G ot His Perfect Jo b How Gary Dell`Abate

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By Jenny
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You may not think that a man nicknamed “Baba Booey” by
his boss, because of a mistake he made, is at the perfect
job! However, Gary Dell’Abate realized what his perfect
job would look like the day he walked by a college radio
studio. Dell’Abate’s book “They Call Me Baba Booey”
details his career from college internships all the way to the
celebrity status of executive producer of the Howard Stern
Show, a job that he absolutely loves.
His story shows that you can come from extremely humble
career beginnings and not only get your perfect job, but
achieve success beyond your wildest dreams.
Of course, it doesn’t happen without the same
qualities Dell’Abate had to demonstrate many
times throughout his career: guts, persistence, hard
work, study, and a clear definition of the work you
want.
Clear definition of the work you want
Even though music was a passion of Dell’Abate’s,
as a senior in high school he believed he wanted
to be a professional photographer. When looking
for a college to attend Dell’Abate ended up at
a college open house where a representative
told him that being a Communications major would
The Quarter Roll Sept./Oct. 2011
’s M
y Perfect Jo
b
?
What do you think the perfect job is? What is it that makes
it so perfect? Money, freedom, enjoyable work, an exciting
industry? Have you ever thought you would get the perfect
job? Everyone’s perfect job is different.
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be equivalent to studying photography
because, “Communications is just like
photography. They have cameras, they
have lights. It is the same thing.” Based on
that information Dell’Abate enrolled.
However, it was during the orientation
for new Communications majors that
Dell’Abate discovered his calling. When he
walked by the college’s radio station he
decided that was what he wanted to do.
He immediately signed up to work in the
radio station and was hired. Dell’Abate
wrote this about his first effort as an on air
personality: “God, it was awful, I mean
really horrible. I don’t know if a single person was
listening. But I was on the radio, hanging with other people who liked
doing exactly what I liked to do.” At this point Dell’Abate was enjoying radio so much
that he was convinced this was what he needed to focus on as a career. He sold his
photography equipment; he was ready to commit to radio.
Study
Internships are a traditional way for students to learn the ins and outs of a specific
industry. This is how Dell’Abate got his first peek into the professional world of radio and
was able to study experts in the field he desperately wanted to work in. Getting an
internship was not automatic, however. Students had to be interviewed and selected
for the program.
Let’s Take A Break!
Standard
deductions for
tax payers.
Most taxpayers, who do not itemize their taxes, know that the IRS gives you a
standard deduction, based on your filing status, in addition to your personal
exemption. However, did you know that certain individuals are entitled to
“additional standard deductions”?
The regular standard deductions for 2011 are listed here:
$5,800 for single individuals
$5,800 for married filing separate returns
$8,500 for heads of households
$11,600 for married individuals filing a joint return and surviving
spouses
An additional standard deduction is allowed for a taxpayer or
spouse (not for a dependent) who is 65 years of age or older or
blind. The amounts allowed for the additional standard deduction
are listed here:
$1,150 for married filing separate returns
$1.150 for married individuals filing a joint return
$1,150 for a surviving spouse
$1,450 for heads of households
$1,450 for single individuals
Note that you can potentially qualify for two additional standard
deductions if you are 65 or older AND blind.
Source: http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc551.html
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Getting an internship
at WLIR was a prized
accomplishment for
many of the students.
Dell’Abate had a little help
in standing out from the
other applicants though,
and it was at this point in his
story that we learn about
one of Dell’Abate’s traits
that would really help him
throughout the rest of his
career.
In a sense Dell’Abate
created his own luck.
Because Dell’Abate
loved the music and radio
industry so much he was
always willing to do the
harder, less attractive work
that teachers and bosses
assigned, without any
expectation of personal
The Quarter Roll Sept./Oct. 2011
37
gain other than a chance to somehow be involved. In fact Dell’Abate showed his
true commitment when rather than complaining about the lower level jobs he was
assigned, he expressed frustration that there weren’t enough hours in the week to
learn all the things he wanted to learn. This attitude often led to influential people
doing favors for him. In the case of this prized internship it was the reference and full
support of a grateful teacher for whom he had spent time completing a long, involved
chore that gave Dell’Abate an advantage in getting the internship.
Getting that internship at WLIR turned out to be one of the best things that could have
happened for Dell’Abate’s career early on. It was there that he met his new boss,
Steve North. Steve gave Dell’Abate lots of the worst chores to do, but as Dell’Abate
noted, if you do the worst jobs well and without an attitude someone will give you
better jobs to do. That certainly turned out to be true in Dell’Abate’s case.
