El Campo, Texas, Wynne, Arkansas, Huntington WV, even Cedar Rapids, IA…small newspapers needing writers, stations looking for sports reporters, local viewers looking for the next Chris Berman or Suzy Kolber…Talk to every anchor, producer, writer and you find a story of humble beginnings, of small towns, long shifts and not so much money…Everyone has a story and each one is usually more fascinating than the next…
Let’s get something out of the way, right up front…your dream job exists!…whether it’s in the aforementioned cities or in White River Junction, Vermont, don’t be deterred from going after it…Sites like TVJobs.com and Medialine.com exist to start the process…these are real jobs in real places….
But these sites are just one of the ways to start the process…Morry Levine, of Comcastsportsnet New England, visited the Boston University Sports Journalism seminar series recently and remembered how he did it the old fashioned way…”Even if you don’t know anyone, cold call areas that you want to be in and say ‘I’m gonna be in the area, can i stop by, can I have two minutes of your time and there are people who are going to give you their time.”
Both Levine and Michael McDermott, Sports Editor of the Providence Journal agree that getting a recommendation for a job is perhaps the most important door opener and that’s where leaving a positive impression during your internship can be key…
And as scary as leaving the college womb can be, understand you have skills that employers need…McDermott put it this way, “You guys come into it with an advantage of knowing that you’re going to have to be flexible. I’m looking for someone who’s competent, passionate but also collaborative as well.” You can do this…Now get out there and let the journey begin…The Atascadero News and (station) KAWE, Bemidji, Minnesota is waiting for your call….
