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So You Want to Be a DJ, But You Don't Know Where to Start
by Tim White
Got a dynamic personality, a good sense of humor and some technical ability? Can you
connect with people? When you talk, can you make people listen? Ever thought about a job
that would allow you combine all of these qualities together to help build a better
career? Ever thought about becoming a disk jockey for a local or national radio station?
If you found yourself answering yes to any of these questions, an on-air position may be
just the career for you.
It's the job of radio broadcasters to entertain, engage and inform their audience with
everything from sports to weather from traffic to concerts. DJs dispense information that
their audience cares about, so a good DJ knows his or her audience well. The DJ knows what
his audience likes and what will make the audience switch stations. DJs are required to
have amusing and engaging personalities, along with the skills and expertise required to
run professional radio programs.
As with all other broadcasting jobs, the position of a disc jockey requires experience
- experience proves to employers that you're serious about a career in radio broadcasting.
No morning or afternoon drive DJ got where they are by luck alone. It always takes years
of dedication where the DJ refines his or her on-air persona and learns how to best
interact with the audience.
The only problem with this is that it takes experience to gain experience. This is
where career colleges and broadcasting schools can help. These schools features hands-on,
in-depth training courses guaranteed to provide their students with the skills and
experience needed to work in the exciting field of broadcasting.
The courses offered range in everything from vocabulary and speaking techniques to
cable and satellite production and operation. All of which will help you to build a strong
core of skills needed to work in your desired field, whether it be behind the camera in a
production booth or in front of the camera or microphone.
When searching for a career college or broadcasting school to expand your skills and
turn you into a more dynamic potential employee, be sure to look for national
accreditation and strong affiliations with state boards. Committees such as the
Accrediting Commission of Career School and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT) are among a
list of accrediting committees that enhance the value of a school or college, by providing
a stronger backbone for the institution.
A potential employee with an educational background and skill set provided by a
nationally accredited career college or broadcasting school is far more likely to make a
lasting impression with a station manager on a resume first glance. The skills and
experiences learned at a professional institution add to the amount of worth and weight
that a potential employee will carry over another applicant who is trying to break into
the field right after high school.
Career colleges and broadcasting schools also offer hands-on training in real-world
situations. Good broadcasting schools offer internships with radio and television
stations, where students can gain personal connections to industry professionals. These
experiences help students to get their foot in the door months or even years before
communications students at a traditional four year university.
After graduating from a career college or broadcasting school, you will enter the
workforce with the experience and skills that will make employers want you as their new
station manager or on-air talent.
If you want to become a DJ, contact a college or school near you and get started today
in a program that could change your life. Be on air.
Tim White is the director of admissions for the Ohio and Illinois Centers for
Broadcasting, where he helps students learn to
be a DJ, and has been FCC licensed since
being a college radio DJ. He taught communications classes at the college level. He also
authored several published articles in various trade magazines.
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