Steal This Job Blog

Shooting the Stars: All in a day's work

Name: Alex Martinez
Age: 31
Occupation: Second Camera Assistant/ musician
Place of Residence: Gastown, Vancouver
Employer: freelance through the International Cinematographers Guild
Interests: Football (soccer), music
Favourite Quote: "Our souls are gone, our minds are shot, but the liquor we still got."

What’s your job?

As a freelance camera person, Martinez makes sure to hook up with a good team of techs so that he can keep working on different movie sets in Hollywood North and elsewhere. Martinez works on the big Hollywood blockbusters. Last summer, he spent many hours commuting between Vancouver and Whistler to shoot The Fantastic Four with Jessica Alba. He is usually in charge of the camera department on a movie set. But he hopes to climb to the top of the ladder and work as a director of photography.

Other than focusing on fantastic-looking stars, how do you spend a workday?

Martinez must take care of keeping camera gear in working condition, ordering film, supplies, and weather maintenance. That last task is of utmost importance in Vancouver where the weather can be a major threat to equipment that is very delicate to water.

Why you want this job:

Well…beyond the reasons aforementioned, Martinez gets a real sense of artistic satisfaction from his job. His favourite movie is Blade Runner for its wide range of cinematic eye candy. ”I'm a very visual person, right from the start,” says Martinez. “When you make a shot that you look at through the lens of the camera and it comes to life by the acting and the style of the cameraman, it's the most heavenly feeling of absolute triumph. Because that shot isn’t possible without every single crew member's input. It’s a real bond when you work with people in a movie crew and you get along. It's a family.” Plus, Martinez is happy to travel and work with people he idolized while growing up. It must be nice to be able to hang out with Robin Williams as part of your work.

Why you might not want this job:

You have to be prepared to work in a very unreal setting on a very unusual schedule. “I mean you’re making a movie,” says Martinez. “It is surreal to begin with. It really does your nut in, when you work in a fantasy land 17 hours a day.”

Skills required:

Martinez worked as a sports photographer after high school. It doesn’t hurt to go to film school where you can gain some hands on experience. But Martinez says that common sense and a lot of hard work will get you there (geez, everyone keeps saying that). “You’re making a movie and millions of dollars are being put into it,” says Martinez. ”But at the same time, it's not rocket science. It’s entertainment, and you’re getting loads of cash for it.” And Martinez's golden tip for breaking in: “If you love the job, it won't be hard for you.”

Talk the talk:

Academy leader - This is also known as SMPTE LEADER. That funny countdown that goes from eight to two just before the film begins. This is academy leader and it's purpose is to identify the number of frames left before your film will begin. It is also there to help synchronize sound to the film. When the number two appears all sound tracks should beep, alerting that everything is in sync.

Day for night – ie. “We can either shoot it tomorow night or fit it in this afternoon as a day for night" - Popular in the 60's for TV series, 'day-for-night' allows you to shoot night scenes during the day. If you're using a camcorder lock off the white balance, add a blue filter and underexpose the shot. Remember to switch on lights that are normally on at night. If you are using a lighting kit (redheads etc.) add a bit of extra backlight for that moonlight effect.

An even better method for night shooting is to use the end of the magic hour. Shoot on a clear night when the sun has only just gone down and the sky is a dark blue (rather than black). Streetlights are on and there's still enough light to shoot without your image becoming too grainy.

Redhead – ie. "Plug the Redhead in and stand well back." - Redheads are pretty standard lights that you can hire from most production workshops. Called Redheads because the back of them are red (well, a deep orange really), but apparently its because the more powerful ones are called Brunettes and the most powerful are called Blondes (well, they do say that blondes have all the fun).

There's a couple of things to watch out for when you are using these. Be very careful when adjusting the barn doors as they tend to get quite hot (here speaks a man who saw the skin of his fingertips vaporize before his eyes). Oh, and make sure that the stands are secure and that nobody can accidentally knock them over, as a hot moving object crashing down on cast and crew is a bad idea.

