Radio/Voice-Over — How To Find Dream Job
Written by Michael on July 28, 2006 – 1:32 pm -
In the second of my new Ask-A-Pro series, I’d like to present you with Scott Cimarusti, radio announcer and voice-over pro.
In the Ask-A-Pro format, I’ll tell you a little about the author and how-to-find-your-dream-job expert . . . then via the Comments section to this post, please feel free to ask a specific question about the career or job in question.
Anyone (expert or not) is free to post responses to your query, and I or the author/how-to-find-your-dream-job pro may chime in as well.
This is your chance to get unbiased advice from a real, honest-to-goodness-been-there-done-that dream job professional.
So, here goes . . . Scott Cimarusti on working in radio and doing voiceovers.
Scott Cimarusti began a career in radio at the student-run radio station at the University of Illinois. After graduating, he picked up a part-time weekend shift at a local rock station, before getting overnights at an adult contemporary station across town.
Moving from overnights to Creative Director, he used his production skills to get a job at a video production company as an audio engineer.
Scott currently works in multimedia production for the University of Illinois Department of Computer Science, but still does voice-over work whenever he can.
Here’s a tad more about Scott and some of his takes on the radio announcing and voiceover business:
Dream Jobs To Go Title
How to Get Started in Radio/Voice-Over Announcing
Current Profession
Educational Technology
What Would You Be Doing If You Weren’t a Radio/Voice-Over Announcer?
Ideally, writing full-time
Life Philosophy
Treat others as you would like them to treat you.
Favorite Food
Pizza
Favorite Read
Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series
Favorite Authors
Stephen King, Richard Matheson, Raymond Chandler, and Arthur Conan Doyle
Favorite Sports Team
Any Chicago team
Favorite Travel Destination
Europe (someday, I hope)
Favorite Music
Classic rock
Favorite Movie
Star Wars
Favorite City
Chicago
Favorite Country
USA
Your Hobbies
Writing, golf, reading, tinkering with computers, entertaining my children
Favorite Websites (Other Than Your Own)
rottentomatoes.com; imdb.com
Favorite Quotation
Life is a tragedy for those who feel, and a comedy for those who think. Jean de la Bruyere
Favorite Drink
Alcoholic: Guinness or Corona; non-alcoholic: Coca-Cola
Why Do You Live Where You Live?
Work and family
If You Could Live Anywhere You Wanted, Where Would It Be?
Chicago—see above
The Greatest Things About Being a Radio/Voice-Over Announcer Are:
Getting paid for talking. And when you start making money at it, you feel overpaid for doing something you enjoy. Most of the people I’ve met in the business are laid-back, friendly people who help each other.
The Worst Thing About Being a Radio/Voice-Over Announcer
Not getting paid enough, sometimes.
If A Young Person Approached You About Getting Into Radio/Voice-Over Announcing, What Would You Say?
I would tell them to start doing it part-time, as a side venture and see how it goes . . . not to try and make a go at it full-time right away like I did.
If An Older, Career-Changer Approached You About Getting Into Radio/Voice-Over Announcing, What Would You Say?
Go for it! But, again, get your feet wet part-time first.
How Would You Define Success?
Success is when you’ve finally found that elusive balance between work and play — where work almost seems like play, and going to work each day doesn’t feel like “going to work each day.” In a word, I would say that success is balance.
The Most Important Piece of Advice Anyone Ever Gave You About Radio/Voice-Over Announcing?
There are two kinds of people in radio: Those who’ve been fired, and those who will be. This taught me to always keep my options open, and the importance of networking. And while this may be true initially, once you get established at a good company, you can often stay there as long as you want – like most other professions.
Questions about radio or voice-over professions? Just holler by posting in the Comments section here.
We’ll do our best to answer.
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October 30th, 2006 at 2:34 pm
Hello,my name is Terry Howard.I have taken a basic broadcasting class at Parkland College in champaign,Illinois,then was interrupted
with cancer,did some commercials for a local radio station two different times and then got my first paid voice-over for a private
agent/production company,then interrupted with a heart attack.Now,
I would like to get into more voice-overs,readings,and maybe more.
I have copies of my voice-overs and would like to know if you have
some suggestions for this area and getting in with someone perhaps
like Prairie Production Group.?
Thanks
Terry Howard
November 5th, 2006 at 12:06 am
Sorry to hear about your set-backs…
As far as voice-over work in the Champaign, Illinois area goes, the Prairie Production Group may be the best among your few options. Call their main number and tell them that you’d like to be in their voice talent pool. They’ll probably either schedule a time for you to come in and read some copy samples, or take your contact information and get in touch with you the next time they update their voice talent demo reel.
One other place you might try is Volition–they’re located downtown and they design video games, and sometimes they need voice talent. Or at least they used to.
