10 Questions with ... Laura Lee

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

Demo:

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

In the beginning, everyone reaches out to you to see how you are and how they can help, and it feels really good. After a few weeks, the emails and calls slow down and you can get into a real bad place, feeling very alone. It's a matter of getting back in front of people and maintaining relationships. Everyone has their own thing going on, so you have to keep reminding them that you're out there. I stay motivated by reaching out to a few people every day, whether they have a job opportunity for me or not, just so I have peace of mind that I'm doing all I can do to get back out there.

How are you occupying your time, besides looking for a job?

Since I was downsized right before the holidays, I took the opportunity to go see friends and family. I took a week to go to Georgia and see my parents for Thanksgiving. I spent Christmas with my brother's family in New Jersey and was able to spend some solid time with my little niece and nephew. I hung out with my aunt and uncle in Dallas for the new year and was able to go to the NHL's Winter Classic. I also have a voicetracking job that's helped me stay fresh. I'll also admit to spending time playing World of Warcraft Classic. If you're on the Herod server and in need of a healer, my priest's name is TinyTonic.

Some people get discouraged or enlightened with the business when they actually step out of it for a while. Tell us your observations from the outside.

I went through some personal stuff about 5 years ago when I was in Charleston, SC. I felt the need to step back from radio full-time and take on another job outside of broadcasting to broaden my resume. After everything came tumbling down--spoiler alert, I went through a divorce, I realized that for better or for worse, my career was who I am and my career is radio. It has been for 20 years. I didn't just want a job; I wanted my career back. I missed radio.

Do you plan on sticking with radio?

That is the plan. I mean I have dabbled in sports marketing in the past and have asked some questions about the record side of things, but I'm betting the next move will still be in radio.

What's the longest stretch you've had on the beach?

This will probably be the longest time I've been out of radio full-time. Earlier on in my career, I was on the beach for 3 months. It wasn't around the holidays and not having a lot of experience under my belt, I was willing to apply for just about any job, so it happened quickly. Fast forward to now and I've worn almost every hat there is to wear in radio, so this time around, I'm not necessarily looking at any one facet of radio to get back into, but I do feel like I can be a bit more selective of where I end up next.

What's the best way to get your foot in the door?

I think there are a couple right answers to that question, depending on where you are in your career. I think a good way is to utilize any and all connections you've made up to this point. A friend in the business could potentially help you stand out in that stack of resumes sitting on a busy GM's desk. I believe that showing interest in the station that you're applying to goes a long way. When I was hiring a morning guy, I had three resumes that really stood out. Out of those three, one of the applicants would email me his take on topics myself or my midday guy had talked about. It showed me that he was engaged and committed to getting the job. It helped him stand out for sure.

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

I would say word of mouth. You'll sometimes hear about things before they hit the trades. Allaccess.com has always been my go-to source. Reaching out to consultants is helpful. Shout out to Jacobs Media for helping me find jobs in the past. I've also been hitting up individual companies' career sites and seeing what's out there.

What's the craziest thing you've ever done to get a job?

My favorite story I like to tell is once I was flown in to interview for a job and the PD wanted to have the interview at a wings place to be able to keep an eye on a basketball game. The wings place had one of those hot wing challenges and I was like, if I can successfully complete the hot wing challenge, will you hire me? He laughed and said yes, and I ordered the wings and I did NOT successfully complete the challenge, but I did end up getting the gig.

What is the next job you'd like to obtain?

I left this question until the end, because I tend to overthink this one. I don't want to get too specific and pigeonhole myself. Yes, I love to program! I also love my time on the air. I love to do production and imaging. My main formats have been Rock and Alt and AAA but that doesn't mean I can't do Adult Hits. I had a PD from a major market ask me recently "What do you want to do?" And my answer was I just want to be able to do my job, do it to the best of my ability and do it in a place where hard work is respected, appreciated and rewarded.

Are you finding salaries/benefits lower than you ever thought, about the same, or have you seen some pleasant surprises?

I've chatted with some potential gigs but haven't gotten that far in the conversation with anyone yet. But I will say, that for the most part, I've been able to maintain or advance my career with each move I've made.

Care to contribute a recipe for our "On The Beach" cookbook:

Two words: Slow Cooker. You can make cheap meals that will last for days! An easy one is "Crockpot Ranch Pork Chops" - Pork chops - Ranch Seasoning Dry Mix Packet - 1 can Cream of Chicken plus 1 can water (or 2 cans cream of chicken) - Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours... serve with mashed potatoes or rice and you're good!