(from Eejit's Film Lingo & Film Lingo )

Walk the walk:

Check out the film schools across North America where you can learn it all from acting to graphics to effects: Toronto Film School, the Vancouver Film School and the Los Angeles Film School.

If you are looking to be an Oscar winner, you may want to head straight to the University of Southern California. People like John Singleton, Ron Howard and George Lucas have graduated from there. And here's what their website says: “Every year since 1973, at least one USC graduate has been nominated for an Academy Award; and alumni have held key creative or production positions in all of the 10-highest grossing movies in history!”

Cameraman Vancouver Film School International Cinematographers Guild

WorkSpace Guy In Charge

Photo Courtesy Duncan Rawlinson

Name: Bill MacEwen
Age: 26 (already)
Occupation: WorkSpace guy
Place of Residence: Broadville, or Cougar Lane, or the intersection of Broadway and Granville (in Vancouver, BC)
Employer: Self
Interests: Business, Surfing, Coffee, Women...in that order
Favourite Quote: I like getting quotes that are bare bones, like "we can do this job for $50 bucks and a case of bud." Oh wait. What's that you say? Oh, that kind of quote: "The best way to predict the future is to create it." - Peter F. Drucker
"Making money is art and working is art and good business is the best art." - Andy Warhol

Is this really a job?

As an entrepreneur, MacEwen enjoys a unique, self-directed lifestyle. MacEwen started WorkSpace in Vancouver's Gastown. According to the website, WorkSpace is a “freshly renovated Gastown loft providing a collective of small businesses and independent professionals with a facility that they wouldn't be able to afford on their own.” Now, if MacEwen could only help us find good, cheap parking spots in Vancouver...

Getting the job of running WorkSpace all started with a really good idea. “The concept for WorkSpace came from spending many hours with a laptop and a latte working at a small and noisy table,” MacEwen writes on the WorkSpace website. “It didn't take us long realize that individuals who want to work outside of their homes have few options beyond committing to a traditional office space, or suffering through the noise of a coffee shop.”

So, what's in a day's work?

Being your own boss means making your own schedule. For MacEwen, that schedule starts at about 11 p.m. when he puts together a “To Do” list for the next day. What follows is an unconventional, adaptive working method that suits this WorkSpace guy. “Between [11 p.m.] and the time I get up I do something called 'active sleeping,' which is basically calisthenics on a mattress,” says MacEwen. “Then I'll wake up sometime between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. and check my email in bed.” Working under a cozy comforter sounds like a pretty good thing, but MacEwen's job is not always all that relaxed. He usually has to deal with an urgent matter affecting his business as soon as he walks in the door. “This 'daily crisis' can be anything from flooding to discovering that we haven't been receiving all of our e-mail,” says MacEwen. “This takes up the better part of my day.” The rest of the day is spent catching up with coworkers on ongoing projects and strategies to improve the business.

Why you want this job:

You're the boss. And you get to make your ideas happen. “After a year of planning and preparation, watching it work has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life” says MacEwen.

Why you might not want this job:

in order to have success at running a business, you do need to be accountable to clients and customers. This takes a strong sense of responsibility, initiative and foresight. “In a sense everyone tells me what to do,” says MacEwen. “But...certainly creativity is a big part of my job.” In the future, MacEwen would like to have a WorkSpace in every major city on the continent.

Skills required:

It would be an oversimplification to say that arrogance is all that is needed, but that is part of the story. “I'm not really a stand out in any area to be honest,” says MacEwen. “I'm not especially intelligent or skilled in any area. I think the main thing is my approach, which is that of a cocky 26-year-old who thinks he can do anything.” But obviously originality is also very important. In becoming a savvy entrepreneur, being a follower will only lead to dead-ins. And after finding a unique niche, comes the painstaking process of figuring out the most efficient means of filling it. MacEwen hopes that his method of achieving that process will be an innovation in itself. “I want to create a better business model in the process,” says MacEwen. “I don't like the way most businesses are run, and I'd like to really architect our growth so that our culture becomes something I'm proud of.”

