Announcer Job Description

Why I Choose This Career

What's up everybody? My name is AJ and I am a live event host, MC, presenter, auctioneer, and wedding officiant. And I picked this job because I just love holding space for people. I love echoing and amplifying the energy of an event so that anybody in the audience can enjoy it as much as they feel compelled to enjoy it.

Announcer/ Presenter Job Requirements

You need to be comfortable talking in front of people and there really is just no easy way to learn that. You just kind of have to learn by doing. But I've learned how to roll with the punches, think on my feet, and really we're all human, we all make mistakes, and I think sharing that authenticity is what allows me to connect with my audience.

Tips for Getting Started in This Career

You become a live event host and MC by putting yourself in those environments, by finding out that you get a charge out of speaking in front of people. You could try an open mic night, you could try going to karaoke, you could try joining Toastmasters. There are a ton of different ways to learn if you enjoy speaking in front of an audience. I would absolutely recommend putting yourself in as many different environments as possible. There are so many different ways to get in front of an audience.

My career has ranged from the excitement and electricity of combat sports to the warmth and tenderness of a wedding to the sometimes very long days at a tech conference to hyping up fans prior to the Super Bowl. So it's really all about knowing which parts of your humanity to amplify and share with people. And the more you're able to do that, the more comfortable you're going to be on stage, the more comfortable you are on stage, the more fun you have, and the more fun you have, the more fun your audience has.

My Career Path

The path that I took toward this job was not a conventional one. I actually got my start in, believe it or not, professional wrestling, as in TV entertainment-style wrestling. I wanted to be a WWE superstar when I grew up—that was my dream as a kid. And I pursued that dream. I'm still involved in pro wrestling, but I knew I had to be a captivating public speaker if I was going to be a successful professional wrestler. So I studied communications in college. I went from being a petrified public speaker to being nominated by my department to speak at my commencement ceremony. And then from there, it was just off to the races.

I was a host, ring announcer, and commentator for professional wrestling, then mixed martial arts, then boxing, and then it was music festivals, tech conferences, the Super Bowl, CES, roller derby events, nightlife game shows, and everything in between.

Pros and Cons

Just like any other job, this has some pros and cons. Pros: I love what I do. I get so much excitement out of being in front of an audience, especially a new audience, when I feel like I have something to prove. And knowing I put my time and talent into something that feels good for me and feels good for other people just means the world to me. Another pro of this job: you get to make your own schedule. A con to this job: you have to make your own schedule. There's very little consistency. It's really up to you to make sure you're working the type of schedule you want that also allows you to pursue your financial goals.

Career Advice

If I could go back in time and give myself some advice, it would be not to put so much pressure on myself, which is so much easier said than done. As a performer, it's very easy to focus on the things you get wrong. You could walk off stage and say, "Man, I pronounced that person's name incorrectly," or "I stumbled over these words." It's a great lesson in ownership. And, you know, if you mess up somebody's name, apologize to that person. Tell them it won't happen again. Mean it that it won't happen again. If you miss a cue, if you stumble over some words, it's a chance for you to share your authenticity and humanity with the audience and remind everybody that we're all human. We're all in this together.

Reasons to Consider This Career

But to be in a position to represent a brand, to represent myself, to represent a couple that's about to get married—it is truly a privilege to be in that position. Having that trust and having that belief put in you doesn’t get old. It's always exciting. And it could eventually lead you to stages where you have to literally remind yourself out loud that you're not dreaming.