[SBE] Dwindling numbers of engineers

[Matthew Steck]

Well I guess the only real conclusion for me to draw is to see how things
play out.  That's about where I was when I wrote the message.  I'm glad to
have a job, though.  My friends from college who are looking into radio
aren't having any luck.  They chose to go into the on-air side.  I never
had any interest in sales, and though I enjoyed doing on-air work in
college, I knew it wouldn't be a viable option for someone like me, who
doesn't like moving around often.

On Tue, Apr 3, 2012 at 4:32 PM, Cowboy <curt at spam-o-matic.net> wrote:


> On Tuesday 03 April 2012 03:06:27 pm Matthew Steck wrote:

> > I guess this would be a good time to ask...  Just out of curiosity, I am

> a

> > 23 year old engineer working at a group of stations in a smaller market,

> > making the salary mentioned above.

>

>  Not bad, at 23.

>

> > All

> > of my electronics knowledge is from collecting and repairing vintage

> > consumer audio since I was a kid.

>

>  Also true of others of us.

>

> > Is it true that the real-world

> > experience I have may out-weigh a degree in the future?

>

>  Yes, and no.

>  It does for me, but I have a national reputation of being

>  very, very good at what I do, and what you do, to.

>

>  Still, there have been times I've been specifically asked to please

>  come work for X, then been snuffed because I don't have

>  the specific degree that their rules require.

>

> > I love the work I

> > am doing (and love radio) so I'd like to stay in the field.

>

>  Again, like many of us.

>

> > When I made my

> > decision to go this route, I figured that someone my age would have a

> good

> > amount of luck finding positions, as the current guys begin retiring.

>  Was

> > that a reasonable assumption?

>

>  Apparently not !!

>  I'd think so too, but real world experience suggests that as someone

> leaves,

>  they merely increase the workload on whomever is left.

>

>  Now, when things start literally falling apart, and they are off the air

>  for an extended period of time, then you might get a one-off contract,

>  long enough to get them back on, and fix a few things that have been

>  broken for months or years.

>  If you do that well, AND cheap, you might be offered a long term

>  contract at a ridiculously low rate.

>

>  It seems the real hey-day was the late 90's early 2000's, and ended

>  with the Bush/Obama depression.

>

>  But hey !

>  Things may get better if/when the economy comes back.

>

> --

> Cowboy

>

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-- 
Matthew J. Steck
Chief Engineer / Operator
Forever Broadcasting
109 Plaza Drive
Johnstown, PA 15905
(610) 858-5682
MatthewJSteck at gmail.com
Msteck at foreverradio.com <msteck at foreverradio.com>
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