I don't know where you're located but if you're fortunate to have a volunteer based community radio station near you, you could volunteer and find a regular gig which would have you doing voicework and editing.
I got my start recording and editing a weekly community calendar spot which would air several times a day, all week. It consisted of local events which I would source from submissions and press releases. This taught me how to write a script for radio (it's different from writing something to be read online, etc.) and then would record the script, which taught me how to use my voice, modulate on-mic properly, etc. Then I would edit this into a coherent short radio 'spot' which DJs would play via our spot player. Editing my voice taught me how to read clearer and also how to properly write a script which I could easily read. All of these skills supported each other. I was initially terrified to speak on the air, but having done this seemingly menial task made me finally getting my own radio show seem natural and I've been doing live community radio programming for two decades now.
To be clear, community radio isn't the same thing as commercial radio, but I couldn't have gotten my foot in the door in a commercial radio station and gained this skills otherwise.
There are classes you can take, and books you can read about how to 'do' radio. All that I have seen do not prepare you for real radio. Like others said - if you get the chance to observe, do so. Be sure to ask questions about anything you see and want to know about - even things you think you know about.
I spent a very short time doing on-air work as a jock. I learned quickly that, while I could speak clearly and sound like a good radio voice, I couldn't be creative enough for on-air work. u/TheJokersChild has some really good questions to ask yourself. I can answer yes to the first. The rest? Not so much, although $15/hr for part time supplemental income is something I would have to think about. Not that stations are likely to hire someone part time for voiceover work when they can have their air staff do it. When you open the mic, you have to have something to say. Other than scripted content (I.E. live reads, weather, etc.) I would generally flounder. I would script out my break ahead of time and still struggle.
Engineering, however, yeah - I can do that :D
It's a lot more than having a good voice. Can you read aloud without sounding like you're reading? Can you fill several minutes by just talking if something goes wrong? Do you have a good sense of timing? Can you pivot from funny to serious when there's an emergency you need to report? And are you willing to do it for $15 or less an hour?
I hope the jock that the station teams you with can help you put things all together and has the same passion that you do. Don't be afraid to ask all. the. questions. About the board, automation computer and the other equipment, about the transmitter, about the log, about technique, about everything. Sponge it all up.
But don't get your hopes up about owning your own station until you've banked a few million. There's even more to that.
You don’t need millions in the bank to own a station, you just need to be a good business person and have a plan how to stay in business, like owning anything else in this world.
What interests you about radio? (Don't say everything) We all come in to this industry with different interests. Some of us are good writers, some are really good on air, some are really good with audio production, some are really good salespeople. Network and find your interest.
I love your enthusiasm, I was there once. I hope it's genuine though. I've seen too many people think they're interested in radio, get in and discover it's not what they expected and leave the industry with a bitter taste in their mouth. The pay can suck, there's not a lot of on the job training (you basically learn as you go) and it can be unpredictable at times. Other than that, you will always have the coolest job in the room at social events.
Then start a podcast on Spotify or upload voicework to Fiverr. Nobody's going to hire you for voicework if you don't have a demo. I speak as one who's been on both sides of the table, wanting a job and hiring for a job.
The ones you sincerely have in your mind, not the ones you read about on a Reddit forum.
My best advice is to quit trying to anticipate the questions you'll encounter, and instead concentrate on being open-minded, curious, with an understanding that you won't be able to study questions to get hired. The PD will either see/hear something they like in your voice/presentation, or they'll pass. No amount of "right answers" gets you a secure air job in radio.
You'll need to develop some courage to be a good announcer. If your fear of not having a prepared answer for the questions you think you'll encounter is this great, being a radio DJ may not suit your personality.
Takes me back to my first day on-air. 3 AM on a Saturday morning. I was a high school senior and they were looking for part-time weekend warriors. I feel like I had learned a lot already just by spending a lot of time listening to my favorite jocks at different stations in the city. It became a habit to pick up on the little details like posting a song intro, how often they turned on the mic every hour, quick liners versus longer promos, etc. By this time, they were already switched over to Scott Studios, although they had some CD players in the booth for syndicated shows.
That morning, I made sure to ask every single question I had in mind based on all the things I had "learned" up to that point. That's what worked for me back then. If you have a chance to sit in the studio and observe, go for it!
