Weekend Assignment: It's a Wonderful Job
Fresh when it gets here from
Julie Barrett
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Yes, I'm very late. But I think I had a good reason, don't you?
So, this week's assignment: Maybe it wasn't the "best" job by objective standards, but of all the jobs you've ever had, which was your favorite, and why did you like it so much?
My best job ever was working in radio. I've had two jobs in the business. My first was in college, when I worked for the late lamented KNUS in Dallas. I did market research, but the morning DJ discovered I could do a passable British accent and had me do a few things that actually got on the air. My favorite bit was when we faked a phone call from London. I called from home so know one would know what was going on, then went in to work. Once I got in, I discovered that one of the executives had stormed into the studio demanding to know why the DJ had called London without prior authorization. (Overseas calls were still every expensive.) That made me feel good!
Later on I spent five years at KSKY in Dallas. The station still exists, but back then it was a Christian station, airing preaching and teaching programs. A colleague recommended me for an air job, and I figured it would be a foot in the door. It turned out to be the best place I'd ever worked. That is, until the station got sold to a big conglomorate. Before that, it was what I called the WKRP of Chrstian stations. That's not a put down. It was a very small station in a top 10 market, and everyone did a little bit of everything. I was News Director and went on to be Promotions Director. I actually did both jobs at the same time. Oh, and I also worked the mailroom end and made sure all of the tapes were lined up for each day. It wasn't glamorous, but it was fun.
When a recession hit, there were massive layoffs in the DFW market, and I decided that it was time to freelance full time.
Extra Credit? What was the shortest time you ever held a job? What happened?
I think it was an hour. Desperate for any break in radio, I went to work for a local station. The job was walking into doctor's offices and talking to them about the benefits of this "beautiful music" station. I was supposed to tune the dial of their radio to show them how well the reception was, and then "forget" to change it back when I left. I got lost trying to find the first doctor's office and went back and quit. I even told them not to bother paying me the whopping $2 minimum wage for the time I spent. I was outta there. In retrospect it was probably a good thing.
Of course, I love what I do now and probably wouldn't trade it for the world - unless someone offered me a metric ton of money. And then I'd have to think about it.
Tags: Weekend Assignment
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Comments are closed
Karen Funk Blocher said:
Very cool jobs indeed! I love that you got away with that accent, the WKRP comparison, and that phrase "preaching and teaching." I've never heard that one before.
Date: 4/3/2009 3:20:56 PM
Date: 4/3/2009 3:20:56 PM
Karen Funk Blocher said:
Very cool jobs indeed! I love that you got away with that accent, the WKRP comparison, and that phrase "preaching and teaching." I've never heard that one before.
Date: 4/3/2009 3:20:56 PM
Date: 4/3/2009 3:20:56 PM
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