What is your job?

[mr_genius]

Its always nice to have a fellow practitioner of the dark arts of IT on here.

 

Darker side? You guys are total white hat.

 

[DukeNukeEm]

When I'm not a student I work for:

 

[Hawkfan]

Got into managing a golf course this summer. I'll graduate from SIU in December and after that I'll be the general manager. I have degrees in Finance and Economics though, so hopefully I won't be at the golf course for too long. I'm planning on going to grad school after a couple years of this, then workin for a strong financial company analyzing securities hopefully. Gotta be close to a computer so i can get my number of posts up on soxtalk.

[The Beast]

Attorney, trying to figure out how I can finance broadcasting school

You could check out the Illinois Center for Broadcasting in Lombard. I'm not sure how expensive that is, but I know 670 the Score has an employee who graduated from there and immediately was in the Chicago market.

 

Part of the problem that I have with the radio industry is that if you are in a school of lower tier, you might not be able to get into the position you want until you spend a lot of time in a small town, small market station. But, since I'm not really interested in the technical work or being on air talent (I don't have the energy that McNeil and Spiegel have), it isn't a good fit for me. Though I must say, if you are at Columbia in Chicago or anywhere remotely close in proximity to the city, you might get that job in the city and bypass a 5-10 year trip to a small town. I'm curious though, how some people at the Score seemed to get in the city upon graduation from SIU, ISU or U of I.

 

As far as the newspaper industry goes, my issue with that is similar to the market for radio. Two things. Is there a market for radio to be in a major city or must people pay dues in small markets? Also, is the newspaper industry going downhill?

 

My occupation is being a student. After working doing manual labor over the summer, I've decided that I do not want to go into the trades or do anything related to not having a degree. I don't want to drop out of college, but I must say, EIU did not suit my needs. Location (rural, a bit far from home for my taste), difficulty level of classes (too easy), the campus itself (too small), the school spirit (I'd rather be more spirited like ISU or NIU), the internship opportunities and my personal goals were not really there. I decided that radio was just an interest in high school, and that journalism could be something I'm still interested in, given the right opportunity - at ISU, NIU or a private school. I didn't like the daily deadlines and how I didn't really grow personally down there.

 

When the economy started tanking, I started to get rather interested in business, but wanted to incorporate my writing ability into my major. I looked at my options at different schools - NIU has both business and journalism, ISU has business and public relations, and St. Ambrose has all of those areas of study. Public Relations is a lot of writing, but it also can incorporate my desire to study about business. I could be a business major, but it would require me to ask the academic advisors at the three schools when I visit them this fall about how many math courses I would need to take before I am able to get into Calculus for Business and Social Sciences. Unfortunately, when I tested at the community college, I hadn't taken a math course in over a year and got placed rather low. So, I'm asking NIU, ISU and other schools about what I'd need to take. And for the semester I'm taking business courses while applying for the spring semesters.

 

If I got the business degree, I wouldn't mind opening up my own business. If I got a PR degree, I could work for a PR firm, be a PR manager or work as an editor in some capacity (probably would require a degree in journalism, which shouldn't be too difficult for me, since that subject area is easy). Ultimately though, I think my passion lies within sports. I'm in the process of emailing Brooks Boyer to see what I could do to intern with the White Sox, or to see what it takes to work with them or within the sports industry. I'm also considering contacting minor league baseball teams such as the Kane County Cougars to work with them in some capacity.

 

I'm a little of a lot of things: editor, print/web designer, an auditor of sorts (boring job, too complicated to explain), but the most fun is baseball coach/instructor (I get paid to teach baseball, which is sweet). My goal is to expand on the latter. Plus the whole www.soxnet.net thing.

 

What did you major in and what kind of courses did you take for web development? I might be interested in taking a course like that.

Edited August 23, 2009 by The Beast

[Jimbo's Drinker]

boy this economy sucks, lots of people struggling around here. This too shall pass.

 

I was pursuing a career in sport marketing and have made the switch to commericial real estate. So I am going from bad career choice to worse career choice.

 

Ideally, I am looking to join a corporate real estate team.

For now, getting my brokers license and being thrown to the wolves(hope they are full).

 

[hogan873]

I manage a production line that makes paper towels. We make paper products for private label (store brands).

[farmteam]

College professor (marine biology/ecology) and director of my institute's visitor facility/marine science museum.

 

I'll give it up in a heartbeat for a brewmaster gig at a brewpub if anybody here can make that happen.

 

Where do you teach?

 

Currently in school, getting a B.S. in business. Not entirely sure what I want to do with that -- thinking about something in the merchandishing/planning/buying area, though I'm strongly considering law school.

 

I never considered broadcasting, but it's always in the back of my mind, because I'm always told I have a great deep radio voice. Silly question, to those who work in that field -- how much of a selling point is having a voice like that good for getting a job as on-air talent? I'm not even thinking about it seriously, just curious.

