iHeart layoffs are back, and this time it’s the biggest round they’ve had this year. The unfortunate news will continue to devastate some hard working, loyal staff members as the list of those “on the beach” will grow. How can you save yourself from getting the axe? Simple…you can’t.
I’ve written you should do everything you can to learn as much as you can. My first year in radio I went from a street team member to a morning show co-host on the #1 morning show in the area. I constantly asked to help. I did the morning show, worked in the commercial traffic department, tracked middays, went to a family member’s house to take a quick nap, came back to the station, did afternoons, and tracked nights. I was on three different stations at one time while working in traffic. I asked to help record commercials so I could learn production. I stayed late, I offered assistance anywhere I could. In the years following I continued to add to my knowledge by selling remotes and working closely with the promotions department. These are all great things to do! You should know the ins and outs of your building. However, this won’t save you anymore. The layoffs of Program Directors and on-air staff who have been with a single station for 30 years proves there’s no rhyme or reason to the cuts. So what should you do?
Always be prepared. Continually add to your demo. My biggest mistake was not saving back bits I did that had a lot of listener interaction. When these happen, save them to a folder. Once a month email that folder to yourself so you have it. If there are pieces of production you’ve written, voiced and produced that you’ve loved, save those as well. This way, God forbid you get called down to the corner office, you’ll already have what you need to create a great demo.
Don’t sleep on a solid resume, either. If it’s been years since you’ve created one, good ol’ ChatGPT can help you! Yes, I know, AI is the worst to some of you. However, it can be incredibly beneficial. Especially when you need one on the fly.
Know your strengths. There’s been times I’ve heard “All I’ve done is radio! I can’t do anything else!” That’s not true. You’ve done radio so you can do ALL of it. Your communication skills are better than most which makes you an excellent candidate to be a presenter for big corporations. Your copywriting experience can land you a job in editing. You’ve done sales. Don’t get me started on multitasking…NO ONE is better than the on-air staff with multitasking! I used to write weather while talking on the air. I can have two different conversations going on at once. Not a lot of people can say they can do that.
Yes, layoffs are terrifying. But knowing you’re prepared; knowing you have a demo, resume, your strengths as an employee…these will be crucial if that time comes. Prepare for the worst but hope for the best.