by Frank MacekIn part one of our feature, we discussed the state of television for those of you who may be interested in getting a job in the business. We had tremendous response to our article and received numerous emails from those who read the Director's Cut blog.
The second half of this "Spotlight Feature" will focus on how to impress those who do the hiring whether it be working for the news or engineering departments which employee the vast majority of our staff. There are also plenty of opportunities on the sales side as well.
For this article, we'll focus on what I'm most familiar with - and that's daily news operations.
Jobs in the news department include producers, associate producers, assignment editors, reporters, editors, photojournalists, web producers and managers including News Director, Assistant News Director, Managing Editor and Executive Producers.
Reporters have the most difficult time in getting jobs because these jobs have unique and very competitive requirements: talent, good looks - and more good looks. Plus, they must be capable of solid storytelling and writing for multi-platforms including on-air, web and mobile TV.
The criticism about those with good looks having no talent do arise from time to time, but is good fodder for another time.
The other news department positions have their own special skill levels and requirements and some of are becoming interchangeable as the business evolves including backpack journalists who shoot, edit and track their own work for air.
How do you get your work noticed among the stacks of resumes and phone calls the station gets on an almost daily basis for any of these positions?
I asked WKYC News Director Rita Andolsen what she looks for in potential hires. "This is a very competitive business, so it's important that you get the attention of a prospective employer. A short, succinct, well written and sincere cover letter works best. Briefly state what makes you different and what makes you stand out from the rest. I am big on work ethic and experience. Tell me that you paid your way through college while maintaining a great point average. Outline your intern experience. Tell me what you bring to the station," says Andolsen.
"If you are still in school, work on your writing and the skills that will make you versatile. Web is huge and the more knowledge you have of current and emerging technology, the better. Internships are critical Think about what you can do during your internship that gives you something tangible when it is completed. If you’re just out of school, all you have is your body of work completed in school and your internship."
Meantime, engineering positions are those that deal with the behind the scenes functions of a television station including robotic cameras, master control, satellite & live feed acquisition, tape ingest, technical director and audio engineer - among others. These people do great work that you see, but rarely see them on the air.
For those of you interested in this part of the business, I asked WKYC Director of Engineering Mike Szabo the same question. Mike tells us, "I don't know that there is anything specific that I would look for in an individual. I will say however, that I think honesty is important. Don't try to bluff your way in the door by trying to come off like you know everything there is to know. You can generally see through someone who is trying to impress you about how much they know about the business. If you are not familiar with something let the person know and state that you are willing learn. As you know, being able to learn and expand into new areas is important in this business today. Once you give up the willingness to learn the business will pass you by."
So to conclude, it's a very tough business to work in. But having the right attitude, networking and being persistent are your best bets to be successful.
I welcome your feedback about the article or if you care to share your stories about how you got in the door. You can always email me directly: fmacek@wkyc.com
To read Part I of our feature: CLICK HERE
Disclaimer: The thoughts in this article are mine and do not necessarily reflect those of WKYC or Gannett.