[The Beast]

Where do you teach?

 

Currently in school, getting a B.S. in business. Not entirely sure what I want to do with that -- thinking about something in the merchandishing/planning/buying area, though I'm strongly considering law school.

 

I never considered broadcasting, but it's always in the back of my mind, because I'm always told I have a great deep radio voice. Silly question, to those who work in that field -- how much of a selling point is having a voice like that good for getting a job as on-air talent? I'm not even thinking about it seriously, just curious.

I don't think it is so much the voice that you present as it is the talent that you have on-air. What makes Dan McNeil great is his quick wit and analysis he brings to the table. Steve Stone has a BA in History and just knows baseball - though he does have an excellent voice for the air waves.

[FlaSoxxJim]

Where do you teach?

 

Past and current courses include marine ecology, benthic (bottom-associated) ecology, estuarine natural history, aquaculture, and various zooplankton-, invertebrate- and fish-themed sections of marine biodivversity courses, along with a few high school labs and lectures here and there for a county partnership project on campus.

 

[Texsox]

I work for the Boy Scouts. Membership, money, and summer camp programs. B.A. in Psychology and English. Would love to be teaching, bit there are precious few HS openings in Texas.

[LittleHurt05]

Mechanical engineer by degree, but now help run the family grinding/machine shop

[vandy125]

Another IT guy working as a computer programmer.

[The Beast]

Steve Stone having a Cy Young has a lot more to do with him being in broadcasting then him having a BA in History.

 

As far as your question Farmteam, it certainly helps, but it's more about being a great speaker than the actual voice. Guys like Mike Murphy and Harry Teinowitz have had long careers in the radio business, and don't exactly have "radio voices".

 

 

As far as the question of the thread, right now I'm a student, getting a degree in Sports Management. I currently work for the media relations department with the Schaumburg Flyers, and also producer/engineer our radio broadcast. (I'm also going to be the color guy on Tuesday, so I expect all of you to listen! )

I also spent 7 great months with ESPN Radio, which allowed me how to learn how to be a producer/engineer

Tony -

 

I was just suggesting that Stone's degree didn't really matter in getting a job in the broadcasting industry. Where are you getting your sports management degree at and what courses do you take?

[Rex Kickass]

thanks for the tip, how do you get your foot in the door though?

 

Call your local station and offer to work for free. There's always room for interns - be it in promotions, or programming. If you do well and they like you, they might hire you on. If not, you can take the experience and the skills and move over somewhere else that will pay you.

 

What kind of broadcasting are you looking to get into?

[Rex Kickass]

Where do you teach?

 

Currently in school, getting a B.S. in business. Not entirely sure what I want to do with that -- thinking about something in the merchandishing/planning/buying area, though I'm strongly considering law school.

 

I never considered broadcasting, but it's always in the back of my mind, because I'm always told I have a great deep radio voice. Silly question, to those who work in that field -- how much of a selling point is having a voice like that good for getting a job as on-air talent? I'm not even thinking about it seriously, just curious.

 

Having a voice is everything in radio. Your voice is your livelihood. But you also can't just play randy radio all the time. You need to be yourself when you're on air and not put on an air of having a "radio voice" when you talk. That's very 1975 top 40 radio, and its not authentic enough to work these days.

[RockRaines]

I sell enterprise software to a few major fortune 100 companies in Illinois. I work for the 4th largest software company in the world. (figure that one out)

[RockRaines]

Its always nice to have a fellow practitioner of the dark arts of IT on here.

Since I work with alot of the IT folks in the industry, I consider myself one of them by proxy.

[SnB]

I rent the cars.

[clyons]

I'm a dancer. I can dance.

 

 

Really, I'm a labor and employment lawyer; at least until I win the lottery (see, above).

[knightni]

I'm a dancer. I can dance.

He's a maniac, maaaniac, oh noooo; and he's dancin' like he's never danced befoooooore!

[Heads22]

I aid in video operations, regular operations and recruiting for a FBS football program.

[FlaSoxxJim]

He's a maniac, maaaniac, oh noooo; and he's dancin' like he's never danced befoooooore!

 

That line never made any sense. The worst dancers in the world, by definition dance like they've never danced before — why immortalize crappy dancing in song?

 

[iamshack]

I am attorney by training, but currently am working as an energy trader out in Las Vegas.

 

Basically I buy and sell electricity and monitor electrical power systems.

[Controlled Chaos]

IT Analyst at a law firm.

[ChiSox_Sonix]

Marketing analyst for a company that provides parts primarily to the Government (and all their subcontractors and DoD contract winners) and Commercial Air industry.

Edited August 26, 2009 by ChiSox_Sonix