Any advice?

Be a risk taker. “Everything that you're surrounded by at this moment, wherever you are, exists because someone took a risk,” says MacEwen. “[I]nnumerable things exist because someone not unlike yourself thought 'hey, maybe I can make a buck at this.' What if all those people said 'nah' and went to work for KPMG instead?”

Talk the talk:

Speak the language of inspiration. MacEwen was inspired to start his business by his father, as well the working methods of great literary and artistic minds. “Back at the turn of the 19th century writers in Paris used to frequent places like 'Café Les Deux Magots' and other Café Litteraire,” MacEwen writes on the WorkSpace website. “Figures like Hemingway, Sarte, Prevert and Picasso used to meet to discuss and produce their canonic works of art. By surrounding themselves with other like-minded individuals, they were able to raise the level of their work.”

Walk the walk:

Find tips and resources online with the Young Entrepreneurs Assocation of Canada.

WorkSpace Bill McEwen Young Entrepreneurs Association

The Uber Talented, Roving Television Reporter

Name: Jennifer Madigan
Age: 26
Occupation: TV News Reporter/Producer
Place of Residence: Ottawa, Ontario
Employer: The A Channel
Interests: Anything outdoors (skiing, skating, rollerblading, surfing – when possible), reading, dance, photography
Favourite Quote:  “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” - Sir Winston Churchill
"Dance like nobody's watching; love like you've never been hurt. Sing like nobody's listening; live like it's heaven on earth."

What are the gigs?

Madigan works in front of the camera, on the camera, and behind the scenes. She does everything from capturing and reporting television news stories as a videographer, to booking guests as a morning news show producer. It goes without saying that she is kept busy with a multiple list of responsilities. And it's absolutely essential that she can adapt to different work situations and use a wide range of equipment and technology. In addition, a sense of initiative helps get her job done. “As a videographer my job is to find story ideas, and then shoot and edit my own stories,” says Madigan. “Sometimes I get sent out with a cameraperson and then I just have to worry about finding our contacts, doing the interviews, writing the story, and then helping the editor put it together. It’s nice to have an extra person with you, especially during complicated stories. But I also enjoy the creative control when I get to shoot and edit on my own.” Any extra time is spent helping other producers with their story writing, or looking for new story ideas.

What's in a day's work?

As a reporter, Madigan's day starts with catching up on the days news from various sources. By 10 a.m., she is meeting with the other staff and reporters of the six o'clock news to decide what story will be covered that day. “Once your story is done and you’ve finished your 'live hit' your job is done for the day,' says Madigan. Working behind the scenes can be more time demanding. Keeping up with the pace of a steady news show requires a lot of stamina—and you go home only when all the work is done says Madigan. “In the morning there are newscasts every 15 minutes for the first hour-and-a-half and then every half hour for the other hour-and-a-half,” says Madigan. “As a morning show producer I get to work at 4:00 a.m. I spend the first two hours scanning the wires, CNN, papers, radio...as well as the previous night’s newscasts for story ideas. Then I decide what I want in the show and have the editors cut them for me. Then I write, write, write.”

Whatever happened to 9 to 5 jobs?

“This job doesn’t end when you leave the building” says Madigan.  “I’m always looking for ideas and guests as I go through my daily routine. I also help with special projects like producing Remembrance Day specials and Election specials.”

Who is the boss?

As a reporter, Madigan works closely with producers and assignment editors at the A Channel in Ottawa. There can be some freedom in choosing stories to cover, but a reporter's story ideas are not always aired. “The real creative freedom comes in the field,” says Madigan. “You can put your story together however you see fit (although it is usually vetted by a senior producer before you get into an edit bay to cut it together).  As a videographer you get to be really creative because you are picking the shots you think will work best with your story and you get to edit it all together. You’re encouraged to come up with visual metaphors.” 

