Broadcasting Schools versus A College Degree

We’ve all heard the saying “the more you know, the further you go.” A broadcasting career is no exception. The way you go about acquiring the knowledge needed to break into a broadcasting career, however, is exceptional. The obvious answer is a college degree. However, certain evidence shows that a broadcasting career may require a different form of education entirely.

While a college degree is essential if you want to become a doctor or a psychologist, those who desire a broadcasting career may do better to follow a different path. Below, this article compares the benefits of broadcasting schools or broadcasting apprenticeship programs versus the conventional college degree.

Anonymity versus an “in.” Many aspiring broadcasters happily enroll in college along with a hundred radio hopefuls, dutifully pass their tests and earn their A’s, then graduate with a beaming grin and a bright shiny diploma. Then the job hunt begins. College graduates are adrift in a sea of competitors with the exact same skills as themselves. When they apply for jobs, their names ring no bells and they are greeted with blank stares when they show up at broadcasting stations to drop off their resumes. Contrast this dubious experience to the success of broadcasting schools’ graduates. Because broadcasting schools and apprenticeship programs are completely vocation-driven, their focus is on getting you a broadcasting job, not just educating you about the broadcasting industry. This means the entire time you are in your broadcasting school or apprenticeship program, your advisors are working over time to drop your name in all the right places, get you the skills you need to be competitive, and matching you up with a broadcasting mentor who will give you hands-on experience on an ongoing basis. When students graduate from broadcasting schools, they’re not just a small fish in a big broadcasting applicant pool. They’re a familiar face with a respectable degree and-even more importantly-tangible broadcasting experience they can put on a resume. Why settle for anonymity when broadcasting schools get you a guaranteed “in” at a desirable radio station? No doubt about it, in a world where connections are key, broadcasting schools and apprenticeship programs definitely give you more breakthrough for your buck.

The odds. If you are still on the fence on whether broadcasting school or conventional college is the way to go, just look at the odds: whereas a college degree provides graduates a slim 10-12% job placement success, broadcasting schools and broadcasting apprenticeship programs such as the Broadcasting Training Network guarantee an impressive 90% job placement. Not only that, these broadcasting schools can generally assure you internship placement in one of your top three broadcasting stations. We’re not advocating gambling, but those odds speak for themselves!

Experience. Another benefit of broadcasting schools and apprenticeship programs include the chance to work in a broadcasting job much like the one you hope to obtain post-graduation. Broadcasting schools offer an “apples-to-apples” experience in which the things you learn in your broadcasting internship will be exactly the same things you will go through in your actual broadcasting career. Broadcasting schools often guarantee you job placement in very internship station, or a very similar one. On the other hand, college broadcasting studies make do with simulated station environments, campus radio and a few highly competitive internships that may not necessarily bear real resemblance to the professional broadcasting world, much less prepare you to work in such an environment. Without frequent exposure to actual broadcasting in a true station environment, it is unlikely you will master the nuances and practical skills needed to begin a broadcasting career.

Efficiency. Are you the kind of person who likes things done yesterday? Love of an up-to-the-minute, adrenaline-filled lifestyle is likely what led you to a broadcasting career, and it may be this insatiable appetite that leads you towards broadcasting schools over a more conventional college path. Whereas college generally takes at least four years (and increasingly five) just to get a simple degree, the intensiveness of broadcasting schools accelerates your learning so that you can graduate in a mere ten six and start your broadcasting career within the year.

Economics. On a similar note, broadcasting schools and broadcasting apprenticeship programs are often much more cost- effective than a four-year degree. If you are serious about a broadcasting career, there is no need to invest in a liberal arts education that will leave you largely bored until you are able to qualify for the broadcasting major. If you really want to break into broadcasting, choose a school that focuses only on helping you do just that! Broadcasting schools and apprenticeship programs help you get a broadcasting career without weighing yourself down with burdensome student loans, tedious grant applications, and an exorbitant cost for an education that may or may not get you the results you want. Broadcasting schools cost dramatically less and offer flexible schedules so you can work and take classes at the same time. Many broadcasting schools also offer financing options. As you can see, apprenticeship programs and broadcasting schools are infinitely more adult, real-world options than the more regimented schedule of a college student.

Education. Whereas most college environments content themselves with classroom education, what’s the point of simply talking about broadcasting techniques when you could be engaging in broadcasting techniques under the supervision of a stellar broadcasting mentor? Formal education isn’t for every one. Differentiating your learning style will help you figure out whether a broadcasting school or college degree is right for you. If you learn well in a classroom, a college degree is certainly never a bad idea. However if you are the kind of learner who likes getting in the action, being able to ask questions in a one-on-one environment, and being tested not only on paper but by daily opportunities to learn and correct mistakes, then broadcasting schools or apprenticeship programs are probably your best bet.

We hope you enjoyed this informative look at the multiple options for beginning a broadcasting career. If a broadcasting apprenticeship is something that resonates with you, check out NBTN’s Frequently Asked Questions sections for more detailed information of our particular program.