Ambition is a good thing. I think sometimes, young guys in the industry can be misled into thinking that they shouldn’t share their bigger dreams and career goals. They worry that telling a PD that they would like to someday be a host themselves will lead to the PD deciding they are not properly invested in their current job.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Leaders want to see their staff take those next professional steps. If we can, we want to help you grow. That benefits both you and the people you work for.
If you have a goal, the best way to achieve it is to advocate for yourself to be put in the best position to succeed. Unfortunately for young people, ambition can be a bit of a tight rope. How do you push without being dismissed as pushy?
There is no checklist or concrete path to follow. The way you come of to bosses largely depends on you and your boss. What I can offer you is a few thoughts based on red flags I have heard about or seen with my own two eyes. These aren’t really dos and don’ts as much as they are things to ponder.
Remember that there is a difference between support and being supportive. If someone is being supportive, they are encouraging you to keep reaching for your goals and giving you opportunities to get better. Support can look like cheerleading, but it can also look like an ass-chewing.
Granted, it may not alway be that extreme. Tough love is still love, though. You may not get the fill-in opportunity you want. You may be told to talk less in a producer’s role. Listen to the reasons why and figure out how to meet the need you didn’t before. Short term disappointment is tolerable if it is a step towards ultimate satisfaction. Remember, if you’re trying to climb a mountain, you need to be told when you are in danger of falling.
Don’t be a dick. I wish there was a more clever way to write that, but the advice really is that simple. If you want people to support your goals, ask for their help and advice. Don’t come at them with the attitude that they will be sorry if they don’t give it to you.
This is probably very similar, but keep in mind that the people you are hoping will give you an opportunity have either already accomplished what you are trying to or have reached a place where their bosses trust that they know what is best. Don’t tell them what you are going to do or be. Tell them what you want to do or be and ask how you can get them on your side.
I know a producer that told his PD that he was better than the current host of his show. The current host was out of touch with the listeners and social media. The current host barely watched games and rarely did any real prep. He told the PD that any fool could see that he should be behind the mic.
Now, do you think that producer got his way or do you think he turned his PD from an ally into someone who, at best, was ambivolant towards him?
Advocating for yourself cannot include insulting the people you whose help you need. I will tell you that when the host’s contract expired, he was let go. So was the producer. Even if the guy didn’t explicitly call his PD an idiot, that is what he was doing in that moment. The guy didn’t get his pink slip until months later, but he sealed his fate in that moment because a PD doesn’t want to employ someone that he has to worry about undermining him.
My final thought would be that patience is a virtue, but so is confidence. Your shot to host a show or step into the programmer’s chair will almost certainly not come the second you think you are ready for it. There is value is waiting and continuing to learn until the opportunity you want presents itself. There is also value in pouncing when the opportunity presents itself from someone other than your current employer.
A lot of what I have written here is about knowing when and how to indulge your ambition without creating enemies. You also have to learn to read between the lines. Are you getting steady opportunities to fill-in for weekday hosts when they are out but never getting the chance to become a full-time host yourself? Are you ready to take on more responsibilities and bigger challenges, but your current PD is content to stay in his or her current job until the end of time?
The tricky thing about ambition is that it doesn’t usually just go away. Sometimes, you are at a point where logically, you see the value in biding your time but emotionally are ready to make that leap. It is always better to leap at a new opportunity before you have been in the old one for so long that you become bitter and burn bridges.
I’ll reiterate this: people want to help new broadcasters get where they want to go. It’s as simple as asking and listening. If you demonstrate that you can maintain high standards in your current job while preparing for your next one, any boss would be happy to help their employees make strides towards their goals.
Demetri Ravanos is a columnist and features writer for Barrett Media. He is also the creator of The Sports Podcast Festival, and a previous host on the Chewing Clock and Media Noise podcasts. He occasionally fills in on stations across the Carolinas in addition to hosting Panthers and College Football podcasts. His radio resume includes stops at WAVH and WZEW in Mobile, AL, WBPT in Birmingham, AL and WBBB, WPTK and WDNC in Raleigh, NC.
You can find him on Twitter @DemetriRavanos or reach him by email at DemetriTheGreek@gmail.com.
