When Karl Svikis talks, people notice. “If I had a dollar for every time someone told me I should work in radio, I’d be a rich man and never have to work again,” he laughs. His deep dulcet voice is something that’s drawn plenty of attention since his voice dropped at 14. But it took a winding journey through two university degrees, several jobs, and a bout of feeling well and truly lost before he realised all those people were actually right on the money!
Born and raised in Sydney’s south, Karl started out studying nursing – drawn in by the idea of caring for people the way a compassionate nurse once cared for his grandmother. But, as he puts it, “Nursing isn’t just being nice … it just wasn’t the job for me.” He shifted into a business degree, did well academically, but quickly realised, “I’m good at it, but I actually don’t think I like it.”
Leaving university twice left him feeling like he was wasting time. “You have this kind of fear of falling behind when all the people around you are about to be graduating, and you still don’t know what you want to do.”
Retail, gardening, landscaping – Karl tried working life from several angles, often unhappy and physically exhausted. Then, for fun, he booked a Voice Over (VO) Short Course at AFTRS, something that proved to be the turning point towards his destined career.
He went on to produce a demo reel, found a VO agent, and soon he was doing work for a range of clients – a much more enjoyable way to earn money.
But it was enrolling in TAFE’s Certificate IV in Screen & Media and Diploma in Radio & Podcasting that really cemented things. “Once I got to the end of the TAFE course, I was like, ‘I want more’.”
That “more” was AFTRS.
Learning by doing: AFTRS in action
Karl applied to the Graduate Diploma of Radio and Podcasting and received his acceptance on his birthday. “When I got to AFTRS, it felt like the right place, with the right people, learning the right things, heading into the right industry.”
Karl studies full time and chose the collaborative broadcast units, which he describes as “one of the most fun parts of the course”. These real‑world projects – Show Radio, 2NRS, AFTRS FM and Next Podcasting – throw students straight in.
“[At Show Radio at Sydney’s Royal Easter Show] you’re running around getting vox pops, producing shows, hosting, podcasting … it’s this manic, fun couple of weeks and then you blink and it’s done.”
What surprised him most was how empowering collaboration felt.
“The thing that I’ve enjoyed the most about this course is definitely the collaborative broadcasts with my cohort … being in a room full of people who are passionate about the same thing is just unlike anything else. You all get to pick each other up and build each other up.”
He’s also found access to equipment and studios, as well as the industry exposure, at AFTRS to be transformative.
“Having three studios to work in is very cool … access when you’re not in class builds so much confidence.”
Guest lectures have been another highlight: “You meet everyone – from presenters to producers to content directors. You build your connections very quickly.”
And those connections feel genuinely supportive. “People told me the media was cut‑throat, but radio people aren’t like that at all. They’re stoked that you want to do what they do and are happy to help you.”
From digging dirt to producing national radio shows
Karl’s career momentum hasn’t waited for graduation.
Alongside his studies, he works for Southern Cross Austereo as a ‘street teamer’ and has now been invited to be a casual producer on The Hot Hits National evening radio show. He’s also doing casual panelling for Sports Entertainment Network.
“I have to pinch myself … less than a couple of years ago, I was shovelling dirt into a wheelbarrow and now I’m putting together a national radio show!”
Karl says the confidence in his newly acquired knowledge and skills helped him to take those opportunities.
“[At AFTRS] you learn how to panel, you learn how to record segments, how to write segments … how to present, produce, do social media strategy, audience targeting. You really just become a bit of a media powerhouse.”
While he still loves being behind a microphone – “I love being a voiceover artist, it’s where I’m most comfortable”– his goals have expanded. “Getting to be part of a creative team … whether that be podcasting or radio, that’s where I want to be.”
He’s already dreaming up his own projects too, including a sleep podcast. “People say my voice could put you to sleep!” he laughs.
For anyone thinking about the GDRP
Karl knows exactly what he’d say to someone wondering whether the Graduate Diploma of Radio and Podcasting might be for them: “Being in radio isn’t just about having a great voice. If you’re a good storyteller, you can learn that here. I didn’t want to be just a deep voice – I wanted to be the most well‑rounded deep voice in the industry.”
And AFTRS helped him do that.
“I’m so happy to be here and so happy to have found something that I love so much … I think everything falls into place when the time is right, which is what happened for me.”
