A Voice of Reason: KDHR Coordinator Stephen Janes

Former Communications alum Stephen Janes came back to his alma mater hoping to make a difference by doing what he knows best. As the coordinator of the university radio station, KDHR, Janes now uses his personal and broadcasting experience as a reference to guide his student staff, encouraging them be bold and courageous enough to take the leap toward their futures.

Getting his foot in the door early, Janes hosted his own radio show his junior year at CSUDH, which was his first introduction to the broadcasting world. It was not long before he started experimenting with freelance jobs on the side and, after graduating in 2010, he and a few friends came together to create their own production company.

With experience from KDHR, Janes teamed with his old colleagues, forming an independent production company with hopes of recording albums and filming music videos. They brought all their equipment to a “lockout studio” — a location they rented out dedicated to their business — and got to work.

“We frankensteined our own studio together and we were actually surprised by the quality of the music,” Janes said with a laugh. “We had outside contractors wanting us to produce soundtracks for short films and background music for apps and video games.”

With more and more artists looking to work with Janes’ company, the money became an issue. Without any prior financial knowledge, Janes and his co-workers were unable to establish an adequate charging rate and found themselves making as little as $50 a piece after each project.

With bills to pay, Janes and his teammates eventually felt compelled to find more stable paying jobs, ultimately resulting in the downfall of their company. According to Janes, the important lesson that he learned was that life after college is a process to find yourself and what you’re good at through trial and error.

“We didn’t regret [the production company] it because we actually did it,” Janes said proudly. “We put an effort in and that’s all that matters. We gave it a shot.”

Another lesson he learned is that it is important to take time off after graduation, however long is needed, to have fun and “just get it out of your system,” advice he now offers to the undergraduate students who come to work for KDHR.

“Throw a party, go on a trip, sleep in,” Janes said, “because after that grace period, your full-time job is finding a full-time job.”

Janes also tells his student staff they need to know their value but that they also need to pay their dues.

“If the opportunity arises, take it,” he said. “Look for jobs that have the potential to grow, and work your way up from there. If it’s where you want to work, even if the job offering is for a low position, give it a try.”

Janes also gives advice to his student staff on how to organize their resumés, claiming the best way to show off skills is by including specific descriptions on events or projects they’ve contributed to.

“You want to ‘wow’ them on paper before you ‘wow’ them in person,” Janes said.

Working with KDHR, Janes hopes to continue developing a strong working relationship between the student staff, ASI, and faculty with a strong focus on programming and dreams of getting the radio station its own facility closer to Loker Student Union (LSU).

Based on his own experience, Janes makes clear that going out into the real world is scary and everyone’s path is going to be different but it is also important to stay focused on the future.

“It took me seven years to realize this was my career path,” Janes says. “You’ll find a job at your own rate — just don’t be afraid to create your own path.”