Staying motivated in school or work is essential to success. Take some time to learn powerful mental tools that will enable you to master tough subjects or skills! 

Career

Apply yourself and stay motivated! 

If you're curious about radio or other kinds digital media, reach out to your campus radio station and ask about helping out. Don't have a radio station on campus? Research how to start one yourself! 

Intern or volunteer at your college radio station. 

Explore and listen to some radio shows or podcasts. What elements of this medium make it different from other media? Do you prefer scripted shows or talk varieties? Any particular genre? 

Listen to a radio show or podcast.

Radio and Television Announcers

Speak or read from scripted materials, such as news reports or commercial messages, on radio or television. May announce artist or title of performance, identify station, or interview guests.

Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Artistic

Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Enterprising

Second Interest High-Point

Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Social

Third Interest High-Point

First Interest High-Point

Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Investigative

Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Conventional

Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Realistic

Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed

Announcers

Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations

Media and Communication Workers

Prepare and deliver news, sports, or weather reports, gathering and rewriting material so that it will convey required information and fit specific time slots.

Read news flashes to inform audiences of important events.

Select program content, in conjunction with producers and assistants, based on factors such as program specialties, audience tastes, or requests from the public.

Study background information to prepare for programs or interviews.

Comment on music and other matters, such as weather or traffic conditions.

Interview show guests about their lives, their work, or topics of current interest.

Discuss various topics over the telephone with viewers or listeners.

Host civic, charitable, or promotional events that are broadcast over television or radio.

Make promotional appearances at public or private events to represent their employers.

Announce musical selections, station breaks, commercials, or public service information, and accept requests from listening audience.

Keep daily program logs to provide information on all elements aired during broadcast, such as musical selections and station promotions.

Locate guests to appear on talk or interview shows.

Describe or demonstrate products that viewers may purchase through specific shows or in stores.

Coordinate games, contests, or other on-air competitions, performing such duties as asking questions and awarding prizes.

Attend press conferences to gather information for broadcast.

Provide commentary and conduct interviews during sporting events, parades, conventions, or other events.

Give network cues permitting selected stations to receive programs.

Moderate panels or discussion shows on topics such as current affairs, art, or education.

Identify stations, and introduce or close shows, ad-libbing or using memorized or read scripts.

Write and edit video and scripts for broadcasts.

Maintain organization of the music library.

Audio control consoles

Audio playback equipment

Compact disk CD players

Desktop computers

Digital audio recorders

Earpieces

Headset microphones

Headsets

Laptop computers

Microphone stands

Mixing desks

Multi-line telephone systems

Personal computers

Record turntables

Smart phones

Tablet computers

Teleprompters

Touch screen computer monitors

Adobe Systems Adobe Audition

Audion Laboratories VoxPro

Avid Technology Pro Tools

Burli Software Burli Newsroom System

Dalet Digital Media Systems Dalet Media Life

Database software

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

Program logging software

Statistical processing software

Web browser software

Nobody really believed or understood my grind, so instead of going home... I slept in my car along the turnpike, so that I could show up at the radio station here in New York and do my shift.

Television/Radio Personality

<p>In New York, the Roadtrip Nation team interviews Kate White, Editor-in-Chief of Cosmopolitan, and Wendy Williams of the Wendy Williams Experience. At the end of the trip, Abel, Kisura and Cairo go home with advice to make changes in their lives to get where they want, no matter how terrifying it may seem.</p>

New York City

It's a scary time. I remember being frightened to death. Cuz I wanted to be either a newscaster or radio personality. And at the point of getting my internship, I was doing radio at college. But working at the radio station I saw the lifestyles of the other radio disc jockeys. You know, it's kind of like, grown up but very playful. And I just loved that. And that was me. So I said, I want this. Upon graduating from college I had already secured my first radio job. I got it out of the back of Radio And Records Magazine. They always say it's who you know, it's who you know. Well you know what, there are a million ways to get to success and for me it wasn't who I knew, it was the hustle within me and what I did, and being fearless. I looked in the back of the magazine. Now the crappiest jobs, mind you, are available in magazines. You know what I mean? This job was for, at the time minimum wage was $3.25 an hour. And I took this job, mind you, radio is a four at the tops five hour shift, so you do the math. I worked five days a week in St. Croix US Virgin Islands, and I swore that I would not leave that island until I got another job. I was all by myself. I did not have the emotional support. My parents, their whispers were, Wendy can always come home, she can work on Madison Avenue in advertisement. They believed in me. They just didn't believe in me in this career. But they always had my room ready and were hoping that I'd come home. It was a really tough time, but if I hadn't made that move, I would not be who I am today emotionally, or in terms of content of my character, and definitely not pertaining to my career. My next job was for $9,000 a year. I worked in Washington DC, so I left the island, I flew right to DC, and I started. And I did AM radio on an oldies station. Then my next job, I hustled up a job here in New York, and I was so pleased. I got a job working weekends in New York, so I kept my job in DC, and I would drive up here on the weekends. And I would pass by all the exits on the turnpike to my parents house, my best friends house, but nobody really believed or understood my grind. So instead of going home or going to friends and hanging out and getting hot meals, I slept in my car on the turnpike. I've slept in every rest stop along the Jersey Turnpike. I had an alarm clock, a comforter, and a pillow in the back. I'd put my seat on recline. I had a portable toothbrush. I would take a bird bath in the bathroom. I would show up at the radio station here in New York and I would do my shift. And that's the way I did. It was solitude. 

