Saturday, September 25, 2010

So, I'm trying to break into radio...

So, following the train-wreck that is my legal career, I've decided that I want to pursue a career in radio. My parents, and their incessant desire for a 'plan' for my life, have been badgering me more than a pesky badger trying to convince a fisherman to give him his fishin' worms. In other words, very badgery indeed, and rather depressing.

Parents have that great ability to summarise what you do in negative terms. It's a skill that comes with being a teacher and trying to promote constructive criticism. Sometimes though, it's just fucking annoying.

"What's the plan, son?"

"Well, I want to work for a year, maybe try and get a part-time job and try and get some work placements or experience with a radio station before enrolling in a masters next year."

"So, you plan to bum about for a year?"

(Grrrrr THAT'S NOT WHAT I SAID!!!)



I won't even tell you what they say when I tell them that I'd love to someday write for a career.


Anyway, I'm trying my bestest, and I'm ploughing my way through work experience applications. The stations that I applied for today are....

BBC Radio
ClassicFM
XFM
NME Radio
Capital FM
Chill
Fun Kids Radio
Heart Radio
LBC FM

...and that's just the London ones.

I also tried Jazz FM and Heat FM but unfortunately they don't take work experience folks. Smooth, non-job-giving bastards.

So, if I'm trying to get a job in radio and I'm not employable with any of these guys, then I might be slightly screwed.

Slightly? Totally.

In the pushing-Marlon-Brandon-up-a-potholed-hill-during-a-mudslide way.


Anybody have any hints or suggestions? Cos Marlon's looking hungry, and I smell of fried chicken...

5 comments:

  1. i think ud be good for radio. miss u xoox

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  2. You should start a podcast! It's free, you can do it yourself, and you can have guests and such and maybe it will be a cool portfolio for radio stations to see how awesome you are. WIN WIN WIN! plus if you get popular, you can get businesses to sponsor you for moneyyyyy.

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  3. Jen and Jenn, thanks!!

    I was thinking of a podcast, but I'd have to come with an idea for it. Still it's food for thought.

    Cheers guys xxx

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  4. Were you involved in college radio? I got sucked into the radio in UCD and LOVED it but never really considered it as a long-term thing, which is probably why I'm still taking the long and winding road to a degree - any degree - just so I can put off thinking about that dreaded Life Plan for a while longer.

    If you weren't involved with college radio you could probably just... pretend ('pretend' sounds so much better than 'lie').

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  5. I was indeed madame. I had a show for a year in the states on WLUR (Washington and Lee University Radio) and for my final year with Trinity FM. What was your show about? My one was a comedy news show, because there aren't enough of them eh?

    Here's the old website

    http://shows.trinityfm.com/conorshow


    And yes, we Irish bloggers are like unicorns :)

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