School to Career - Radio City Music Hall - Vice President, House Operations



	As Vice President of House Operations at Radio City Music Hall, John Wynne oversees an array of departments including security, guest relations, food and merchandise sales and the Backstage Access Tours that are held at both Radio City and Madison Square Garden. Needless to say, there is a lot of responsibility associated with this position and, depending on the number of events taking place, a lot of hours go along with the job. "I can be working anywhere from seven to even fourteen straight days," says John. "This really is an unscheduled job, as I like to call it. You work late nights and weekends. If you are in a mindset that you want to work 9-5 Monday through Friday, then this kind of career is definitely not in the picture," he adds. A Giant Start After graduating from Salem University in West Virginia with a BA double major in Language Arts and Social Studies, John taught Social Studies and English, while working weekends as an usher at Giant Stadium during the football season. When the Event Coordinator for the Giants left, he landed the position. After working in the role for several years, he made the move to Radio City Music Hall, where he has been ever since. Skills & Recommendations "In order to hold this type of position, you need to have a basic business background. It is also important to have outstanding people skills," says John, who also points to leadership skills as being vital to your success. "Being responsible for so many people in each department, it is important that I am able to communicate well with my staff. I need to be outgoing and a good leader," adds John. Along with a minimum of a college degree, with some emphasis in business, communications, or management, John highly recommends an internship or even an entry level position to act as a stepping stone to help you launch your career. "My biggest advice would be not to let anyone dissuade you from perusing your dreams. You must be motivated and be able to devote a lot of your time, but if you're passionate about it, you can succeed. If this is something you really want to do, I would say go for it, be enthusiastic and try every little thing to get your foot in the door," says John.