“As a producer you have total creative freedom,” says Madigan. “The News Director is your boss but you ultimately have control over your show from day to day. A show like the morning show is fun because you can basically think of something you want to do and do it! Outrageous and fun are part of the game!  Want your hosts to rappel from  your building – no problem! Just find somebody to help them do it!”

Why you want these jobs:

They are incredibly diverse and offer opportunities to meet with a wide range of people and do a wide range of slightly crazy things. “This summer I walked through a hemp maze, learned about soya underwear, followed the path of police dogs into a swamp (in heels), spent the day waiting with firefighters, and baked cookies in a hot car,” says Madigan. Television press credentials can also get you through a few doors or behind a few velvet ropes. “As a reporter I get out to events that I wouldn’t normally go to,” says Madigan. “I also get to tell the story of people you might not ever meet.  Everyone has a story and I love pulling it out and presenting it.” And being nosy and inquisitive is strongly encouraged. “In this job it’s my duty to ask all the questions you might want answered,” says Madigan.  “I have a lot of questions!!”

Why you might not want these jobs:

It's a tough industry, says Madigan, that involves constant, tireless devotion to telling great stories. “I always loved telling stories. That may have come from a father who loves to talk!” If you are shy, meek, risk averse do not apply. “I’ve always tried to go out on a limb for this job,” says Madigan. “From writing bizarre cover letters to get noticed, to doing unpaid internships in London, England, and leaving my job in Ottawa to do a three-month contract in London, Ontario. I try to take any opportunity that comes to me. Things are rarely easy in this industry so why make things harder for yourself?”

C'mon, got any tips?!

“Take chances!” says Madigan. “If you want something, just go for it. And if you are doing an internship don't just sit back. Ask to do more. Do what you can to really get the most from the experience. The same goes with school.” While studying journalism at Carleton University in Ottawa, Madigan also worked as a teaching assistant for a television reporting course.

So, how about Katie Couric's groundbreaking recent promotion?

“For so long the heavyweights in news have been men,” says Madigan. “Walter Cronkite, Peter Jennings, Peter Mansbridge...have been the faces for their networks and you turn to them during major world events.  I think it will be interesting to see how Couric does in that position.  I can’t remember a major news event when I’ve watched a woman lead the coverage.”

Talk the talk:

Just keep it real and keep reeling in those viewers. Apparently, an internal CNN memo in the fall of 2002 encouraged anchors to use fresh slang to hook younger viewers. Words such as “flava” and “ill” were suggested.

(From the American Journalism Review, November 2002).

Walk the walk:

It's worth it to check out the Global Television “Broadcasters of the Future” awards, “a series of scholarships designed to encourage and aid talented and enthusiastic Canadians toward establishing or furthering a career in the Canadian broadcast industry.” (See Canada.com for more info and to download forms).

A Good Ole' Fashion Ruckus Starting Reporter

Name: Alex Dobuzinskis
Age: 29
Occupation: Reporter
Place of Residence: Los Angeles, California
Employer: Los Angeles Daily News
Interests: Reading and running.

What's the gig?

Dobuzinskis is a hard news, municipal reporter covering the Santa Clarita beat for Los Angeles County's largest regional newspaper and the second largest paper for the MediaNews Group. The dynamic job changes depending on what's happening in the suburban region of L.A. County. “Right now, this involves going to county Board of Supervisors meetings in downtown Los Angeles and writing about what goes on there that might affect Santa Clarita [like] jail and zoning issues,” says Dobuzinskis. Most often he tries to get out in the field to see what's going on firsthand but sometimes relies on the phone for getting information from his sources. “It's not always bad to turn out a story in an hour and half by letting your fingers do the walking.”

