Friday, August 13, 2010

Haven't heard anything? Send another tape

Okay, I want you to remember all of the emails you received in the past seven days.

Can't do it, huh? Now ask a News Director to name all the people who sent tapes last month.

If you've sent a tape more than two months ago and haven't heard anything, send another. Situations change, NDs can't remember every tape they've seen, and you probably have a better tape anyway. So stick another tape in the mail. Your cover letter doesn't even need to mention that you've already sent one.

Now, if you've gotten favorable feedback from a ND, you should be sending a tape every two months anyway, even if you never hear anything. When the same names keep crossing a ND's desk, then he might start to remember you.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

The flight attendant's field guide to quitting a job in broadcasting

Quitting a job can be a euphoric experience, especially if you're leaving a gig located in the ninth circle of hell. Sadly, we can't pull a Jet Blue, grab a beer and hit the emergency slide. The closest that we in the news business could get would be to steal all the Sweet 'n' Low from the break room and roll down a satellite dish.

However, since some lack the creative flair to quit a job in a memorable manner, here is an all-purpose resignation letter. Whether you're leaving in a professional manner or napalming a bridge, this multiple choice letter will enable you to leave in style.


Dear:

a: name of News Director
b: name of General Manager (if you want to send a subtle message by going over the head of the News Director)
c: idiot who runs the newsroom
d: crash dummy

Please accept this letter as notice of my resignation. During my two years here:
a: it has been a pleasure to be a part of your team.
b: I've learned a good deal about the news business.
c: I've had the suicide hotline on speed dial.
d: you've proven that people rise to the level of their incompetence.

I am leaving in order to:
a: pursue a great opportunity
b: take a job that will enable me to take my skills to the next level
c: work for someone with more intelligence than a sock puppet
d: preserve what is left of my sanity so that I do not end up in a rubber room

My last day will be:
a: in two weeks
b: in two weeks minus the 37 comp days you owe me for all the unpaid overtime I worked
c: only experienced if you can take a trip back to last Friday in a time machine

I would like to:
a: thank you for the opportunity that you have afforded me during my time here
b: wish you and the news team the best in the future
c: hit lotto, buy the station, and fire you
d: see you reincarnated as a spider

In closing, I'd like to say:
a: I'll keep in touch as I'm sure our paths will cross again
b: I'll send good people your way
c: I'll think of my time here as a root canal that lasted two years
d: you're a big meanie and I hope you get hit on the head by a meteor

Sincerely,
(your name here)

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Laugh for the day...

And you though the Jet Blue flight attendant grabbed a beer and slid down the emergency chute quit in a clever way.

Check out this gal's very creative resignation...

http://thechive.com/2010/08/10/girl-quits-her-job-on-dry-erase-board-emails-entire-office-33-photos/

Monday, August 9, 2010

No nibbles on your first tape?

(I pulled this question from a recent comment.)

I have one friend who has been sending out tapes for over a year and she still doesn't have a job. Is it because she doesn't have talent or because this business is just that hard to get into?

Well, it has always been tough to break into the business. But these days, it's never been easier.

You heard me right. There have never been as many opportunities in this business as there are today.

Why? Well, if you follow the money that will give you the answer.

When I broke in there were three stations in every market. That was it. Anchors made huge salaries. A one man band was rarely seen. Cable TV wasn't even seen as competition. Stations made a fortune since they were compensated by networks to run their programming. (That money is long gone, and it was a sizable chunk of change.)

Today the Internet has killed a lot of revenue, there are 300 channels on cable or satellite, and salaries are being slashed. That last item is a big factor as far as opportunities are concerned. People of my generation are either leaving because of pay cuts or they're simply disgusted with what the business has become. Throw in Fox and CW stations, and the result is you have a lot more openings for young people.

But, let's get back to your original question. Honestly, I really can't answer it without seeing the tape. But you might get some answers from an article I did for TVJobs.com about five years ago:

http://www.tvjobs.com/cgi-bin/featurestories/archive.cgi?action=view&Id=27

Well, while things have changed a lot in five years resume tapes (now mostly DVDs) really haven't.

Talent, of course, is subjective. I may think your friend has big market potential but other News Director's might think she's awful.

And hiring entry level people is a whole different animal. Basically, you're hiring potential, since college students are basically putting a tape together in their spare time. A ND looks at a tape and maybe sees a flash of talent, then has to wonder, "Would this person be able to do this every day, and is there enough potential there to justify my taking a chance on this person?"

Sometimes, if a person isn't having any luck getting a foot in the door, a road trip is a good idea. Some personalities are great in person but don't yet translate to videotape. Again, it's potential.

You just have to find a way to make it come through.