What would you put in a voice promo for applying for a job on the radio?

Question

The radio station wants a promo sent with the resume and I have no idea what to say.

Answer 1

Be honest. Don't narrate a piece on yourself and send it in. Include actual clips of you on the air or in a commercial. At the least a commercial you've produced (even if your voice isn't in it).

If you haven't got any actual samples, nor any way to record a few before the interview, write a commercial and submit it . Ask for permission to audition using their studios. Tell them you want to join the station on the lowest rung, for the lowest pay for the chance to learn. Show a passion for radio and be enthusiastic without going overboard.

If you do have access to a friend or your own studio, write and record some commercials, do a few sample "sets" or "breaks" of seguing between two records. Nothing fancy, but have it committed to memory - don't try to adlib this - or if you do, it better be real good. Make sure you notate that they are samples and never actually aired.

Don't alter your voice, just speak naturally. There is no such thing as a "radio" voice. With time and practice, your normal voice will become trained and you'll learn what's expected.

Below is a piece I've posted before on how to get into the biz (from a US perspective).

-a guy named duh

OK, here's my brief version on how to get in radio. Take it from one who started this way. If you want to try radio as a possible career choice, It's easy, really easier than most think. Go to all the local radio stations and tell them you're willing to do anything for little or no money (at first). Including interning (though those are usually for current college students in a broadcasting major). In a big city, that's going to be more difficult than a smaller town, but not impossible.

Maybe they need a Gofer, or a production or promotion assistant. In the old days you used to be able to 'hang out" at a station. That's still a possibility (usually at night) in a small town, but in a bigger city, it's hard because the stations are in office buildings. Anyway, so maybe you get a Gofer or promotion assistant job. Or maybe you're just the kid who hangs out and will go get burgers. Then as people leave for bigger better gigs, you move up. Radio's a very fluid business. People move a lot. Because the only way to really get promoted is to go to a bigger market.

Give it a try. You've got nothing to lose. Study all the stations where you live. Visit some of the websites I'll put below. Go around to all the stations (obviously start with the ones where you like the music - but don't leave out religious stations, foreign language stations etc. anything to get experience and something legit on your resume). Because you've studied the station and listened to their format, you'll impress them with your knowledge; go to the remote broadcasts and get to know the promotion people - the ones hanging banners, in the tent and handing out bumper stickers.

Sooner or later someone will leave and you can say, "Hey, I can do that, I want his job now that he's leaving." It's important you have a driver’s license & clean record, 'cause you'll be driving the station van. Go 4 it!

Also, many colleges and some high schools (especially magnet schools) have radio courses of study and there are private vocational schools like Columbia School of Broadcasting. Emerson College in Boston is the premiere Media College in the US.

If you are interested in a career in radio, check out this great scholarship program from the John Bayliss Broadcast Foundation. It could mean $5,000 towards your tuition!

www.baylissfoundation.org

Maybe you can turn another skill, with accounting, traffic, or engineering into an off-air career. Sales, though not as popular with young people, is a great way to get into radio even if you don't have a great voice. You'll also make more money and work steadier hours - but it's not as glamorous. Radio stations also need salespeople, acountants and business managers

Free Radio Newsletters:

www.AllAboutCountry.com

www.AllAccess.com

www.insideradio.com

www.radio-info.com

Answer 2

Depends on what exactly they need from you. However, in every demo tape, you have to put your BEST STUFF FIRST. The person hiring you will most likely only listen to about 30 seconds of your material because they have a load of tapes to listen to.

Don't send them a tape full of you just talking about yourself - instead, take bits and pieces from an actual radio show you might have done or do some celebrity dirt. It's hard to start out getting a job in radio without any previous experience (which is what I assume is your issue because if you did, you wouldn't be asking) but include your best stuff first. That's it.