currently know where I'll end up, but I'd like to find that place while I'm still in my 20s.

10) Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten years?

Going back to the last question, I'm not entirely sure. If you'd told me five years ago I'd be in Columbus, OH working freelance in the music industry, I wouldn't believe it. Not only am I doing that, but I'm surviving off it. So I like to think that five years from now, I'll still be in the industry on my terms. Whether that's in radio or touring or management etc. Same goes for 10 years from now. I can't imagine not working in music, but I don't think I need to keep making myself miserable to be here. I plan on working extra hard to have the jobs I want, and the pay I deserve, without sacrificing my sanity.

Uh oh ... now you're on your own for getting new music. If applicable, name your three most recent purchases since leaving the biz.

I actually love buying my own records. I wait until I can see the band on tour so they get the full cut if possible, but I like having a physical album for my collection. The last three albums I've purchased are from three of my favorite bands. Trivium - The Sin And The Sentence | Nothing More - The Stories We Tell Ourselves | My Ticket Home - unreal.