Skills required:

Here is the big news: the most important thing you need in order to be a good reporter just might be common sense. “The funny thing about journalism is that the skills are very basic, which can sometimes make a reporter feel uneasy about job security because it seems that anyone can do it,” says Dobuzinskis. “With the Web, now more and more people are indeed getting involved.” But Dobuzinskis advises to take pause before moving into the blogosphere of citizen journalism without any acquired credentials. There are certain subtleties of the craft that should not be discounted. “Having seen the kind of schlock that gets posted online sometimes by moonlighting journalists, you start to realize that there are certain skills to being a journalist beyond typing fast and knowing how to look things up on the Web,” says Dobuzinskis. “Objectivity is a skill that has to be developed. So is the ability to ask good questions in an interview.”

So, should you go to J-school?

In journalistic writing, there are a few high standards that need to be adhered to that can be learned in higher education. And journalism schools are becoming increasingly specialized, offering concentrations in everything from art reporting to new media. But some reporters come to journalism from a different backgrounds and some of the skills required can't be taught. Dobuzinskis came to the career with a degree in Communications from Simon Fraser University (just like a wine sales rep featured in this blog). As with most jobs where you are so often dealing with the greater public, having a sense of confidence is imperative. “I've heard it said that a good way to see that a reporter knows what he or she is doing is to look at the quotes used in a story,” says Dobuzinskis. “Colourful quotes means the reporter got a source to speak to the heart of an issue during the interview, soft and boring quotes means the interviewer was probably a little too timid or didn't know who to talk to.”

Who is the boss?

While reporters may sometimes get the reputation of being ruckus starters, they actually have to deal with a lot of authority in their positions. Newspapers are multi-tiered operations with editors operating at various levels. Dobuzinskis deals mostly with the editor of the Santa Clarita edition of the Daily News, a roughly four-page “wrap” that is folded around the main edition of the paper and delivered exclusively to Santa Clarita residents. But his higher-ups also include the city editor for the main office in the San Fernando Valley and the editor-in-chief of the newspaper.

Why you want this job:

This is a job for those who love their words and use them profusely, but who also are passionate about staying on top of the news. Dobuzinskis definitely has the writing bug. “It's fun to see something real that's happened and to write about it, or to write about an issue that's going to affect people.” And for people who get bored easily, journalism can offer a certain dynamism. “The other good thing about journalism is that you're usually writing about something new every day,” says Dobuzinskis. “Which is not to say that it still can't get monotonous sometimes.”

Why you might not want this job:

If you want to be a newspaper reporter, prepare to pound those keys. News doesn't always happen within business hours and the job can sometimes require long hours. “The workload is high,” says Dobuzinskis. “I often turn a story a day, plus two for the weekend.” Also, sensitive souls may want to avoid the slightly hard-edged reporter's life. “A person might not want this job if they have trouble keeping their personal feelings about something out of whatever it is they're writing about, especially when it comes to politics,' says Dobuzinskis.

How to get this job:

A sincere sense of curiousity is an essential prerequisite for this job. “The best way to succeed in journalism is to just learn about as wide a variety of topics as possible,” says Dobuzinskis. And it's never too early to start getting your reporting published. Dobuzinskis' golden tip:“starting with the local newspaper or a student newspaper, generating some good clips of your best articles and attaching those to a resume when you apply for your first paying gig.” Practicing some R & R is a good idea. Reading and writing as much as possible will pay off in getting into this industry. “Pay attention to how things are written in major newspapers or magazines and adopt some of those same techniques in your writing,” says Dobuzinskis. But he also advises on keeping a wide scope and maintaining career options within the different media forms. “It's inevitable that there are going to be a lot less pure newspaper reporter jobs in the future, and a lot more jobs where a person will need to mix different media, such as audio, video and writing, to tell a story,” says Dobuzinskis.

Okay, so what are the perks?

City newspaper reporters get an inside view of politics, city news and events. And, every day, they are interviewing interesting personalities. Dobuzinskis recently interviewed actress Jodi Foster about a home reconstruction project she had undertaken in the Los Angeles Valley.

Talk the talk:

Of course in this industry, lingo runs amok. But here are a few terms to get you started.

