Trying out a career helps you discover if it's right for you. This week: radio

For people who stick with it, radio is a passion. It would have to be, really. It's difficult to get into, the hours are long and the pay, at least to begin with, is awful.

Niall Power is a well-known voice in the southeast, as presenter of BeatTalk@ Breakfast, on Beat 102-103, a station based in Waterford. "A lot of people see the glamorous side of it, like the freebies and all of that, but it's a long time before you get to Ian Dempsey's stage," he says.

At 26, Power has been working in radio since his teens, starting off at a pirate station. "In 1996 I went to college in Dublin, and at the end of first year I did some work experience in 98FM."

When the Dublin station asked him to come back, to work for it, Power soon jumped at the chance. "I had to weigh up my options, but radio was always what I wanted to do." He started as a reporter, then moved on to research before producing and, finally, co-presenting the show he was working on.

In such a small industry, how did Power get his foot in the door? "It was a mixture of badgering people and a contact. I knew someone who knew someone," he says. After that, it was a matter of sticking with it and making an impression, but the rewards can be slow to come. "I earned very bad money for quite a few years," says Power. "Once you prove yourself, and broaden your contacts, things get a bit easier."

If you're interested in radio, Power recommends getting as much experience as you can. "Work in community radio or hospital radio. Offer to help out for free on a show at weekends," he says. "Most stations take transition-year students for work experience. Just do it."

Ideal strengths differ from job to job. "If you're looking at presenting you have to have something different. You have to be able to inject a bit of personality into your voice."

Producers, on the other hand, put programmes together. They have to have excellent organisational and people skills. Tenacity is also important, for chasing stories and potential interviewees.

There are some excellent courses, which are useful for finding out how everything works and making crucial contacts in the industry. The key point, however, is to want it enough to get the necessary experience.

You can get information about careers and courses on www.careersworld.com. For radio-industry news, jobs and advice see www.radiowaves.fm