Another option is to post your voice samples on voice123.com–I’ve been meaning to do that myself. This is a good way to open yourself up to other markets. And the continuing rapid advances in technology, you have many more options when it comes to sending audio files via the internet. If you decide to give it a try, and you need some technical assistance, post here, and I’ll do what I can to help.
Best of luck–
–Scott
January 1st, 2007 at 9:24 pm
Hi!
I am interested in doing voice overs. I speak Spanish, and doing Spanish voice overs is of particular interest to me. I don’t even know how to get started! Do you mind telling me how to start? I live in Chicago.
Thanks!
January 1st, 2007 at 11:19 pm
Dear Scott,
I’m sure you’ve probably heard these same questions over and over so forgive me for adding to the redundancy
I too am very interested in getting into this as a career where I can use my voice and do something that I feel I would absolutely love. Oddly enough, I currently work in technology and my clients quite often ask if I’ve ever worked in radio etc. At this point I feel that I really want to give it serious consideration. Problem is… I’m not exactly sure the “right” or “proper” way I should go about it.
Any pointers and or direction would be most appreciated. My desire would be to get my foot in the door and do anything where I could utilize my voice. Voice-overs, ad work… whatever is available to me. I’m located in SW Michigan area.
Thanks,
Michael
January 19th, 2007 at 3:57 pm
Dear Mr. Cimarusti,
I have been an educator for 13 years and I enjoy what I do. I would like to do voice overs because I think it would be fun, and I need to supplement my income. I have been told by many people that I have a great speaking voice, and I would like to put it to work. What do I need to do, and what companies in or near Memphis or Nashville, Tennessee could help me?
January 22nd, 2007 at 4:25 pm
Dear Karen,
Since you live in the Chicago area, and you speak Spanish, you shouldn’t have too much difficulty finding a venue for your voice…
My suggestion would be to do a Google search for video production companies in the area–there should be quite a few–then contact each one and ask how you can be included in their voice talent pool. And be sure to mention that you are bilingual. If they deal only with talent agencies, then that would be your next step: seek out local talent agencies, and find out what you have to do to get them to represent you.
Good luck–and keep me posted on your progress.
–Scott
January 22nd, 2007 at 4:31 pm
Dear Michael,
I’m not sure how large your community is population-wise, but your best best to get started is to locate any video production companies in your area–even if you have to go to the closest metropolitan area. Use either the phone book or the internet and get the contact information for as many companies as you can find. Then contact each and inquire how you can be added to their voice talent pool.
Working in technology as you do, you also might want to see if you have any contacts in the gaming design industry–they, too, use voice talent. And if you need to sign on with a talent agency to get some work in this regard, explore that option, too.
If you need a demo reel with samples of voice-work to get started, contact your local radio stations and ask if they need any voices for their commercials–offer to do it for free if you have to. If you’re polite and persistent, chances are good that SOMEONE will say “yes”.
Best of luck–
–Scott
January 22nd, 2007 at 4:37 pm
Dear Sylvia–
Your best bet for getting started in voice-over work in any area is to open up the yellow pages, or–better yet–do a Google search for local video production companies. Depending on your geographic location, you may have to focus your search on the closest metropolitan area. Also, your local radio station is a good place to get started. Offer to do voice-work for free–and be persistent, but polite.
The opportunities are not always easy to find, but they are there. In my community, I spent some time doing free voice-over work for a division of the public broadcasting station–I read the newspaper headlines for the visually impaired. I didn’t get paid a cent, but I felt good about volunteering for a worthwhile service, and I got some much-needed practice reading copy. Sometimes just immersing yourself in a job like that puts you in situations where you may meet other people who do other kinds of voice-over work, and you can network with them and get some leads and contacts.
I wish you the best of luck–
–Scott
April 11th, 2007 at 9:40 am
Scott,
I just happened upon your article. Your responses to the previous comments went a long way in answering my questions. In reading the comments/responses, I also found myself very interested in the circumstances of the individuals submitting comments. For that reason, I thought my comment may be worthwhile to someone curious about others with interest in getting started. (I do have a question for you specific to my location at the end of the comment.)
I was a Radio & TV major in college. I called baseball play-by-play on the school’s radio station and worked various local radio jobs. After graduating, I quickly realized that full-time in radio would pay just enough to allow for subsistence on bread and water. As for lodging, it was looking like a friend’s couch would be all I could afford. My desire to make money (actually, my desire to not be broke) trumped my desire to stick with the career I’d chosen to pursue back when I was in elementary school. For reasons unknown, I chose law school. (I am kidding … sort of.) I’ve worked as a litigator for 9 years. As you’d guess, speaking in open court is my favorite part of the gig.
Unfortunately, there is a lot more to litigating than trying cases. If lawyering were my life’s passion, I wouldn’t have burned out, but it isn’t and I did. I would like to get back into voice related work. I am open to all types of voice work. By the way, I am in Houston - anything specific to the Houston area come to mind? I am taking your advice about getting the foot in the door as it relates to unpaid voice-overs to get the word out (no pun intended).
