Successful Intern Profile: Carlie Bonavia

Carlie Bonavia thought her dream job, as Fox FM’s newsreader was unbelievable. She didn’t think working as the newsreader for the Matt and Jo show would come so early in her radio career.

After graduating from Swinburne University in 2005 with a Post Graduate Diploma of Arts/Commercial Radio, Carlie worked in Lismore, NSW. She worked for commercial and talkback radio stations, writing and reading the news.

Carlie spent just over a year in Lismore, but found she wanted to explore more job opportunities. Carlie sent out demo tapes to radio stations, and one particularly to a Brisbane traffic reporter she’d befriended through myspace.

Carlie’s connection ended up referring her on to Nova Brisbane after being impressed with her demo.

“I didn’t think I had a chance in hell really, but I sent him my demo tape – he liked it so [he] decided to pass it on” Carlie explains.

After some phone interviews and a nervous couple of weeks waiting, Carlie got the job at Nova Brisbane. Carlie spent two years in the newsroom before accepting a transfer to Nova/Vega in Sydney.

Carlie stayed for nine months in Sydney before returning home to Melbourne to her current job, reading the morning news for the Matt and Jo show.

In her early high school years, Carlie decided she wanted to work as a journalist, and aimed to study journalism at RMIT. In her final year in high school Carlie found a love for radio, and started volunteering at SYN FM.

At SYN FM, Carlie hosted radio shows, did news shifts, and she helped produce and present on Channel 31.

Carlie’s work experience with SYN FM and Channel 31 would help build her folio in order to get into RMIT. Although Carlie didn’t get into her preferred journalism course, she was accepted into the Public Relations undergraduate course.

Carlie knew that PR wasn’t for her and deferred after a year of study and went on to study Arts/Commercial Radio at Swinburne.

During her time at university, Carlie began volunteering at Fox and Triple M radio stations, while continuing at SYN FM. Carlie was also required to do a two-week placement at a regional or provincial commercial radio station as part of her course.

Because of her volunteer work, Carlie was granted the chance to do some paid shifts with the Fox FM promotional team and helped answer phones on weekends for the Rove Live Radio and Hamish and Andy shows.

Carlie’s years of “loose networking” and building contacts helped her get the job she has today at Fox FM. The Fox news director already knew of Carlie and her talent from past demo tapes she’d sent in.

“Reading the news for Matt and Jo on Fox is the epitome of dream jobs for me” says Carlie.

Carlie’s job requires her waking up at 3am, and says switching her brain out of ‘news mode’ can sometimes be hard.

That’s where Carlie’s interests outside of her job, such as kickboxing and yoga, help her connect with friends and enjoy her life, despite going to bed at the same time as school children.

Carlie says her work experience has opened her eyes to other possible job opportunities, and without it she wouldn’t have discovered that radio was the right career path for her.

“My advice to students interested in radio would be to do as MUCH work experience as they can – not just in the specific areas they think they’re interested in, but other departments too.

A degree is great – but if you don’t have the hands on experience and industry understanding to go with it, you’re not as employable. And don’t just stick to the city stations – regional/provincial radio stations offer just as much valuable experience, even more so as you can be much more hands on there,” says Carlie.

“Facebook/Twitter is a great networking tool, when used in the right way. Don’t pester, don’t be put off if people don’t ‘add’ you – we like our privacy, email I think is the best way to be contacting radio people for feedback/advice – take on board what they say – show you’ve ‘actioned’ some of the advice they’ve given you and they’ll be more inclined to help you the next time.”