This is a record of the ups and the downs; the struggles and the achievements; the laughter and the frustration and what it takes to break into The Industry...the radio industry that is.
Day Twenty Four - The Funk
Don’t be confused by the title of this post thinking that it may be the latest dance move to sweep the country. Nope. “The Funk” as I like to call it (yes the quotation marks make it official) is the term to define the feeling when all you want to do is go and eat copious amounts of ice cream but then you realize that you don’t have any money. Debit card doesn’t work, credit card is maxed out, and you have already smashed that ridiculously cliche piggy bank for a chocolate bar craving you had the night before. Yup, if you know this feeling then you too know the immense frustration that comes along with “The Funk”.
Although I try and fight “The Funk” sometimes it just appears, like that tomato sauce on your brand new shirt “How the hell did that get there? I didn’t eat anything red?!”. It is the master of the sneak attack, but like I said it got me. I’ll stop with the really bad analogies but basically I’m trying to get to the point that I had a rather “low” day. I want to be real on here so here it goes. I suck at patience when it comes to this sort of thing. I am so passionate about radio, hell I’ve wanted to be in the industry since I was five, but now that I’m here, I’m rather crabby that I can’t even volunteer! What’s up with that?!
Like I said during the last “funk”, it really sucks when you try your hardest to do the whole school thing, but when you finish, your grades mean jack-squat! That ‘A’ on the test means nothing, it all comes down to experience, which makes sense, but how do I get experience if when I offer to volunteer I get the tight-lipped whisper/stutter “oh-um-ya well we could, just- um… I’ll call you.” LIES!
So today, while fighting the intense urge to hop in the car, catch a plane to the Haagen-Dazs world headquarters and ask to be on the board of directors seeing as how I am basically paying their bills with the numerous purchases of “Midnight Cookies and Cream”, I sat in front of my computer and decided to try and do something about it!
I re-did my resume, I wrote some new cover letters and I sent out another 5 applications. Did it cure the void? Nope… but it made it feel like I attempted to do something about my predicament. The fact is, is that this isn’t going to be easy. I hate to say it but it looks like I will probably be picking up a job back at my parent’s company pushing paper and I guess that is my true problem… my ego and pride. I guess I just feel that because I’ve done the schooling I should be able to get a job, I mean a lot of my classmates have already… why haven’t I? I don’t mean the morning show position, I’m talking street team! However, I’m no dummy. If you read through all the advice and stories of how some broadcasters started off, they say you have to put your ego aside. Although this business is full of ego’s, as noobs in this industry we can’t have one. So yes, I do refuse to go back to working at the grocery store deli (Code: 5025 = Plain Chicken Breast…I still got it!) I need money to survive and eventually to move to that job in the middle of nowhere.
Now don’t get me wrong I don’t have a sense of entitlement by any means. I know I have to work hard and pay my dues and trust me I’m excited about this, it’s again just the feeling that I thought it would be easier to break into the industry. The other thing that keeps bringing me back to this funk… it took over eight months for some of the people I’ve talked to in industry to get their first job washing the station cruiser! EIGHT MONTHS! Lesson is, it takes time. The lame part? It takes time. I just want to work!
Phew… that feels good to get off the chest. If you’re in my position let me know… I can suggest a bunch of ice cream flavours to try, but it truly is our responsibility to not wail in self-pity. Yes, it is easier to stay in your PJ’s all day, curled up on the couch watching Judge Judy re-runs and mouthing the verdict but we have to fight the might power of “The Funk” or we will never get our first job in the biz. We can network, show future employers what we can do and apply for jobs. Our time will come… sooner rather than later I hope!
- Mitch
P.S. I said I would publish some more information for emotional appeals, but it is taking longer then what I expected (there’s a bunch) so I will try and get those done tonight, so check back in the next couple hours… it might be a midnight post haha.