Dedication

Family

Fear

Hard Work

Support & Encouragement

Being Fearless

I mean you had no idea where you were going to be, but you believed it. >> Yeah. >> I mean but there had to have been times when you just looked over at the comforter and you said what am I, what is this? >> Of course there were times when I was like what the hell am I doing? What is going to become of me? And yes, there were times I didn't believe in myself. I have my secret thoughts. And my secret fears and my secret dreams and all like that. And I just didn't choose to share that kind of stuff back then. Oh, my God, I'm getting misty, oh. [LAUGH] Oh, my God. >> I definitely relate. I never really talk about that because I don't want them to have that on me. But it's like, that's why I think openness is so important. And we were talking to somebody the other day, and he was saying he's at peace with himself because he's open with himself. >> Yes. >> And he knows that about him. And that's one thing I want to be able to say when I get older. >> Yeah, yeah. I think that's the best thing, is that I'm open with myself, and I'm proud of myself. >> I was gonna ask you what does this mean? Because this is- >> I'm proud of myself. That's me on college radio, that black and white picture. >> Oh. >> And that's me with the King of All Media, Howard Stern. So I went from that to that and it took 20 years. So this represents a sister doing it for herself. 

Self-Reflection

Transitions

Secret Thoughts, Fears, Dreams

It's a scary time. I remember being frightened to death, cuz I wanted to be either a newscaster or a radio personality. And at the point of getting my internship, I was doing radio at college. But working at the radio station, I saw the lifestyles of the other radio disc jockeys. It's kinda grownup, but very, playful. And I just loved that. And that was me. So I said, I want this. Upon graduating from college, I had already secured my first radio job. I got it out of the back of Radio and Records magazine. They always say it's who you know, it's who you know. Well you know what, there are a million ways to get to success, and for me it wasn't who I knew. It was the hustle within me, and what I did, and being fearless. I looked in the back of the magazine. Now the crappiest jobs, mind you, are in available in magazines. [LAUGH] You know what I mean? This job was for, at that time minimum wage was $3.25 an hour. And I took this job, now mind you radio is a four at the tops five hour shift, so you do the math. I worked five days a week, I worked five days a week in St. Croix in U.S. Virgin Islands. And I swore that I would not leave that island until I got another job. I was all by myself. You know I did not have the emotional support. My parents, their whispers were, you know Wendy can always come home. She can work on Madison Avenue in advertisement. They believed in me, they just didn't believe in me in this career. But they always had my room ready and we're hoping that I'd come home. It was a really tough time, but if I hadn't made that move, I would not be who I am today emotionally or in terms of the content of my character, and definitely not pertaining to my career. My next job was for $9,000 a year. I worked in Washington D.C.. So I left the island, I flew right to D.C. and I started. Did AM radio on an oldies station. Then my next job, I hustled up a job here in New York and I was so pleased. I got a job working weekends in New York, so I kept my job in DC, and I would drive up here on the weekends, and I would pass by all the exits on the turnpike. To my parents' house, my best friend's house, but nobody really believed or understood my grind. So, instead of going home or going to friends and hanging out, and getting hot meals, I slept in my car on the turnpike. I've slept in every rest stop along the Jersey turnpike. I've had an alarm clock, a comforter, and a pillow in the back. I put my seat on recline. I had a portable toothbrush. I would take a bird bath in the bathroom. I would show up at the radio station here in New York and I would do my shift. And that's the way I did. It was solitude. >> I mean, you had no idea where you were gonna be. >> No. >> But you believed it. >> Yeah. >> I mean, but there had to have been, you know, times when you just looked over at the comforter and you said, what am I? What is this? >> Of course there were times when I was like, what the hell am I doing? What is going to become of me? And yes, there were times I didn't believe in myself. I have my secret thoughts, and my secret fears, and my secret dreams, and all like that. And I just didn't choose to share that kind of stuff back then. Oh my God, I'm getting misty, oh my God. >> I definitely relate, I never really talk about that because I don't want them to have that on me. But it's like that's why I think openness is so important. And we were talking to somebody the other day he was saying, he's at peace with himself, cuz he's open with himself. >> Yes. >> And he knows that about him. >> Yes. >> That's one thing I wanna be able to say when I get older. >> Yeah, I think that's the best thing is that I'm open with myself and I'm proud of myself. >> I was gonna ask you, what does this mean? What does it? Cuz, this is. >> I'm proud of myself. That's me on college radio. That black and white picture. Oh, and that's me with the king of all media, Howard Stern. >> [LAUGH] Yeah. >> So I went from that to that, and it took 20 years. So this represents A sister doing it for herself. With that, what do you think is the most important thing we need to, when we go back home. I mean, because this is our last week of our trip. >> Wow. >> We're ending it off in New York CIty and we're going back home to people who probably haven't seen or we know haven't seen a quarter of what we've. >> I would say, God, I understand you guys' fear just getting ready to get out of school. Oh, I understand. I remember it like it was yesterday. And, Don't let people get in your head. Not your parents, your sisters and brothers, not even your best friends. Don't let people get in your head. Be fearless. You might live in an apartment that is the size of this. You might not be able to afford to buy clothes. None of that stuff is important in your grinding years. The things that you learn about yourself on the way, are the most important things. [MUSIC] 

