Radio DJ

This is The Starter Guide To Becoming a Radio DJ

Being a radio DJ can be a great career.  Here is a short guide to get you started.

Step One: If possible, take speech and English courses in high school.  You need to work on your diction and speaking voice.  Radio stations are looking for announcers who have worked through their local dialects.  Record yourself and work with a speech coach to hone your voice technique.  Tune into a station that has a DJ you respect and carefully listen to their delivery.  Notice how they fluctuate their voice and “hit the post” with their timing.

Step Two:  Find a college or university that specializes in broadcasting.  There may be a institution in your area that focuses on broadcasting, such as the Broadcasting Institute of Maryland (http://www.bim.org/).

Step Three: Gain experience at your college radio station by doing any work that will teach you about radio broadcasting, a station’s equipment and the problems associated with airtime. Offer to be the DJ or radio announcer at the station during unusual hours. Then make a recording of the show and include the experience on your resume.

Step Four:  Get an internship of any kind at a local radio station. It can sometimes lead to a permanent position. Realize that you will most likely be doing office work initially, not talking into a microphone or running the board. But you need this experience.

Step Five: Consider a radio job at a small community station after graduation if the opportunity presents itself.  You’ll probably begin with an entry-level position to learn the ropes, but your chances of speaking on the air in the near future will be far greater than in a larger market. The large markets want you to have had several years of on-air experience.