How I Got a Job
I think I’m finally getting the hang of this blogging thing. I’ve been at it for 7 months or so, and I feel I have something of a rhythm going. The hardest part has been fine-tuning the balance between “what I did today” entries and “here is something that interests me” entries. I’ve also noticed that as I’ve grown more familiar with the medium, I’ve become more comfortable with sharing personal information here. I’m slowly warming up to the fact that the internet is not the scary, stalker-laden labyrinth I once feared it to be. In the spirit of divulging information about my personal life, and because more than a few people have asked me to elaborate on my job, today I shall explain how I came to do what it is I do for a living.
So when I was a kid, like maybe 4 or 5 years old, I’d sometimes poke around my brother’s room when he wasn’t around. He had this gigantic collection of jazz records, and while I didn’t know the first thing about jazz, or music, really, I’d sift through his records, and soon decided to start my own collection. I think it was for my 8th birthday that I got a plastic, self-contained Fisher Price turntable as a gift. “Well,” I thought, “it’s about time,” and promptly began collecting records. By the time I was 10 I had a boom box too, and I was making tapes of my “radio shows.” Around that time I read about DJs in New York scratching and mixing and so forth, and started trying to figure out what they were doing. Of course, I had no one to show me what “scratching and mixing” meant, so I kind of made up what I thought such things might be, and slowly taught myself how to be a DJ.
Fast forward to high school. On the first day each freshman was assigned a senior to help him get acclimated. Mine was one of the cool seniors. He said “hi” and talked for a few minutes about his exploits on the baseball diamond, and then left me, no more informed about high school than I had been prior to his arrival. I must have mentioned DJ’ing to him, though, because around Halloween time he found me and said “my buddy’s parents are leaving town this weekend…can you DJ a Halloween party?” Now, at that point I’d never performed for a crowd, I had only messed around at home, but I figured it would be fun, so I said “sure.” Then he offered to pay me $50. I hadn’t even thought about getting paid, but I recall that I sort of played it off and said something to the effect of, “well, I usually charge more, but I’ll give you my friend discount.” On the inside I was like “Wow! $50!!” which to a 14 year-old kid from a really poor family was a fortune– I’d honestly never even seen $50 in one place before.
When the big night came, I snuck out and brought my mismatched turntables, crossfader-less mixer, and borrowed home sound system and played music for a bunch of upperclassmen. Inexplicably, they loved me, and I started doing random parties here and there– usually just house parties and such– but it was way fun, and I learned to read crowds and select music. Along the way I put together a rap band, and we performed at shows and fairs and such, and won some prizes and had fun. Too much fun, I suppose. My parents sent me away to Santa Barbara, to a low-income boarding school for Mexican-American immigrants. But even down there I’d sneak out after bed check and eventually scored a gig spinning at a night club a few blocks from the beach on State Street. I don’t think the owner knew I was 16. I told him I went to U.C. Santa Barbara. I was getting $150 a night and free drinks to spin there once a week. So much for putting a stop to my excessive fun. We even had half-days on Wednesday, so I’d ride my skateboard to the beach and surf.
Eventually I came to U.C. Berkeley. I still didn’t think of DJ’ing as much more then a fun hobby that occasionally netted me some cash. But my roommates all joined fraternities, and they started calling me to DJ their parties. It was the same thing all over. “Wanna’ DJ a frat party?” “Sure!” “Is $250 okay?” “Ummmmm…..well, normally I charge more then that, but for you…”
*puff puff* my fingers are getting tired…I’m going to finish this later…
Okay, I’m back. Where was I? Oh yes, I was in college, where it seems I was the only DJ who played more than one style of music. I mixed in a little bit of everything, which kept fans of all genres happy. One by one, fraternities and sororities started to hear about me, and within 2 years I was doing just about every single fraternity and sorority event at Cal. The dorms and co-ops were hiring me too, as were various student groups and grad schools. Even the houses at Stanford, U.C. Santa Cruz, Sonoma State, and S.F. State were calling. I had to hire 5 more DJs to cover the work. It was intense and time-consuming, but also one of the most fun periods in my life. It was also when I branched into event planning.
Before I came along, in addition to hiring a DJ, each organization’s social chair arranged the rental of a restaurant or club for the party, hired security, chartered buses to bring the guests to and from the party, and hired a photographer. I came up with the idea of doing all the work for them. They’d call me and give me a date, and I’d call back the next day with 5 or 6 options. I’d handle the buses, security, bartenders, venue rentals, photographers– all of it. The money was better, and it gave me and even stronger lock on those clients.
Business boomed. I decided that I’d found my career, so when it came time to choose a major I went with what I enjoy: English; I like to read, I like to write. I knew that my career options with that major would be limited to teaching, continuing on to more school, or panhandling, but it didn’t matter, as I had my job all lined up. I was pretty sure my boss wasn’t going to fire me, after all.
DJ’ing college parties was very good to me– it paid my way through school, and provided me with some fun times, but all good things come to an end. I graduated and had less time to devote to the Berkeley clientele. Besides, the connections I’d made with all the venues in San Francisco led me into the world of corporate event management and wedding planning, which not only involves far less work, it pays significantly more. That was a trade-off I had to take. In a way, I miss the reckless, overworked days of college when everyone knew who I was, but fame like that is fleeting, and sort of overrated. I much prefer well-paid, secure anonymity. And okay, maybe I miss late night phone calls from infatuated, anonymous Kappa Kappa Gamma girls, but only just a teensy bit.
So now that you know what I do for a living, let me ask Today’s (Two-Part) Question: What did you think you would be when you grew up? Are you one?
Such a fascinating story! You are very fortunate to have turned your passion into a job. :)
wow…will comment more later, gonna run right now…cuz i have 9-5 job (for now tho…i am looking forward to start something of my own)
besides the flexible hours, i would also like to be able to design and create, i do not want to be someone’s tool to produce things….but anyhoo…i start new, i need some opportunities…some $…some experience…i am building the foundation right now.
That was quite the tale…As for your question, I never really thought about what I wanted to be or do with my life. I still don’t know what I want to be…
1. A vet.
2. I’m gettin’ there…
my answer to your question…i didn’t, and still don’t to this day, imagine what i’d be doing in 10 or 20 years. i guess i figured if i died in a freak accident before then i wouldn’t be disappointed. perhaps that is my mentality. to live life as if there isn’t tomorrow. i guess that’s good. but it is also depressing. ehhh. such is life. have a nice day! =)
Hi there! I’m new to your site – great entry, by the way! I’d love to work for myself one day, as well. Right now, I’m in cubicle hell though.
Let’s see, in answer to your question:
1) An attorney
2) Nope, I grew up and realized that you can’t have a soul/conscience. Right now I work in governmental affairs – meh.
at age 5: a singer
at age 10: a stewardess — can wear cute outfit, always look pretty and free worldwide travels.. i thought so.
at age 15: a writer — i have tried to write a book about me and my best friend’s plan about building a summer vacation house for all of our friends to hide from their parents. we had planned it seriously.
at age 20: a song writer — ended up drawing for friends’ recording artwork
after 20, i want to be an illustrator, which I am now : )