Hard news: the nitty gritty stuff. City news, politics, crime, etc...

A lede: the first paragraph of a news story that describes the who, what, when, why and how.

Nut graf: not to be confused with “nut grab” this is the paragraph of a story that contains the essence or theme. It should make the reader care about reading the whole article.

Kicker: the last sentence of an article that introduces a new idea or offers a quick sum up.

Walk the walk:

“There are some organizations that pair experienced journalists with novices for mentoring,” says Dobuzinskis. “Do that, and get plugged into things in your community by looking at calendar listings to figure out things to write about. Sometimes a conversation with a friend or a stranger can generate a story idea.”

There are a wide range of online resources for looking into starting a career in journalism. A couple to start the search are The Poynter Institute, The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), Journalism Net, and Media Bistro.

Wine Sales - A Taste of the Good Life

Name: Kathryn Boyd
Age: 26
Occupation: Sales and Promotions for Wine and Spirits
Place of Residence: Vancouver, BC
Employer: Charton Hobbs
Interests: Wine, yoga, reading good books, hanging out with good friends
Favourite Quotes:

“Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been brought to the greatest perfection, and it offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than, possibly, any other purely sensory thing.”
- Ernest Hemingway, Death in the Afternoon

“If God forbade drinking, would He have made wine so good?”
- Cardinal Richeleu

How did you find this job?

A trip to New Zealand helped Kathryn Boyd discover a career she had never really thought about before. Knowing the country was renowned for their Sauvignon Blanc, Boyd took a wine tour of six different wineries over the course of a five-hour day. After a day of tastings and touring, Boyd was intrigued. “I couldn't believe this was someone's job and this was an industry I knew so little about,” says Boyd.

What is this job?

In her position with Charton Hobbs, she is responsible for maintaining sales relationships with the company's restaurant and retail wine consumers. Charton Hobbs is one of the oldest companies in Canada that represents liquor, wine and beer producers. “I need to increase our distribution...and make sure that the stores are bringing in products that will work best for them and their demographic,” says Boyd. Boyd reports to her supervisor on a weekly and monthly basis on her progress.

Skills required:

Boyd must stay very organized and stay on top of all her meetings with sales clients. But liking what she sells is really a driving force in her success. “I think passion is the main skill that has helped me in getting into this industry,” says Boyd. The business end of her job is all about listening skills. “I really just need to listen to my clients and determine what products will ultimately help bring more revenue to their store or restaurant,” says Boyd. “I also need to find them products that fit with what they want. Some people, for instance, only want Australian wines or BC wines, or wines under 20 dollars, so you need to cater to [those needs].”

Why you want this job:

Besides the obvious perks of getting to enjoy wine as part of your job there are perks, perks and more perks. These include travel to foreign wine producing regions and attending wine festivals. “I have so far been to Barcelona and Morocco for wine festivals and to visit vineyards,” says Boyd. “It is definitely an asset to get to meet the people behind the production. It really helps in understanding the history behind the wine ... when you see where it is produced and what story comes with it. I also get to drive a really sweet car.” Boyd also has the freedom of working from home, usually only periodically going into the office for meetings.

Why you might not want this job:

Most of a working day is spent driving and Boyd's car sidelines as a mobile office. After checking email and appointments from home, Boyd's daily routine is to head out on the road to stores and restaurants. The job also requires significant amounts of self-initiative, so do not apply if you prefer to work under closer supervision and guidance.

How to get this job:

A degree in Communications from Simon Fraser University gave Boyd a strong academic foundation. In addition, a wine course taken on a bit of a whim proved to enormously helpful in landing her first professional gig in the wine industry. “Wine and Spirit Education Trust is a course based out of London, England that I found one day flipping through the newspaper,” said Boyd. “It is similar to sommelier training but it goes more in depth to the business aspect of wine as opposed to the restaurant side. You need to be really serious about it if you want to take it.” But don't worry, it's not all hard work and there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the fruits of your scholarly labour. “Any class where you do two hours of lecture and one hour of tasting works for me,” says Boyd.

