OPEN LETTER TO OAPS
Another season of OAPs transfer is upon us again, more radio stations are opening up in the city and it means another great opportunity for some us to make a transfer away from our present job.
From my experience of speaking with some OAPs who made moves they later regret by leaving the job prematurely, I found out that it’s important to be extremely careful of the kind of transfer you want to make, and it’s because of this that made me package 6 questions you must ask your potential new boss before you accept to be poached.
“Except you are desperate for the job” or you don’t care about the consequences of your action now, you must be bold enough to ask the following questions before you say yes to that offer most especially if you are a big boy/girl in the industry and you’ve been approached to be poached
- Ask for your core duties and let it be in black and white after you might have taken the job, let it be your discretion if you have to go outside of it as a form of help when you begin your duties
- Do a background check on the station and the CEO. What are the pedigree and the vision of the owner? how have they been sustaining and how are they planning to sustain the radio stations for years to come? can they be consistent in the payment of salaries?
- Ask for the other names of your potential colleagues, the quality of your colleagues will go a long way to make you better and give you more challenges to better on the job. and of course, the kind of staff they have(for an existing radio station), their appearance and attitude to work could tell you how the radio station is treating them. If the older staff are not happy, you will soon join them to be unhappy no matter the promises they are making to you. please don’t ignore that body language before saying yes
- Ask for plans for the future for you, is there any plan after some years financially like will there be an increase in salary after some months/years? any training on the job? etc
- Speak with any former or current staff of the radio station to know more about the treatment of staff, ask those that left why they left let them be sincere. the biggest regret in life is to jump from frying pan to fire while we all strive to make ends meet
- Never be afraid to ask for what will make job easier to do and make you happy including negotiating a good salary. No matter how good you are, you can never think of any good content if the working environment is not conducive or you are not happy before you go into the studio
I ask Dr. Yinka Ayefele all these 6 questions when I wanted to join Fresh FM in 2015 and I was convinced beyond a reasonable doubt.
I asked 2 radio stations the same questions in 2021 when I was approached and I wasn’t convinced, we ended the talks respectfully immediately
Look before you leap, shine your eyes very well. no be every offer person dey accept ooo. Go and ask Georginio Wijnadum about his transfer to PSG from Liverpool, he had a chance to join Barcelona but he chose PSG, he regretted that move after just 3months.
Aoni shi ile ya ooo, may we not enter the wrong house ooo even though I am humble enough to accept that everything we do in life is a risk but there is always a place for a calculated risk
Yours Faithfully
Kenny Ogunmiloro
Head of traffic, Fresh FM Ibadan
Head of English Sports desk, Fresh FM, Nigeria