Store associates. Buyers. Product developers. Truck drivers. Engineers. Marketers. All of these are obvious career paths offered by Walmart. But with stores spread across the country, there are more than a few jobs that may not immediately come to mind. Like, for example, the team of airline pilots who fly our fleet of corporate jets.
There are more out-of-the-ordinary jobs where that came from, like event planners and logistics masterminds. But, on Dec. 26, just as folks were gathering wrapping paper remnants and sipping the last of their holiday eggnog, Walmart launched a nationwide search for – wait for it – a DJ.
Yes, a DJ. As in, radio disc jockey and on-air personality.
A few months ago, the company made the decision to re-launch Walmart Radio after a six-year hiatus. Created in the early 1990s as a reliable means of broadcasting important information directly into stores to our millions of U.S. associates, Walmart Radio evolved to include a morning show, regular news segments and popular music. For several years, the voice at the heart of it all was Terry Berry, the original Walmart Radio legend.
Over the past couple of years, Walmart has heard from an increasing number of store associates who’ve asked to bring Walmart Radio back. So, in October, we did. I was hired as Walmart Radio marketing manager, and we’ve been broadcasting music and messaging to our network of sales floors and break rooms across the country ever since. By mixing around-the-clock music with an associate-focused morning show and messages during off-peak hours, and customer-focused announcements on things like hot rollbacks during heavy traffic, we’re contributing to a better experience for everyone. It has reopened a line of communication that so many associates wanted back, but as we continue to develop daily programming, we’re going to need a personality – like a Terry Berry. And what better person to connect with our store associates than one of our own?
Through Jan. 16, we’re offering store associates the opportunity to send us a 4-minute video audition to become our next DJ. The winner will receive a full-time job as DJ, benefits and relocation package to Bentonville, Ark., where the Walmart Radio studio is located. Most people don't associate Walmart with a career in radio, but this individual will have an audience of millions listening on Day 1.
When you really stop to think about it, that’s a big opportunity. And it’s happening because Walmart listened to feedback from its own associates. Now it’s time to make the magic happen.