Any favourite wines?

“So many favourite wines,” says Boyd. “I love Amarone, Riesling from Germany, Alsace and B.C., big bold Spanish reds like Tempranillo and Monastrell. It always depends on the occasion, what I am eating, who I am with. There is no one favourite.”

Talk the talk:

"The mood of the Canadian wine industry is extremely upbeat, with new vineyards being planted in Ontario and British Columbia and new wineries opening apace. Growing sales at home and in the Far East have given added confidence to entrepreneurs who are investing in large projects that will attract tourists to the wine regions. One reflection of the growing importance of the wine industry to the Canadian economy is the opening in the 1997/98 academic year of a cold-climate oenology course at Brock University in Ontario to encourage a new generation of Canadian winemakers."
(From the Canadian Encyclopedia)

Walk the walk:

Check out the Oenology and Viticulture Courses at Brock University. These include courses in Wine Appreciation, Wine Chemistry, Wine Microbiology and the Geological Foundations of Wine Terroirs.

Also check out their website for more information on the London-based Wine and Spirit Education Trust.

Managing the Future of the World Wide Web

Name: Alexei White
Age: 26
Occupation: Product Manager
Place of Residence: Vancouver, BC
Employer: Nitobi Software

What's the gig?

White is responsible for planning and implementing the marketing for Nitobi's software products. White conducts market research, writes marketing copy, drafts proposals and assists with public relations. “I do everything necessary to connect our capabilities as a company to market demand,” says White. Occasionally, he is also able to work on the products themselves—doing mock-ups, writing documentation or code. White also must keep a close eye on his datebook in order to ensure that he stays on top of commitments and deadlines.

Skills required:

Having websurfing skills and knowing how to download the latest episode of “Grey's Anatomy” is not enough to make it. It is important to be interested in web development. “I think to be good in this role, it’s important to have a technical background and an interest in marketing,” says White. “It’s also really important to have an entrepreneurial mindset. These are not 9 am - 5 pm jobs. I was always really interested in web development and had done it semi-professionally for the IT department at [the University of British Columbia] and as a private consultant." White also got some credentials with a Bachelor's in Commerce from the University of British Columbia.

Who is the boss?

White works within a small team and reports to the president who directs most of the company's activity. White says that he is able to work as part of a close-knit team, without being micro-managed. “The very nature of my job is to be creative about how we can build and market successful products in a very competitive environment,” says White. “Getting out into the field and attending conferences and events to talk to our target users directly helps with this. It helps take some of the guess work out, and gives me some ideas about how to package and sell our products.”

Why you want this job:

In addition to having some free reign within the company, White can oversee the intriguing process of creating new products. “The most interesting thing about what I do is being able to see a product concept through from inception to market,” says White. “Being involved in every step of the process is really satisfying, especially when I feel we’ve done a good job and customers get in line to buy.” With his skills and expertise, White can also undertake offshoot projects. He sometimes gets the chance to write for trade magazines and recently contributed to a book for a major publisher about the technology Nitobi works with.

Why you might not want this job:

It is very important to be comfortable dealing with customers on a constant and consistent basis. A good product manager should be good at corralling a very active email inbox. Corresponding with customers keeps White very busy and he usually spends at least two hours writing internal and external emails. “I try to do most of my email at the beginning and end of the day, but in reality, I am answering email all day long as things come in,” says White. “I’ll also field a number of phone calls from customers, which may require some follow-up. In all I probably spend between two and five hours a day dealing with these kinds of tasks.”

How to get this job:

“If you’re interested in joining a Web2.0 firm I think it’s key to demonstrate a personal interest and aptitude for the technology and industry, whether you are a software engineer or a marketing person,” says White. “Get involved in Web2.0 community projects or participate somehow in your free time, and use that to back up your work history or academic qualifications.”

How geeky is it?