Determination

Interview

I remember being frightened to death because I wanted to be either a newscaster or a radio personality. I got a job working weekends in New York, so I kept my job in D.C. and I would drive up here on the weekends. And I would pass by all, all the exits on the turnpike to my parents' house, my best friend's house. But nobody really believed or understood my grind. So instead of going home or going to friends and hanging out and getting hot meals, I slept in my car on the turnpike. I understand your guys' fear of just getting out of school. Oh! I understand. I remember it like it was yesterday. And um... Don't let people get in your head. Not your parents, your sisters and brothers, not even your best friends. Don't let people get in your head! Be fearless. 

Pressure

Wendy Williams Highlight

Can you talk more about fearless and going back to when you were our age in your early 20s and taking risks. &gt;&gt; That's the most important thing, if you have to be fearless and you know what and if your not authentically fearless, fake it. Because I was scared, I was scared when I was your age. What is going to become of me? I'm in this career where the salary differences are so huge. But, I've never been driven by money to make me happy. I never remember being broke in this profession, because I was at least doing what I loved. You have to be fearless. If you listen to your friends, you will be stuck on stupid. Because oftentimes the people that we are surrounded by are not quite as brave as we thought. And you find that out the closer you get to graduation day. While you're in school, I was never part of the cool clique, I so wanted to be a sorority girl. I so wanted to be a part of a clique of great women, and have great boyfriends who were popular, and all that other kind of stuff. It just wasn't me, and I was fearless in terms of sticking to who I am. That's not me, so I was very much a loner. But never really alone, just a loner. And then I would spend a lot of my time at the radio station, and I would spend a lot of my time at my internship. And when it came time for graduation, thinking about that junior and senior year, what do you wanna do? I would never share my dreams with my friends, cuz I would never want if they didn't work out or them just say, poor Wendy. She's not happy, no matter what she says. I had no problem going to the Virgin Islands, even with nobody believing in me. It was more, I'll show them, I'll show them, I'll show them. And that's kinda how live my life even now, I'll show them, one of my greatest sources of strength is when you don't believe in me. If you don't believe I'm going to show you differently. And it just constantly happens particularly as a woman it's a very sexist world. And as a Black woman as well, you have double minority thing either working for you or working against you. But either way it's always a factor in everything you do and you have to learn to count on yourself. And that's where the fearless comes in. You can't say to your best girlfriend from college, come on, let's relocate to Houston. You relocate to Houston, and make it happen, and get to know yourself better. You have to be fearless in the things that you do. [BLANK AUDIO] 

