Disc Jockey (DJ) Career Path

For some people becoming a DJ will come easily. They love to talk, they sound good when they talk, and people never seem to tire of listening to them. And it can be a very lucrative talent, because radio provides many excellent career opportunities for good speakers and pleasing personalities.

The professional DJ, or air personality as some prefer to be called, is a professional talker, a performer, an on-air entertainer, capable of communicating a wide variety of thoughts, emotions, and ideas to the listeners.

A DJ is also a juggler, able to do many things at a time. Selecting and cueing music, timing music selections, announcing artists, keeping track of traffic reports, weather reports, breaking news, playing recorded commercials, announcing live commercials, talking on the phone, taking requests, keeping the station's log, and much more, all the while running a "tight board" and maintaining a friendly, controlled on-air personality

As you can see, being a DJ means more than simply announcing the names of the artists and matching musical selections to mood. A good DJ is first and foremost a good communicator, a good friend to the listening audience, keeping them entertained and informed, helping them pass the time in the car, at work, at play, or at home.

A good DJ also stays in touch with the audience, finds out what they want and need, makes personal appearances at promotional events, talks to them on the phone, at nightclubs, and throughout the community.

In addition to having polished announcing skills, the DJ is also a producer and needs to develop expert production skills, taking pride in the creation of promotions, commercials, contests, and public service announcements, and making sure they all fit the overall "sound" of the station..

The rewards of having your own radio show to take pride in, to communicate your own thoughts and ideas from, are considered very lucrative and well worth the effort. However, in order to be taken seriously when applying for DJ work at a radio station, you have to have experience. And it's a Catch-22 situation. You can't get a job without experience, and it's difficult to get experience without a job. Which is why NBTN apprentices have been so successful in finding work in commercial radio. They receive training and real world experience, real in-studio experience, often learning from the Program Director who hires the station's new DJs.

Broadcasters Training Network has hundreds of member instructors who are current working DJs, who may be interested in training you!

Take the first step, contact NBTN for more information about DJ apprenticeships now available in your city or town.