Mogel's #6: Give thought to going to graduate school in broadcast journalism. You may not want to be a reporter as a career, but Mogel writes that journalism could "give you the edge you need to get the right job." He adds that perhaps a better idea for some individuals would be to work a couple years in radio first, to see if that is really the career you want, then attend graduate school. There are "excellent extension courses offered by some colleges" and they offer a "practical alternative to graduate school" plus they give you a professional education while you are working during the daytime. Number 7 on Mogel's list: "Take pains with each cover letter. Don't blow the impact of a good resume with a bad cover letter." This is of course good advice no matter what job or career a person is attempting to enter. Mogel says that the "form letter" should be avoided and rather spell out in bright, alert narrative "why you think you are right for them." Make it short, tight, and lively, and Mogel adds, "Say just what you want -- an interview" (p. 277). Mogel's #8: In order to get solid company names for your leads, use business directories. He suggests the MIPCOM Market Guide published by the Hollywood Reporter. That publication gives the reader names and assignments of "hundreds of broadcasting executives" (p. 277).

Mogel's number 9: Be well prepared for your interview. This should go without saying but Mogel insists that the applicant "Learn as much as you can about the organizations you are visiting" and read up on that station through trade journals. Here is a great idea from Mogel's #9: If your university has a good placement department, see if someone in that department can set up "some role-playing situations with specific advice on handling an interview" (p. 278).

In the interview you should be confident, enthusiastic and well organized. You should "talk about yourself -- what you've learned, what you offer, and what you can do for Company X" but on the other hand be selective in what you say and don't ramble on too long in answer to a question. Mogel quotes media specialist Roger Bumstead, who has some pertinent advice.

What turns him off when people are interviewing for a job with him: "Candidates without a career focus…Candidates who want me to do the talking…Candidates who 'laze' in their chair across from me…Candidates who are either boring or arrogant…Candidates who don't dress properly because they think it doesn't matter when they're seeing a recruiter. Wow, are they wrong!" (Mogel, p. 278).

Number 10 on Mogel's list: Become adept at "cold calling and letter writing." He admits this can be "tedious and frustrating" but it is one...

Number 11: "Target your prospects" and decide what kind of company you'd like to work for prior to launching a serious job search. Mogel's #12: "Meet the recruiters" that come on campus. Ask good questions; try to get a grip on their hiring practices, how they interview, and more. And Mogel's thirteenth point: "Gain experience as small stations. Be prepared to go to work in the boonies to get started," he advises. He adds that pie in the sky thoughts of moving to New York City and nailing down a $50,000 starting salary are just that -- pie in the sky. Working for a small AM station in the rural areas of the U.S. is the reality for the great majority of people wanting a beginning in broadcasting.
Corey Deitz writes for About.com; he is in radio and says it is fun and there is a "certain amount of 'celebrity' attached to being on-the-air (Deitz, 2010, p. 1). What he doesn't mention is that little bit of celebrity can go a long way in a small town, when working for a small radio stations. People get to know your voice and doors open for you in other ways.

Deitz joins with other sources used in this paper to warn those interested in a broadcasting career that: a) "It's competitive"; b) there are "less jobs today than ever"; and c) the pay is quite average for "most" radio jobs.

Deitz offers three basic avenues that could lead to a career in broadcasting: one, a college degree from a college or university that offers a major in Radio or TV; two, graduating from a broadcasting school; or three, "the cheap, old fashioned way: interning" (p. 1). If a broadcasting school is available, Deitz says it's a good avenue because they teach you "the basics" and they try to place you in your first job. Moreover, a broadcasting school usually costs less than a four-year college education. Still, the best avenue to becoming a broadcaster is to get an internship.

Works Cited

Deitz, Corey. 'How Do I Break Into Radio?" About.com. Retrieved Dec. 7, 2010, from http://radio.about.com.

Keith, Michael. The Radio Station: Broadcast, Satellite and Internet. Burlington, MA: Focal

Press, 2009.

Mogel, Leonard. Making it in Broadcasting. Orange County, CA: Leonard Mogel Publishing,

1994.

Russell, Fiona. Getting into Broadcasting. Richmond / Surrey, UK: Crimson Publishing, 1997.

State University.com. "Broadcast News Analyst Job Description, Career as a Broadcast News

Analyst, Salary, Employment -- Definition and Nature of the Work, Education and Training

Requirements, Getting the Job." Retrieved Dec. 7, 2010, from http://careers.stateuniversity.com.