“Our team loves technology and our people could be considered quite ‘geeky’ from a know-how perspective, but they’re also a bunch of clowns. That dynamic makes it a lot of fun to come into work every day – or head out at night sometimes and raise some hell,” says White.

Talk the talk:

Web2.0 is considered simply a buzzword by some, or the second coming by others. Essentially, it represents the emergence of a more expanded web with exciting software and services popping up on a regular basis. Read about how it all got started at O'Reilly.com.

Walk the walk:

White suggests taking introductory courses in .NET, Java, and PHP. "Taking classes is great, but at the same time there's very little you can't learn by taking an interest and trying to teach yourself," says White.

Also check out the American Marketing Association or Product Marketing.com for online resources useful in product management.

Radio Man: The Life of an On Air Personality

Name: Kyle Wightman
Age: 26
Occupation: On-air announcer/producer
Place of Residence: Prince George, BC
Employer: The Wolf 97 FM for Prince George Vista Broadcasting

What's the job, man?

Three days a week, Wightman is an “on air” personality for Wolf 97 FM, playing “modern country and the best Southern rock” out of Prince George. In addition, Wightman is a standout at his station for pre-producing scripts by adding effects. These scripts are used to voiceover cues to call for contests, community event announcements, station promos and other elements of “imaging” for the station. His exceptional skills have recently earned him a promotion in that area. Wightman assists with the imaging for three other stations within the Vista Broadcasting network in Quesnel, Williams Lake and Vanderhoof. He also spends two hours each shift doing production: voicing commercials and promos for the station's clients. In between, he does some online and in-the-field research to decide what he will tell his listeners.

Skills required:

A little bit of life experience helped Wightman get his first break. “Since high school I always wanted to be working on the radio,” says Wightman. “When I applied to [the British Columbia Institute of Technology] for their radio broadcasting program, they had said one of the reasons for me getting accepted—which is tough to do—was that I had gone traveling for six months.” After finishing school, Wightman was known as the Wolf 97 FM's van driver. He landed his first full-time job as a radio DJ in Prince George after manning the station's community cruiser for two years.

Something to keep in mind...

An open mind can be a useful tool in an industry as vast as broadcasting. “Most people who work [at Wolf 97 FM] actually saw themselves doing something different then what they are,” says Wightman. “I originally wanted to be a sports broadcaster. That changed a long time ago, but I never thought I would be doing all the producing and imaging that I do now.” Down the road, Wightman says it is possible that he may become a full-time producer.

Personality also goes a long way in this industry. "The voice doesn’t matter, " says Wightman. "Nobody wants just big pipes, it's all about personality. I sound like I am 18! Over the top personality is what is going to get you places in this field."

Why you want this job:

“There are obviously heaps of perks!” says Wightman. “Free golf, hockey games, movies, beer, concerts, no line-ups at the bars are all a part of it. And I have had the opportunity to meet some great people and celebrities and party with them. But being able to be a part of the community and be looked up to is probably the most rewarding.” When Wightman chronicled his attempt to quit smoking on air, listeners called in with their support. Some even joined him in trying to quit.

Why you might not want this job:

Rookies may have to make a big move to get started. Being able to adapt to small town living is useful. Most of the entry-level jobs are available in smaller markets where the pay is not always great. Also, it doesn't hurt to be interested in a broad range of music.

Do you gotta like what you play?

Wightman likes country music more now than when he first started working at Wolf 97 FM. He has earned a reputation as a bit of a “log hacker.” Wightman usually breaks up the song lists passed down to him from the station's music director with a few of his own selections.

Talk the talk:

"Imaging" is a general term for promos produced by radio stations, used to clearly position the station within the marketing place. This defines the station as recognizable product to its listeners.

Walk the walk:

The British Columbia Institute of Technology offers a full-time diploma in
Broadcast and Media Communications - Radio. Or get some training at Columbia Academy.

Median salary for radio news announcer: $25,000; Range for smallest to largest markets: $7,100 to $102,676 (US dollar figures from Excite.com).