How to pick the right wordsMy story is: I've been in radio for several years, and about 4 months ago, an old boss of mine called me up, said he was planning to start up a new station and wanted me to be a part of it. Naturally, I was flattered, but I was happy at my then-employer, so I said I'd think about it. Fast forward to the present; I'm out of a job, so I call the old boss up, and he says he still has a place for me, that I should come and meet with him on Tuesday (two days from now). What's the problem, you ask? Well, as much as I would enjoy working for him again, I really would prefer to stay in the city I live now; it's a college town, I'm still (relatively) young, and I've been spoiled by the great friends I've met in the many years I've lived there. My old boss now works in the city where I grew up and my family still lives; it's not a bad place to live, but socially and culturally, it's worlds below where I live now. I've applied for a few jobs in my current city but have yet to get any feedback. My fear is that when I meet with my old boss this week, he'll pressure me to accept this position, because he said he plans on starting up the new station at the end of the month. I apologize if my conflict sounds selfish, but I really enjoy where I live, and ideally, I'd like to stay there. How should I let him know, or even should I let him know, that I want to see how the opportunities where I live pan out before deciding to take his offer? I think that it is perfectly acceptable to be not only selfish in what you want but cautious with a new business. Your contacts are in the city where you live now. Your contacts in the area you used to live and work are not. Plus, a new business is a very tricky opportunity. If your old boss had contacted you and told you that the was the new General Manager of a well established radio station and his first order of business is to re-structure the station and he would like you to come in on that end, then I would say that it is an opportunity to be seriously considered. But, he is starting up a brand new, untried, unheard of, untested radio station. I don' t pretend to be a radio officiando by any means, but how is he going to get his station out in the public' s mind? Commercials, billboards, on-site promotions? All of these things cost money and the more money he spends on start up, the less he can offer you for compensation. Also, what about his dial number (or whatever it is called)? If it is a number that people have trouble tuning into because of signal interference, they may give up. What is the radio genre (?) going to be? News, Country Music, Hip Hop, Alternative Rock? How many other stations in that area would he be competing with? Unfortunately, he could go bankrupt in less than a year. The last thing you may need to consider is the type of job you specialize in. Are you a board operater, a producer, a production manager, a reporter, an on-air personality? Your old boss may be able to recruit others to help him start up and then, if it appears to be a success, you could go in. You may try telling him that you are really happy where you are living and obviously cannot commute, so even though you are interested in his new venture, you would like to find out what other opportunities may be available to you. Let him know that you have set yourself a deadline of one year and if, by that time, you are not receiving the satisfaction you believe you would have with him, you would like to work with him. This is a dilemma and I do not envy you for this decision, but I know that you will make the right one for you. I will assume that the prospect of being out of work made you call your former boss, despite the fact that you don't want to work where he is located. You should NEVER go to a job just because a former boss worked there. He could be gone the day after you start and then the reason for joining that company (other than needing a job) will be gone. Call him up and explain that you prefer to stay in the city and see what he says. Maybe he will want to explain his plans that will change your mind, but work there because of what it can do for your career path, not because of him. | |
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