Guts
Because Dell’Abate did any and every
job he was assigned as an intern without
complaint and exactly as he was instructed
he was assigned better jobs, including
interviewing and reporting. This is where he
learned that sometimes you are going to
have to step far out of your comfort zone in
order to accomplish the things that will push
you further toward your perfect career.
In one example he was supposed to interview
the Yankees catcher Rick Cerone. He worked
his way up to Cerone at the autograph
session he was at, pushing his way through
hundreds of fans. When Cerone agreed to
an interview after the session, Dell’Abate
stepped aside and waited. However, after
the event Cerone disappeared. Dell’Abate
frantically ran around the building, finally
begging a security guard to tell him where
Cerone was. He found Cerone in a room,
but his companion initially refused to admit
Dell’Abate and tried to close the door.
Dell’Abate put his foot in the door and
pleaded his case. Cerone intervened and
did the interview, which was aired on the
radio for a week. Dell’Abate had learned to
show guts in the face of adversity, and his
determination allowed him to finish the job.
On another occasion after he had graduated
from college Dell’Abate showed guts by
approaching a stranger at the NBC radio
station where he was applying for work.
Steve North had mentioned that he had a
friend named Nell at the station and that if
he ran into her he should say Steve says hi.
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The Quarter Roll Sept./Oct. 2011
As it happened he did overhear a woman in the
elevator call her companion “Nell”. Dell’Abate
then approached her and asked if she was the
same Nell, Steve’s friend. This introduction led Nell,
a senior manager at the station, to personally
escort Dell’Abate to his interview and tell the hiring
manager, “If Steve North recommends him he
must be good.” He got the job at NBC.
Persistence
The path to your perfect job may be rocky, and
getting through all the challenges you will face will
take persistence. Even though Dell’Abate had a
clear definition of what he wanted to do he faced
several economic challenges as well. Even with a
job at a prestigious radio station, he was broke.
Dell’Abate still wasn’t working full-time. In fact
at NBC he was working 15 hours a week, which
meant he need to work 2 other part-time jobs
in order to afford his rent and living expenses.
However, the silver lining around the cloud was that all of his jobs were music related:
one job at a music store and another watching over the automated music selections
during the night at another station. Why did he take a job that wouldn’t even allow
him to pay his rent? He knew that job at NBC would eventually be a spring board that
would propel him closer to his dream job.
Hard Work
Doing the hard stuff is what formed the foundation of an excellent career for
Dell’Abate. The fact that he wasn’t a clock watcher and did all the stuff that no one
else wanted to do, or refused to do, demonstrated that he was 100% committed to his
work. It also showed that he loved what he did. When you are truly passionate about
something even the typical, daily stuff doesn’t seem like work.
Throughout college, his internships, and his early jobs Dell’Abate gained a reputation
as someone who loved music and the radio industry and could be counted on to do
all of the things that lead to a job well done. When an opening for the Howard Stern
Show caught Dell’Abate’s attention at NBC and he decided to apply. It was all of his
past work and determination that put him in a position to interview for that job. He got
that job and nearly 30 years later he was still working at his perfect job.
The Perfect Job . . .
The Quarter Roll Sept./Oct. 2011
39
Your Perfect Job
Getting your perfect job doesn’t happen by accident. Moving your career forward
takes strategic planning and hard work. Of course, being in the right place at the right
time doesn’t hurt either. However, the problem with that adage is that on the surface
it implies being lucky. Luck didn’t play a role in Dell’Abate’s story. Successful people
know that being in the right place at the right time is more about controlling and
managing your circumstances versus simply being lucky. Remember that Dell’Abate
created his own “luck” by being prepared, doing the hard stuff without complaint,
being persistent, and showing guts. How will you create your own luck today and get
your perfect job? TQR
Let’s Take A Break!
“I’m secretly stealing
your land.”
Few homeowners have heard of “adverse
possession,” but it’s the legal grounds on which
a neighbor can claim rights to your land. Say a
neighbor moves a fence or wall, or plants trees
or a bush. If he encroaches on your property,
and no one notices, he can claim “continuous,
exclusive, open and notorious” use of that
land -- and if he’s able to do so for an average
of 10 years in most states, he may be able to
claim ownership. This could potentially add tens
of thousands of dollars onto the value of his
property while reducing the value of yours. But
most people don’t check their land boundaries
until it’s too late. “You may not want to make a
fuss because you’re neighbors”. By the time it
becomes a real issue -- you’re selling your house,
or your neighbor is -- securing the boundaries is
important, and fighting to get the land back can
cost tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees.
Source: http://www.smartmoney.com/spend/real-estate/10-things-your-neighbors-wonttell-you-1307481521780/?link=SM_hp_featStory
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The Quarter Roll Sept./Oct. 2011
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