Dreaming About a Career in Radio?

If you know know the names of all of the most famous sports announcers by heart or if you find yourself calling the plays at your high school football game, a career in radio might be for you.

Knowing sports is important for success as a sports anchor person, just like knowledge about music is key to being a DJ. Sports announcers can report live from the dugouts and benches as the coaches and players develop strategy that often determines the vital winning strategies. You mihgt even get to interview famous professional athletes when you do in-depth interviews as part of your sportscast.

Or, do you want to learn to be a DJ because you like the idea of having your own radio show -- playing the hit songs, joking around, announcing new record titles? DJs often interview recording artists and movie stars. Radio personalities get paid for public appearances to help promote the station. Being a DJ means you might even become famous.

Or, you might be better at delivering the news. As a news person you will also be involved in on the spot news bulletins, often at the actual scene of where news happends. And as a prominent member of your community, you must attend civic and special meetings where important issues are debated. Come election time, you'll be in the thick of it reporting on the top candidates.

Learn how to be a sportscaster, DJ or a news announcer, isn't all that easy. Radio jobs are in high demand so it is easier to get a job at a smaller radio station. The proven best way to get a job is via a mentor program or school that offers professional mentors who can help get you a job. Earnings are often higher in larger cities than in small towns in the U.S.

According to the 2006 US Bureau of Labor Statistics, half of all radio and television announcersand some of them were DJs—earned between $8.10 and $18.62 an hour. 10 percent of the lowest paid earned less than $6.55. 10 percent made more than $32.98 an hour. Announcers held about 71,000 jobs.

30 percent of these workers are in broadcasting, mainly in radio and television stations, with 17 percent working in the motion picture, video, and sound recording businesses.

Behind the scenes there are also plenty of other jobs at a radio station -- digital recording, editing, and broadcasting has changed the work of broadcast and sound engineering technicians and radio operators. Today's technicians must learn skills for computer software and networking.

The important thing is that if you want to learn how to be a DJ or get a job in radio, you need to learn from a working professional - a mentor who can teach you all the inside tips and tricks.