Work in radio

Beaucoupfish

Hello,

I am interested to know of any boards.ie users who are working in radio production. Radio is my favourite medium and i have always wanted to work in it's production. I am in the process of changing my career (well i've done the easy bit) and am looking for some advice on training courses and the general realities of working in this area.
Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
Thankyou

K_P

I don't have any personal experience but my husband trained in radio production and worked in that area for a while. The 2 main courses are in Dun Laoghaire IADT and Ballyfermot and from what I've heard both courses are pretty good.

However it's a tough thing to get into. Be prepared to work for nothing for a while doing small slots on small local stations to get experience. Just volunteer to do a 5 minute slot on your local station on some area you're interested in. It can take quite a few years of hard graft to get anywhere (ie, get a presenting position or get any sort of work on a national station) but for those who stick with it, the rewards are out there.

As I said, this is all 2nd hand info from my husband but I know of the 10-15 people who he did his radio course with, only 2 are still working in radio. I don't mean to put you off, but it seems like it's a long slog.

Dudess

Beaucoupfish wrote: »

Hello,

I am interested to know of any boards.ie users who are working in radio production. Radio is my favourite medium and i have always wanted to work in it's production. I am in the process of changing my career (well i've done the easy bit) and am looking for some advice on training courses and the general realities of working in this area.
Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
Thankyou

Do you mean technical production or programme production (as in putting together programmes, sitting in the other studio when the show goes to air)? Unfortunately the reality is it's an extremely difficult area to get into and if you do get work, it's extremely difficult to get a decent job rather than just bits and pieces of freelance. And it's badly paid. I did a one-year course in media production (comprising radio modules) in CSN (Cork's answer to Ballyfermot). I then spent about nine months as a freelance researcher in a Cork radio station - they cut back on staff so they let me go. Didn't care - it was dreadful. The money was mindblowingly bad. But good experience. Did years and years of community radio work in Cork. Then did a masters in journalism in Dublin - more for print than radio, but ended up getting into research in national stations in Dublin - got on and off freelance for a year. Horrible way to live - you can't plan a thing and you miss out on holidays and social occasions.
I would recommend doing it on the side rather than getting into it full-time.

AARRRGH

You could get into the industry by being a presenter?

I was offered a job reading the AA Roadwatch reports on the radio, but I turned the position down. Maybe you could try the same.

Create a tape/cd of you doing a report and send it to FAO Nicola Hudson, AA Ireland Ltd, 56 Drury Street Dublin 2

Worth a try!

monkeyfudge

K_P wrote: »

As I said, this is all 2nd hand info from my husband but I know of the 10-15 people who he did his radio course with, only 2 are still working in radio. I don't mean to put you off, but it seems like it's a long slog.

The ratio seems about right. I went to Ballyfermot for a year and dropped out and went to Dun Laoghaire, and I'd say about 5% of the people I was in college with are working in the industry.

I found both courses to be absolutely atrocious though and anything I learned there I taught myself.

Your best bet would to get involved in your local community station. You'll get training and experience there and hopefully do some work in using radio as tool to encourage community development.

I think there are about 18 community stations now and you can find the full list here:

http://craol.ie/

oldscoil

Hi.

Do yourself a favour and drop the idea of "having a career in radio".
I did radio in ballyfermot. I enjoyed it from a "college" point of view, but from an educational point of view it was very hit and miss.

I got the impression that some (NOT ALL) but some of the lecturers are there cos teaching is easy money and easy hours.

Radio as a career choice is a very bad move, i'd be hard pushed to think of a smaller, "clickier", less paying industry!
The media industry is like that full stop.
Perhaps I didn't push myself enough, or wear the right low cut top.

By all means look into radio as a pass time. Go down to your local radio station and look into doing a few nights production or presenting.
It'll be just a much fun, and it'll give you something to talk about in your "paying" job the following day!
And if you find it hard to break into local radio, then what makes you think Today FM will be knocking down your door with nice annual salary and a steady secure job just cos you sat in a class room for 2 years.

Please excuse the harsh tone, but the course did nothing for my career, in radio or in general.......

If anything I found it harder to get a "regular" job after i completed the course. The reason being that no employer or recruitment agency that offers "regular" jobs wants to see "media" on your CV.
I think they're afraid you'll pack in the job as soon as RTE offer you a few hours non paying freelance.
You can give RightFit a bell, they handle "media jobs"...ie sales jobs, sales jobs and more sales jobs. And I take it you're not getting into radio to sell magazine space.

So go ahead and look into doing radio as a part time gig. It is good fun.
But don't put the word "career" and "radio" in the same sentence, buy a lottery ticket if you're feeling that lucky.

Dudess

dublindude wrote: »

You could get into the industry by being a presenter?

Wo... Slow down there! Reading the AA traffic reports ain't being a presenter! It's not a highly regarded gig by those recruiting in radio at all, and the amount of people who "made it" after starting off at AA is absolutely minute.

monkeyfudge wrote: »

Your best bet would to get involved in your local community station. You'll get training and experience there and hopefully do some work in using radio as tool to encourage community development.

Yep, it's presenting that I want to do and I learned some great skills on community radio. Far more than on the college course I completed. On the strength of my demo I was offered a weekly show at a Dublin station but had to turn it down - long story. Still though, even if I had taken it, it was only a weekly gig. It's exceptionally difficult to get full-time work. You need a fall-back career.

oldscoil wrote: »

Hi.