Thanks for taking the time to post the helpful article.
Reilly
April 25th, 2007 at 10:24 am
Reilly–
Unfortunately, you couldn’t be more accurate with your assessment of how abysmal salaries in radio are–especially in smaller markets. That’s why most of the people I knew in medium- to small-market radio had to supplement their income with second–sometimes third–jobs delivering pizzas or DJ-ing weddings–and sometimes even selling airtime on the stations they worked for. And as for voice-over announcing, the likelihood of being able to do that kind of work full-time is slim to none–unless you’re the movie trailer voice-over guy.
That’s why I’ve tried to encourage doing radio and/or voice-over announcing part-time. If you can get a weekend shift on a local radio station, or even one or two voice-over jobs every few months, sometimes that’s enough to satisfy the desire–especially once you temper that desire with the realization that it’s nice to be able to afford the basics in life: food, shelter, clothing, etc.
Unfortunately, radio is becoming an even greater gamble, job-wise. With the trend toward consolidation and syndication, stations seem to be whittling down their airstaff and making fewer employees do more. And while that can mean greater job security once you get a job, getting that job is even more competitive.
As far as getting your foot in the door for voice-over work, I still stand by my standard suggestions: radio/TV stations, video production companies, and computer game developers. While I don’t know much about the Houston market, specifically, I would guess that an area of that size should offer a fairly good selection of each of those professions to choose from. Start off by volunteering your voice for free to a radio or TV station–public broadcasting is a good place to start with because they’re typically under-funded and looking to do more with less. Video production companies are always looking for new talent, so you should be able to convince them to at least let you audition for their demo reel.
As with anything else, get on the Internet or crack open the Yellow Pages and start digging for information. In my experience, people in radio/TV/video production can be very willing to pass on information when they can. Talk to people in that business and pick their brains. Most people like to talk about their work and the connections they have in their respective fields.
Best of luck–hope my comments were helpful.
–Scott
May 8th, 2007 at 7:26 pm
I have done college radio and professional Christian radio along with some local sports. I want to learn how to do voice over. Is it best to do a tape? Where do you go to do this? Do you take this tape to radio stations or an agent?
I would be very interested in learning more from you if possible.
Thank you
May 10th, 2007 at 10:05 pm
Hi, I was curious how difficult it is to enter into this profession with no formal training. I have a few months radio station engineering and taped weather reports, bumpers, etc. Also I have worked with a film crew in the process of making a movie. I also have my own recording equipment and extensive (5 years=+)personal recording and engineering experience. Is this experience enough to be taken seriouslty? I had an interview at a radio station about three weeks ago and the manager gave me his card and said to look him up in a month or so and he’ll give me a tour of the studio if I want. Would you consider that a serious lead? Any information on these topics will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
JC
May 16th, 2007 at 3:42 pm
Jerry:
That’s one of the most difficult thing about the radio/voice-over profession: there really isn’t much in the way of formal training–aside from radio/TV programs in higher education, and those are falling by the wayside rapidly.
It’s the classic chicken-egg argument: they want experience before they hire you, but how do you get experience without a job?
My recommendation would be start off by volunteering–canvas the area you live, looking for radio stations, TV stations, video production companies–anyplace that has the potential to need recorded voices. Then, offer your services for free, and whatever voice-over work you do, keep a demo reel of it–either as a CD or mp3s. Then use that as leverage toward getting more work. The University of Illinois division of public broadcasting used to offer (I think it still does) the service of broadcasting people reading the local newspapers for the visually impaired. See if there is anything similar in your area–any opportunity to read and have your voice recorded.
Persistence is the keyword when it comes to this business. Keep calling/e-mailing people–without being a pest–sooner or later, you’ll get in. It may be a long, uphill battle, but if you really enjoy this kind of work, each little victory or opportunity will be extremely satisfying. Hope this helps…
Best of luck–
–Scott
May 16th, 2007 at 3:50 pm
Monte:
If you’ve done radio in the past, hopefully you’ve saved some of the recordings you did as a demo reel–that’s the best way to start, with a resume reel in hand.
If not, then you start at square one–by volunteering to do voice-over jobs. You have the advantage of prior experience–which may be all you need to get your foot in the door.
And at the risk of sounding nitpicky, don’t use tapes–a CD or even mp3s is the way to go. There is free software out there called Audacity that offers some great tools for working in the digital domain. And the Internet is full of advice on how to record and edit audio on computers–no matter your level of expertise.
Be patient. This is NOT an easy business to get into–in any market, big or small. Even the most prolific voice-talents I know of in small-to-medium markets get work very infrequently–but when they do, it pays off. The nice thing is, if a particular client likes your voice, that increases the chance of getting steady work for you.
