What did you do to get a job?

[jefflaurence]

Interesting thread in the SC board..What have you done to impress a PD or OM enough to get a gig..Here are a couple of my "stunts" what are yours?

Once I bought a bunch of manequin legs..and cut the feet off with a Sawzall..

Sent the foot along with the tape to the PD with the "Now that I have my foot in your door..."..Didn't work

Also..(and this cost a little) I had my aircheck pressed onto one of those EvaTone sound sheets..(little phonograph record) It ensured that the PD would listen to it on a turntable and probably get a better sound than a cassette..BUT WAIT!..In the intro to the aircheck I said that I guarenteed that during the next three minutes they would physically look at the turntable and GASP!

About 2:10 into my scoped demo/airchek I edited in the horrible SFX of the stylus skating accross the record...then silence...

"See I told you..you'd look at the turntable..now how about looking at me for a position on your production or airstaff?"

That one did work..several times!

 

[radioboy]

Those were some creative stunts, Jeff!

I started out by hanging out at WOMA-FM (now WTNT-FM 94.9) in Tallahassee after-hours. I was
just out of high school then. I tried to get hored there, but it just wasn't happening. But the
evening jock showed me how to run the board, and I ran a number of football games that fall.

The afternoon guy was named John Chommie. He gave me a tip about another station in town,
WTAL-AM 1450, that often hired overnighters to run the board during the Larry King Show. It
turned out they had a hard time keeping overnighters - and WTAL did hire me, in the fall of 1979.

While at WTAL, I met Art Myers, who's in local TV news now. Art gave me a lead in 1983 that led to my work at WCVC, a Christian station, where I stayed until 2004.

The secret was being able to network with people in the industry.

I'm on my own in Internet radio now. I have a station with hundreds of listeners but not much revenue but I don't think I'll go back to "working for a station" again as there's no stability now.

 

[upndownthedial]

I was trying to get a job back in the city where I grew up. They had already listener to my tape and were interested, but holding. I found out when the PD was going to be at a remote (on their website) ordered some CD-shaped cookies with my name, and had my DAD deliver them to the remote! Ha. They were impressed, but the job eventually was nixed by corporate. Just as well, though. As I found out it wouldn't have been a nice place to work.

 

[MyCatKnight]

Painting the GM's door got my foot inside it. This was at his paid request, of course... it's not like I spray-painted my limited resume in graffiti on it (hmmm, I wonder how that would've worked). Eventually, this got me into promotions, producing, copywriting, on-air as a fill-in reporter, and the Creative Services Director position, before I got hired as a full-time Rock DJ. Living at home with Mom (and the ramen noodles diet) helped make my dream come true.

 

[madel]

It's not radio, but back when I worked in print media there was a layout position at a local newspaper that I wanted and knew I'd have to make myself stand out for because I didn't have a degree of any kind. I -did- have a job working for a small newspaper and some high school experience, but not enough to make me seem interesting at all.

The paper was in my hometown and so I was pretty familiar with the building and took a good guess that the department I was interested in would be working evenings. I also knew where their break room window was (huge window...nothing really creepy or anything).

So I prepared two packages for the Powers That Be with my resume, cover letter, and samples, and waited outside the break room window at about 7pm. Finally, a tall fellow appeared and I tapped frantically on the window, held up the package so he could see what it was about, and he motioned me to the side door.

I apologized and said that I didn't know there was a side door (which was a lie - I'd delivered pizzas there before), and that I would have come during the day but that I worked (mostly not a lie...I didn't work -that- late). He took my packages, promised to deliver them, we chatted for a few minutes about the job, the hours, who my points of contact would be, etc., and then I left.

I got an interview the next day. During it, the manager showed me the stack of resumes they had received for the position, and noted that nearly all of them had a degree and many had experience writing.

It was a tough interview...but I was hired by the end of the week. I found out the guy who had taken the packages was a highly respected page editor who had apparently given me a large "thumbs up" as a "personality reference" to the Powers That Be.

That experience did nothing to teach me that I should jump through the assigned hoops to get where I aim to be...It instead reinforced that doing something just a little bit left of center is the best course of action

 

[Silkie]

Gimmicks don't usually work - not even in show business anymore. I owned a retail establishment for about 7-1/2 years and agreed to sit in for somebody who was out for a few days. When a few days were up they became another two weeks, and then, "why don't you just give it a try for another couple of months, and see how you like it". That was six years ago.

What did I do? I was myself, and people who had a say heard the manner in which I handled the public and how I knew and understood exactly what they were asking, and what I was talking about. When I heard the try it for a couple of months I figured I might as well close up shop and see what shook out. It's been a good little ride.

My suggestion: Sit in for someone - even for free. If you are worth your salt that is about the only gimmick that is gonna work right about now.