Video Jockey Career Information
Have you been called a chatter box by people? Are you good looking? Do you have a wacky sense of humour? Then get ready for a life laced with loads of money, fame and glamour. All this when you are barely 25.
A VJ is a Video Jockey. One who hosts music shows on a television channel. In this age of competition and remote controls it is very difficult to retain loyal viewers. Your main responsibility will be to keep millions of viewers glued to the channel. You have to generate a group of loyal viewers who will not move from the channel during the programme. How do you do this?
What a Video Jockey does
The success of a music show depends on how interactive it is. So it is your responsibility as a video jockey to interact with the viewers through telephone, email and fax. The more the people want to interact with you, the more successful is your programme. In short you will carry the show on your shoulders.
In fact a few channels are known purely by its VJs. Take Cyrus 'bakra' Broacha or VJ Anusha for instance. They have an amazing fan following and all their shows have high ratings. In fact, no music show can now be stand-alone. The songs have to be peppered with perky conversation, jokes and celebrity appearances among other things, to sustain viewer interest.
Your job as a video jockey is certainly very glamourous. Be prepared to be recognised on the streets! A certain celebrity status goes with the job, once the viewership ratings jump. The flip side, however, throws up long and erratic hours of work and frequent travelling.
As a video jockey you will not just play music but also take part in programme planning, research, script writing, selection of songs to be played according to the theme of programme, promotion of the programme or the channel (they work for) in general, attending road shows, and so on.
Job Opportunities
You have to go through a grinding test to be selected as a VJ with a television channel. Tests can be on paper, before the camera and the voice test. And it's not easy getting the first break. Once you are in as a video jockey, you will work on a contract basis for a music channel.
If you have a good personality and a wacky sense of humour you can bag your own show within the first six months. It all depends on how you carry yourself and your ability to relate to your target audience.
However there is a lot of uncertainty in this profession. Channels are always looking for fresh faces. This can be both good and bad news. Every year music channels replace old VJs with new, fresh faces. So, your life span as a VJ is short. But that does not mean you will be out of work. If you are good, you are sure to be picked up by another channel or television company.
Apart from Veejaying, you can model, endorse products, do stage shows and brand promotions, act in films and anchor programmes. When you are bored of your job as a VJ you can switch over to being a disc jockey, model, theatre or film actress, anchor for social events or a Public Relations Executive.
Career Prospects:
The prospects couldn't be any better for VJs as of now. With the introduction of newer music channels like B4U and the likes, the demand for VJs is only on the rise. In fact some industry pundits believe that this is just the beginning.
Eventually all channels and not just the music channels will need VJs to project a positive image of their channel. That may sound like music to the ears of wanna be VJs.
Abilities & Traits Required
You need a voice that's clear, pleasant and strong. Needless to say, a well-kept physique in combination with a trendy dress sense is expected of a video jockey.
You will have to keep your ears tuned to the latest in the field of music - all the latest videos and information about music stars and other celebrities.
It helps to have knowledge of more than one regional language. This will come handy while you are on road shows. Basically you need to be creative, bohemian and fun loving.
Qualifications
You don't need to have any specific educational qualification to become a VJ. Of course you got to have good command over English, Hindi and 'Hinglish' which is the language of television today. Not to mention the right accent. This is important, as a video jockey needs to talk a lot.
Candidates with backgrounds in journalism, mass communication and performing arts are likely to enjoy a head start.
Some amount of voice training would definitely help.
Salary
That's the best part of being a VJ. This profession is highly paid and for what? To talk nineteen to the dozen, to travel and to meet new people and of course to be a celebrity.
As a VJ you can earn anything between Rs 18000-200000 per show. Every month, you could easily take home a cool Rs 8 lakh.