Good luck–
–Scott
August 4th, 2007 at 5:23 pm
I HAVE DONE A FEW LOCAL COMMERCIAL/PSA SPOTS IN THE PAST AS PART OF MY JOB, I HAVE SUNG IN BANDS SINCE ‘66 AND HAVE BEEN TOLD ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THAT I HAVE A GOOD VOICE FOR RADIO (FACE TOO). HEALTH ISSUES FORCED ME OUT OF FORMER POSITION BUT I THINK I COULD DO SOME VOICE WORK. I LIVE NEAR DAVENPORT, IOWA. ANY SUGGESTIONS??
MANY THANK AND BEST WISHES!
August 23rd, 2007 at 7:11 pm
I HAVE DONE A FEW LOCAL COMMERCIAL/PSA SPOTS IN THE PAST AS PART OF MY JOB, I HAVE SUNG IN BANDS SINCE ‘66 AND HAVE BEEN TOLD ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THAT I HAVE A GOOD VOICE FOR RADIO (FACE TOO). HEALTH ISSUES FORCED ME OUT OF FORMER POSITION BUT I THINK I COULD DO SOME VOICE WORK. I LIVE NEAR DAVENPORT, IOWA. ANY SUGGESTIONS??
MANY THANK AND BEST WISHES!
October 2nd, 2007 at 1:14 am
Hey Scott,
You’ve given some very good information and I happen to be from Chicago as well. Do you suggest any particular video production companies? Also, I’ve noticed that a few of the non-union talent agencies are looking for demos. Is that always necessary and what is the best way of obtaining one? Finally, what is the deal with being in a union or not?
Thanks for your time,
Ivan
October 3rd, 2007 at 2:20 pm
I want to be an radio on-air host.I did my internship at MTV. This is my dream. I’m 30 years old and I fell like my dreams are fading away. I work for the school system. This is not my passion. Please show or tell me what I’m doing wrong.
November 18th, 2007 at 10:05 pm
I have always been told my voice is unique and I want to use it in whatever I can I live in the Sacramento area and I need to know how to get started please help me .
November 19th, 2007 at 1:37 pm
Hi Scott ~
How does one go about getting a demo? If I can’t get tapes of me doing free reads, is it OK to send something I’ve recorded? ie: a commercial I’ve heard or some script that I’ve written? I am a singer and have 2 CDs under my belt. I have some basic recording equipment at home and can put together a CD. My speaking voice is clear and distinct, but if I can’t get in the door, what’s next? Just be persistant?
March 27th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Bill T.–
Sorry about my late reply…
Your best resources no matter where you live are the internet and a phone book. Call local TV stations and radio stations to see if they would be willing to have you come in and do volunteer voice-work. Or if there are any video production companies in your area, try them, too.
Best of luck to you–
–Scott
March 27th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Hi Ivan–
My apologies for such a late reply…
Since you are in the Chicago area, you will definitely have more options to choose from–though the downside will be that you’ll have more competition, as well–especially from professionals.
You’ll need to be especially persistent–and the fact that you will be willing to do volunteer voice-over work may get you in the door…
Good luck to you–
–Scott
March 27th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
Mecca:
I know exactly how you feel…
My suggestion is to start at square one–open up your local phone book or search the web for any opportunities that I’ve mentioned (TV stations, radio stations, video production companies, video game designers, etc.) and be persistent but polite. With patience and time, you’ll get your foot in the door somewhere…
Best wishes–
–Scott
March 27th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Hi Shelia–
Sorry my response is so late…
Having a truly unique voice can either help you or hurt you–but in either case, you’ll need to keep at it and be willing to “pound the pavement”, so to speak. Contact local TV/radio stations or ad agencies and get whatever information you can. And be willing to work for free at first. Be patient and don’t get discouraged–it’s not easy, believe me.
Good luck!
–Scott
March 27th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Claudia,
Yes, by all means, use what you have to get yourself started. And if you have access to decent recording equipment, you already have an advantage–though you’d be amazed at what you can do with a standard home computer, a microphone, and a CD burner…
Be persistent, like you said. And if you are a musician, network with fellow musicians and recording engineers–they might have contacts at radio stations or other places that may have work for you. It’s been my experience that the “media community” (especially in smaller cities) is very close-knit.
I wish you the best of luck…
–Scott
March 27th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
Everyone:
My sincere apologies for not responding to your questions in a more timely manner. I was under the mistaken impression that this site was no longer active–though I am pleasantly surprised that it is. And i hope my late responses will not discourage anyone from using this site.
–Scott
April 22nd, 2008 at 11:24 am
Great information here-thanks so much! I’ve thought of it too, (been doing character voices/accents/impersonations) since I was about 8… Do you have to join SAG or some other union? How do you charge (when you get to the point you can)?