Radio Today
BY Jen Seyderhelm December 18, 2023
Radio Today May 31, 2018
In radio, career comes first, relationships come second
Career comes first, relationships come second – it’s something I’ve programmed into my brain ever since I first decided I wanted to get into radio.
My name is Crystal Vas, I’m 23-years-old and I’ve never had a long-term boyfriend. Will I ever get a partner?
It seems every time I get close to someone a new job opportunity pops up and I’m moving across the country again.
I feel ungrateful even letting that thought cross my mind since I absolutely love my job and coming to work everyday, but I can’t help but question if all these relationships I’m sacrificing will mean I’ll miss out on getting married and having kids one day? I’d be lying if I said there hasn’t been nights where I’ve laid awake in bed thinking about it.
At the moment I’m working at Power FM in Nowra, and will be moving to Star 106.3 in Townsville next week… how exciting!
When I got the offer, I didn’t even hesitate to say yes.
It’s finally happening, I’m going to work in my first competitive gig, something I’ve dreamed about since I got my first gig in Tamworth in 2013.
But it did mean I would have to have a very difficult conversation with someone I’ve been dating for a few months now, someone who was hesitant to date me in the first place because he always said, “you’re going to move and leave me,” a sentence I’ve heard multiple times from guys in the past.
But yes, that’s exactly what I’m doing to someone close to me AGAIN, moving and leaving. We’ve only been dating a few months, I can’t expect him to move across the country, can I?
Long distance is out of the question for me. I know I’m a needy b**** and if I can’t cuddle you on the couch whilst we watch House Rules and eat Tim Tam Slams, it’s not going to last.
So is this always how it’s going to be for me? Relationship or career?
Can you have your cake and eat it too?
I guess only time will tell, but for now it’s back to Tinder.
Related features
Radio Today
BY Bray Boland September 19, 2023
Try the Arm Forces with moving.
Crystal – (i’m sure this is only self promotion on your part and good on you) BUT I sat in radio stations for all of my twenties. Don’t do it. Travel. If you don’t have a life outside radio you won’t have anything to say. How many shows are like this ‘we were all sitting around at the radio station yesterday and something fun happened’ no it didn’t YOU felt you had to stay back because your boss is a loser. All the good hosts do radio as an outlet for their other lives, PD’s can’t understand that sometimes, they engineer chemistry and tell themselves it sounds good. Make no mistake. Unless you want to be in operations or become a programmer. (this used to be a thing Nova had in each station ) Also – don’t waste your life away on trying to impress knob head radio people. If you want an audience to like you or embrace you – get out in it and reflect that on air if you want. life’s too short.
@owen
She literally says why it’s harder. Did you read the article?
Go and smash it girl! I’m SO proud of you!!! If it wasn’t for my career in radio I’d still be in my tiny hometown back in NZ… radio has taken me all around the world, and given me amazing experiences… sure it comes at the cost of other things, relationships and friendships even. Nothing to say you won’t meet someone amazing in Townsville and stay long term 😉 . Good luck! x
Plenty of time for a relationship!
I also had my start in Tamworth, I then moved to Dubbo where I met my now fiance (we’ve been together for 10yrs) He moved with me to Shepparton, Albury and now Brisbane all for my radio career but with each move it also gave him better and better opportunities career wise. I was just super honest at the start and explained how I’d left my family and friends in Sydney to start my career… For sure we’ve had our bumps in the road when I would say yes to a move without consulting him (happened once) You learnt to be a bloody great communicator!
I’d just get out and have some fun now, get amongst the places you’re living. That’s the BEST part about radio, you will have friends dotted everywhere xx
It can be bloody tough, particuarly if you’re trying to date ‘non-radio’ or ‘non-media’ people and work wacky hours. I didn’t have much success with relationships in my 20s, it’s also when I was riding the radio train and relationships came second in my mind to my career opportunities/moves anyway. Isn’t that what your 20s are for though? 🙂
And then at 28 I quit and moved abroad, and found a keeper.
Different for everyone – if you want a relatonship, you’ll just need to make it come first, radio second. And getting out of that ‘media bubble’ one day isn’t as devastating as you imagine. Good luck!