Do yourself a favour and drop the idea of "having a career in radio".
I did radio in ballyfermot. I enjoyed it from a "college" point of view, but from an educational point of view it was very hit and miss.

Yep, spot on. I really enjoyed my media and journalism courses but college life isn't really based in reality.

I got the impression that some (NOT ALL) but some of the lecturers are there cos teaching is easy money and easy hours.

If that is the case, you can't blame them though. Look how tough the industry is to work in.

Radio as a career choice is a very bad move, i'd be hard pushed to think of a smaller, "clickier", less paying industry!
The media industry is like that full stop.
Perhaps I didn't push myself enough, or wear the right low cut top.

All so true. And it's not just about one pushing oneself - a huge part of it is down to good luck and timing. Sure, we can all name one or even a few people who got lucky but we can also name hundreds who didn't get lucky.

By all means look into radio as a pass time. Go down to your local radio station and look into doing a few nights production or presenting.
It'll be just a much fun, and it'll give you something to talk about in your "paying" job the following day!

Yep, after trying and failing to make a career in radio, that's what I'm doing now. I've my cushy office job with flexi-time and then I've all evening to do other stuff I enjoy. The relief and lack of stress are just bliss!

And if you find it hard to break into local radio, then what makes you think Today FM will be knocking down your door with nice annual salary and a steady secure job just cos you sat in a class room for 2 years.

Heh, I've done bits and bobs of freelance at Today FM and I can state it's a lovely place with lovely people but next to impossible to get in there. And even if you build up your freelance that doesn't guarantee you a permanent job there. I know one person who did get a permanent job in there through freelancing, working for free, constantly annoying them... for six years before she got the full-time job. Others in there did manage to get the permanent job without as much effort - they were just very, very, very lucky and in the right place at the right time.

If anything I found it harder to get a "regular" job after i completed the course. The reason being that no employer or recruitment agency that offers "regular" jobs wants to see "media" on your CV.
I think they're afraid you'll pack in the job as soon as RTE offer you a few hours non paying freelance.

100% the case for me too. The amount of PFOs I got when initially applying for a basic admin job with journalism MA on my CV...

So go ahead and look into doing radio as a part time gig. It is good fun.

Yep, hate to repeat myself but I feel so compelled to. That really, really is the only way to go.

AARRRGH

Dudess wrote: »

Wo... Slow down there! Reading the AA traffic reports ain't being a presenter! It's not a highly regarded gig by those recruiting in radio at all, and the amount of people who "made it" after starting off at AA is absolutely minute.

Well what I was trying to say was getting your foot in the door via something other than radio production might work for the OP... The alternative, which is doing something totally unrelated until a radio production job comes along, that's got to be depressing.

connundrum

Having completed the diploma in radio in Ballyer, I can confirm all of the above.

What I will say is that anyone who wants to make it in any way needs to be hungry, and needs to either be able to work for free or very little for the first 6 months +. Of my class, there are 3 people working regularly in radio, 2 on a national and 1 on local. I know for a fact that all 3 of them worked their arse off for months to get into a position where they could make the tea. One of them for example worked every weekend and one evening for a year for free before he was offered payment.

Whilst it can appear to be very clique-y, the industry also appreciates grafters (and people who suck unbelievable ass). I was never in a position to be able to offer myself do do work for free, therefore I didn't make it. I don't begrudge anyone who did though and will always value those years in Ballyer

Take Mfudge's advice and seek out your local community station and see if they need a hand. Worst they can say is no

TEDDYBEAR90

Have to agree with most of the advice here. I spent 5 years doing Media courses in the hope that the more experience i got the more employable i would be. I was very determined and worked very hard, but to no avail. Media doesn't seem to work like that. it really is a very tough area to break into. I had to go over to England to the BBC - and that was just to get work experience! Got a few days with RTE helping out a friend. I really enjoyed it but i think if i'd known then what i know now(i.e that it's practically impossible to break into a career in media) im not so sure i would have invested so much time and energy into it.
It was the only thing I really had a passion for and its kinda soul destroying to keep trying and get nowhere with it.i Im always told that I have a great voice for radio (and the face to match :))
but at the end of the day wanting and having are two different things.
im sure a lot of people feel like this. So based on my own experience I would have to say to anyone thinking seriously about a career in media -think carefully. don't let it be your only thing. Improve your skills in other areas. Have a follow up plan in case it doesn't work out.
As for the interview thing, I always get asked why im applying to non media jobs when nine tenths of my experience and training is Media related. its tough but im always honest. I just tell them the truth that it was hard to break into. if they are a decent company then they won't be wanky with you or look down at you for trying your best.

SimonMaher

Apologies for digging this thread up, someone just mentioned it to me this evening so I had to come and have a look!

To the OP Beaucopfish, I perhaps would not let some of the postings on her disillusion you from working in radio. I agree with everyone that its a tough business to get into (find me any role worth getting that isn't) and I particularly agree that stations look for grafters who are willing to multi-task and work the odd hours that the media by its nature involves.

College courses are useful if you use them well and build up experience while you do them. I can declare my interest here of course as a tutor on the radio course in Ballyfermot. I look at the past few years graduates and lots are working in the industry now, particularly with the arrival of new stations like the Spin SW's, i-102's and of course the Phantoms of this world. In Phantom alone, there are at least 8 between full and part-time.

No, its not neccesarily the most secure or well-paid sector in the world but thats the media for you and it makes up for it (in my view) in being an enjoyable sector to work in.

Make your own choices, give it a shot if you like and if it turns out like some of the people above then at least you tried.

Simon