Who is a RJ these days?

During my college days, one of the professions/hobbies that I wanted to pursue was that of becoming a RJ – Radio Jockey. There were a number of fantastic RJs in the country who were inspiring me to follow their path and I thought that I had the voice and the knack for something like this and hence I even went to a couple of studios. One of them asked me to come back after finishing my graduation as they did not hire undergraduates as a RJ (never understood how is a degree going to impact the delivery on radio), whereas the other studio told me that they do not have openings at the moment but they would be doing a RJ hunt which I could participate in.

By the time I was nearing the final year of my graduation, there were larger dreams and the goal of doing a MBA had taken over, pushing this desire to the back burner. Of course, over the years, since it was still an idea that had not left the head, I have always been a fan of the radio and I spend more time listening to the RJs talk rather than listening to the music being played. In fact, it would be no surprise to know that while others change channels to listen to their favourite tracks as soon as a RJ comes on air, I stick around and listen to their talk. 

But I am seeing a pattern emerge in the last few years that has left me feeling dismayed and is pushing me to change channels more frequently as soon as the RJ comes on air. So what has changed in the last few years?

To begin with, RJs now do not seem like Radio Jockeys but rather seem like ‘Rude Jockeys’. I know it is a bit unfair on my part to paint all of them under this title, but the truth is that most of the RJs these days across channels are obnoxious, loud, and disrespectful. The kind of language and words used are very casual and filled with slang. Most channels have certain prank calls lined up that are done by the RJs and these calls are filled with abusive language where neither there is humour and nor there is class and yet channel after channel is going after this kind of a format. 

What’s worse is the fact that these RJs seem to have become judges in their own right and they have started giving verdicts on matters and cases that are sub judice and where conclusions haven’t come, decisions haven’t been made and people haven’t been proven innocent or guilty. Most of these RJs do not even seem to have done their research before giving their opinion openly on air, forgetting the fact that as a voice on air, they have tremendous influence on their listeners and so they have a moral responsibility to not pass judgements till the case is complete. 

I think they need to remember that they are working at a radio station, where their job is to delight and entertain and not become the ‘Voice of God’ who seems to know all and who can get away by saying anything.

I am still a strong believer of the platform of Radio and there are still a few good men and women out there who are trying to withhold the respect and integrity of this profession. I hope to see many more like that coming back into the fold. 

Last but not the least, as far as my dream of being a RJ is concerned, I am extremely glad to let you all know, that despite what is happening on Radio all around, in 2015, I was able to carve out an opportunity of being a RJ for an afternoon show for an hour and that ensured that one of the items on my bucket list did get tick off!

Completion of a Decade: 10 Years and this is where we are!

It was the second half of 2003 and most of us were worried of what lies ahead. Within a few months, our two year Post Graduation Programme would come to an end and each one of us was keen to get placed. With a batch size of 88 students, everyone had their share of fear, doubts, nervousness and all the other feelings that one gets before an important exam! There were questions on which companies would come on campus and which would not. There were meetings that took place with the Placement Committee where tempers ran high, with each one expressing his or her insecurity disguised in the form of a loud tone or argumentative statement. 

Today, as I write this, I smile at all of that as a decade has passed since we graduated. 

I smile at the fear that we had within us. There were questions that popped in each of our heads like:

• ‘Will I get a job?’
• ‘Will I be able to earn decently?’
• ‘I love brands. Will I be able to manage brands ever?’
• ‘Advertising is my love. Will companies allow me to show my creative or strategic side?’

All these questions and many more have been answered and have lost relevance. With the completion of a decade, when I look around, I see my batch mates and my people from my senior batch who have done phenomenally well across companies, countries, sectors, industries and brands. I see people with wonderful careers.

There are some who took the plunge and went the entrepreneurial route, few others who have been with their first company till date, there are some who still felt that they wanted to study more and went ahead and did another course/another programme, a few decided to get married and stay at home, a few decided to become writers. Some even managed to get very senior roles in the organisations that they are working for. 

So depending on who is looking at them with what lens, their level of success may differ as measurement of success is always relative and a point of perspective. How you see someone and how I see someone may be completely different and each one’s point of view is true in their own eyes. 

According to me, all of us have done quite well and all the trepidation that existed back then was useless. I remember going back to MICA a couple of years back as a Guest Speaker in the Alumni meet and I was asked to share my journey with the students. I said “Irrespective of whatever I may share about my journey, the reality is that all of you will find or create your own paths and ten years down the line, when you do look back, you will be proud of the distance that you have travelled. At that point of time, whatever I am saying today will seem like a distant memory in the past as no one else except you yourself will be able to decide where you reach and how you feel about that journey!”

Personally, it feels great to have completed a decade of corporate life. I know that I have a long way to go ahead, the destination is still far away but I am enjoying the ride, enjoying the wind as I traverse this journey with no idea of what lies ahead. 

I also feel happy, inspired and delighted to see some of my friends doing work which I know that I can’t even imagine doing and it feels wonderful to see each of them continuing on their beautiful journey where they cross different milestones at different phases at their own pace. 

I would conclude by saying:

Completion of a Decade: 10 Years and this is where we are!