Confidence

Risk

Be Fearless

The way you handle people coming at you cruelly is you strengthen your own resolve and you get to know exactly who you are. I am my own best friend. I have my rocking chair girlfriend. That's the girlfriend that when you're 80 years old, you're both on the porch rocking chair and you're thinking about the good times. My rocking chair girlfriend, I have one girlfriend and that's her. Everybody else comes and goes. I know where I come from, you know? I know I have my mom and dad, and my sister and my brother, my nieces and nephews, and I have my husband, most importantly. But most importantly, I have me. I know exactly who I am, there's nothing that you can say to bust me out about anything. I know me, I mean, I'm my own best friend. There's nothing terrible that you can say about me. You can say that I'm ugly, I know that I'm not. I do know that I take terrible pictures. You can say that I'm fat, I know that compared to what I used to be. I'm the best me that I've been. You can say my husband's using me, I know that he's not. You can say my radio show is wack. Everything is not for everybody, then don't listen. I know who I am and I'm fearless and I'm strong. 

Individualism

I Know Who I Am

Your business is a very hard business for sensitive people. &gt;&gt; Yes, it is. &gt;&gt; You know what I mean? &gt;&gt; Yes. &gt;&gt; And even though you may not show it- &gt;&gt; Yeah. &gt;&gt; You know, when people call you names, it hurts. But how do you get through that, like, being the person that you are and still be able to maintain yourself and still be, you know, nice? &gt;&gt; You fix yourself up. Inside and out. You fix yourself up and you come to terms with exactly who you are, you know. It did hurt in the beginning to be called a mess. And the reason why I keep going back to the outer layer, as opposed to the inner beauty, is because the outer layer is what the world sees. And for me, being on the radio and saying, Mary J Blige looked great in that picture, but look how she looks on the Soul Train Awards, my god, she looks a mess. Mary's got a tremendous following. So what do you think is going to happen to me by saying Mary looks a mess? All her little fans are gonna call me up. And I can choose to put the phone calls on the radio or not, but if I'm gonna keep it real, then I'm gonna put them on. I'm not going to cut them off because they wanna say something bad about me. And, instead, I'm going to first fake my reaction, which is okay, I'm a man, and I tuck. But Mary still looked terrible on the Soul Train Music Awards. And that's that. And after years of doing this, you just come to terms with it. I'm 5'11". I wear heels. This is one of the few days I'm not wearing heels. When I wear heels, I'm in like four or five inch heels. So I'm 6'3" or 6'4" 95% of the time. 95% of the time I have on heels. And I might be a bit over the top in my look, and I understand where people might think that, that's a mess or, that's this or, that's that. I'm me. And I'm right with that, 20 years later, I'm right with it. It takes time, and it takes personal maturity and personal growth. And it takes not just dealing with the outside, but also dealing with the inside. This is just a shell that we occupy. First you have to fake fearlessness. And then you have to believe in yourself, and wear it, and it's just a part of you. And names that people call you, and what people think about you, just kinda have to roll off your back. 

Fix Yourself Up

Success means nothing without someone to share it with. And money is not everything, that is not the definition of success. Certainly being able to pay a for a roof over your home is my definition of success, but having your health. Being at peace with the skin that you're in, whatever that skin is, you know what I mean. I was on my first diet when I was in first grade, I am finally very much at peace with the skin that I am in. And I love, and I have my child. And I have a great career and I'm fearless for what tomorrow holds. If I lost it all today it was a great ride. 

Success

Values

Now I can truly say that I work in conjunction with dot, dot, dot, not for. I don't work for you, I work with you because you will finally recognize what I bring to the table and I finally understand wholeheartedly I can get a job on radio at any market in this country. At any radio station in this country. I am fearless and I've got a very clear sense of self. It's a work in progress. You learn and you grow every single day. I can't wait to see what I will be like at 55. I can't wait. I can't wait to see what I'd be like at 65. I can't wait. But none of this would be happening without a solid foundation. So I'm so glad that I got out of college and immediately started working on my career and I'm so thankful that I never became a part of the click. Because in site the click would have probably stunned my growth. When you're a member of a click of people you often have one brain. You all think alike, let's go to the mall, no let's do this, no let's do that. I've always been an independent thinker. Because I was forced to be because I was not accepted with the click. And now it's just kinda way of life. 

Wendy Williams

Television/Radio Personality

Videos

Wendy Williams

Milestones

Education

Career

Career Roadmap

My work combines:

My work combines:

Radio

Television

Accomplishing Goals

Hurdles

Challenges I Overcame

Financial

Interviewed By

What Drives You