For women in radio

I attended a Women in Radio virtual conference last weekend and, as always, took away some good nuggets for you! Most of these career tips came from Nicky Sparrow, Market Manager for iHeart in Jacksonville, FL.

How to do well in your current position: 

•  Walk through the sales pit. Call salespeople. Tie yourself to revenue. 
•  Join as many meetings as possible. Attend promotions meetings. 
•  Engage with the digital content director at your company. 
•  Keep a journal of your successes. Include stats like revenue, digital engagement, attendance at your event, ratings increases. You will need this information later. 
•  Keep growing. Take on new responsibilities or even a volunteer project. Be the best you can be and then keep adding to that. How many commas do you have – "creative, intelligent, plays golf..."  (Note to self: How many commas do I have?)

How to advance: 

•  Be your own PR person. Decisions are made before you know about them. 
•  Pre-sell yourself to higher-ups. You are not bragging if it's facts, especially facts that matter to the person you're talking to.
•  Remember that they are busy. They may be renegotiating six contracts at once. 
•  Manage up, above your direct boss, because your boss has their own agenda, which is not necessarily to brag about you. And some bosses themselves don't know how to negotiate their own deal, why would they fight for yours? 

Managing your brand: 

•  Engagement is more important than followers. 
•  Watch what you post even on your personal page. Private pages still need to be aligned with the company's values. 
•  Engage with other jocks’ posts to boost engagement. 
•  Remember: Chasing an algorithm is not good for your mental health.