Are KJ's Professional?

[kilith]

Originally Posted by bryant

That's correct in the DJ/KJ world. But in some other "regulated" professions where safety for the public is concerned, they better, at the very least have ALL the credentials before you practice, in additon to being highly competent. Sometimes, even with all the necessary credentials, because of lack of competence, a license can be taken away and the "allowance to practice" becomes disallowed by law.
Here's the big difference, in the DJ/KJ world, regardless of competence, those less competent can sill
be considered qualified and continue to practice. We've all seen it, the "Sh-t" DJ comes in at half-price, already been kicked out of two bars in town, gets the gig and packs the house.

Well I hate to say this but I have seen that with police officers as well. They have degrees (depending on state) and they are to serve and protect. Yet one from around the Twin Cities Metro area was caught hiding drugs, got fired, got hired in another town where he was caught doing the same thing, got fired, and got hired in a nother town, where he got fired for something that I am not sure of, and is now a sheriff for one of the counties in the Metro area.

Now days a DJ/KJ must carry liability insurance. Almost everyone in this area are starting to require it. So thoes who can not afford it are starting not to recieve jobs and I am happy for that. Another thing I have found in this area of the mid-west is that your reputation gets around very fast.

For Doctors, Lawyers, computer techs, and other jobs that require schooling there is a reason for that but it does not make you a professional. You could have a degree in anything but still be a horrible employee. The only difference here is that in that certin profession you are required schooling to make you creditable in that field. Some kid sitting in high school right now could be better then half of the professional web designers out there. He could maybe end up getting a job with no degree if his work is better then most with a degree. It happens all the time.

So really no matter if you have a degree in a field of work that still does not make you a professional. Just because you have a karaoke getup or a DJ get up that does not make you a professional. In the end it is going to be your work ethics, your job proformance, and your reputation. To me in any job whether it be flipping burgers or brain surgery it is going to take them 3 factors at a high standard to make you a professional.

I have a degree in network support but I am not a professional Network Support Technician. I however am a professional KJ/DJ. It is my job, and my profession. Just because I have never gone to school to make me a DJ/KJ I do have 12 years of experience which in most of your so called "professional jobs" more then 5 years experience makes you a professional there.

Yes in this world like you said

Originally Posted by bryant

But in some other "regulated" professions where safety for the public is concerned, they better, at the very least have ALL the credentials before you practice, in additon to being highly competent.

Even in the world of entertainment you are going to need proof of insurance, a great reputation, and much more before you are ever considered a professional DJ or KJ. On the Knot a forum for Brides to be... There are MANY DJ companies on there that are ripped apart and if you go to their websites you see they have very little work. The ones that are highly recomended can be filled up for the next 2 years already.

So really no when people come and say they are professional DJ/KJ's they do have the credentials to back it up. It is just not int he form of a piece of paper. It to me is at a higher standard then a small piece of paper can give you. If you have 10 weddings a year that is like 10,000 plus people rating you every single year. If you are good one of them 10,000 plus people are going to tell their friends and so on. If you are sitting in an office behind a desk and you have a degree in computer repair... yeah one personyou might help a day but they are not going to go home and tell their friends how great of a computer repair person you are.

So I am in no way using the word professional in a loose mannor. If a DJ does not pay their dues, does not buy all their music (gets music the illegal way), does not have liability insurance to cover them in case of accident, so on and so on could also go to jail like your unregistered engineer could.