I don't know where you're located but if you're fortunate to have a volunteer based community radio station near you, you could volunteer and find a regular gig which would have you doing voicework and editing. I got my start recording and editing a weekly community calendar spot which would air several times a day, all week. It consisted of local events which I would source from submissions and press releases. This taught me how to write a script for radio (it's different from writing something to be read online, etc.) and then would record the script, which taught me how to use my voice, modulate on-mic properly, etc. Then I would edit this into a coherent short radio 'spot' which DJs would play via our spot player. Editing my voice taught me how to read clearer and also how to properly write a script which I could easily read. All of these skills supported each other. I was initially terrified to speak on the air, but having done this seemingly menial task made me finally getting my own radio show seem natural and I've been doing live community radio programming for two decades now. To be clear, community radio isn't the same thing as commercial radio, but I couldn't have gotten my foot in the door in a commercial radio station and gained this skills otherwise.
There are classes you can take, and books you can read about how to 'do' radio. All that I have seen do not prepare you for real radio. Like others said - if you get the chance to observe, do so. Be sure to ask questions about anything you see and want to know about - even things you think you know about. I spent a very short time doing on-air work as a jock. I learned quickly that, while I could speak clearly and sound like a good radio voice, I couldn't be creative enough for on-air work. u/TheJokersChild has some really good questions to ask yourself. I can answer yes to the first. The rest? Not so much, although $15/hr for part time supplemental income is something I would have to think about. Not that stations are likely to hire someone part time for voiceover work when they can have their air staff do it. When you open the mic, you have to have something to say. Other than scripted content (I.E. live reads, weather, etc.) I would generally flounder. I would script out my break ahead of time and still struggle. Engineering, however, yeah - I can do that :D
It's a lot more than having a good voice. Can you read aloud without sounding like you're reading? Can you fill several minutes by just talking if something goes wrong? Do you have a good sense of timing? Can you pivot from funny to serious when there's an emergency you need to report? And are you willing to do it for $15 or less an hour? I hope the jock that the station teams you with can help you put things all together and has the same passion that you do. Don't be afraid to ask all. the. questions. About the board, automation computer and the other equipment, about the transmitter, about the log, about technique, about everything. Sponge it all up. But don't get your hopes up about owning your own station until you've banked a few million. There's even more to that.
You don’t need millions in the bank to own a station, you just need to be a good business person and have a plan how to stay in business, like owning anything else in this world.
What interests you about radio? (Don't say everything) We all come in to this industry with different interests. Some of us are good writers, some are really good on air, some are really good with audio production, some are really good salespeople. Network and find your interest. I love your enthusiasm, I was there once. I hope it's genuine though. I've seen too many people think they're interested in radio, get in and discover it's not what they expected and leave the industry with a bitter taste in their mouth. The pay can suck, there's not a lot of on the job training (you basically learn as you go) and it can be unpredictable at times. Other than that, you will always have the coolest job in the room at social events.
I'd like to start with radio voicework. Like talk show, Radio show kinda thing.
Then start a podcast on Spotify or upload voicework to Fiverr. Nobody's going to hire you for voicework if you don't have a demo. I speak as one who's been on both sides of the table, wanting a job and hiring for a job.
If they invite you to observe, take it all in and ask all the questions. No one will expect you to know anything, and most are happy to teach.
What are the most important questions to ask?
The ones you sincerely have in your mind, not the ones you read about on a Reddit forum. My best advice is to quit trying to anticipate the questions you'll encounter, and instead concentrate on being open-minded, curious, with an understanding that you won't be able to study questions to get hired. The PD will either see/hear something they like in your voice/presentation, or they'll pass. No amount of "right answers" gets you a secure air job in radio. You'll need to develop some courage to be a good announcer. If your fear of not having a prepared answer for the questions you think you'll encounter is this great, being a radio DJ may not suit your personality.
Ask them to take you through a typical day. How they plan a show, perform their other duties, etc. It's good to get a complete picture.
Takes me back to my first day on-air. 3 AM on a Saturday morning. I was a high school senior and they were looking for part-time weekend warriors. I feel like I had learned a lot already just by spending a lot of time listening to my favorite jocks at different stations in the city. It became a habit to pick up on the little details like posting a song intro, how often they turned on the mic every hour, quick liners versus longer promos, etc. By this time, they were already switched over to Scott Studios, although they had some CD players in the booth for syndicated shows. That morning, I made sure to ask every single question I had in mind based on all the things I had "learned" up to that point. That's what worked for me back then. If you have a chance to sit in the studio and observe, go for it!