Should You Do Follow-up Calls To Hiring Managers?

FROM THE BLOG.. A QUESTION AND ANSWER

Anonymous said...
Hi Jeff, what are your thoughts on follow up calls for on-air jobs? And if you think they're okay, what would you advise someone to say to the ND when they follow up?Thanks in advance.
October 17, 2008 4:49 PM

Jeff said...
Follow-up calls are very appropriate.
Consider them in these scenarios:-
-Did he/she call you with interest or an interview? YES follow-up
-Have you interviewed in person? YES follow-up
-If you only saw the job posting, did it say no calls? If not, YES call
-If the job posting said “No Calls”… then don’t call.

What should you say?
First, give an appropriate amount of time. Hopefully you left an interview or call with some indication from the manager of a next step. Will they call you? When will they decide? Short of knowing specifics, I would give it a few days up to a week after an interview to make the first follow-up call.
SIDE NOTE: A follow-up email to thank the person for the call or interview is a must these days. Indicate in that email that you hope to stay in touch to check the progress on a decision. That opens the door for a follow-up call.When you do call….--reference your interview.--thank them for their consideration and time--say simply that you are still very interested--ask if there is anything more you an provide to them during the process--remind them that you are available at any time to talk more and that you hope to hear from them soon.

Always keep it simple and respectful. Don’t go into long messages. No one has the time. Stay focused. I hope this helps. Feel free to email with anything more. Also, if you know others who have questions, let them know I am available for my opinion.
October 17, 2008 5:05 PM

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Disclosure: I am NOT an agent or a consultant. I have worked in TV newsrooms (and seen the good, the bad and the really ugly) for more than 15 years. I am offering advice that serves only as my opinion for TV journalists. Oh yeah... and it is free. :)

Horrible Hit And Run: Do More Than Superficial Reporting; Take Action In Your Community

The media has been quick to promote a horrible story, with video, of a 78-year old hit and run victim who lay in the middle of a Hartford, CT street. Bystanders and passersby look and gawk… but no one comes to the rescue of the man who seconds ago was struck by a speeding car. Horrible. It’s the kind of video that TV producers live for. Take a look.

Yes, the media should jump on this story… not because of the good video but because there are incidents every day across the country that harm our senior citizens… and no one helps. Those are not caught on tape. As I watched the media coverage last night and this morning, I was reminded of how superficial and limiting the broadcast media really is. “How could they do that” and “Why would no one help this poor man,” I heard. Less than two minutes later, it was on to the next story. Every single person on the street is an embarrassment to society.

Politicians this cycle speak of change in America. The real change needs to happen in individuals as well. If you Google ‘senior citizens abused’ this morning, you will find countless news stories of the horrific treatment inflicted on sometimes helpless friends and neighbors. Yes, change is needed. The media as a whole, and certainly in the Hartford market, should dig far deeper than just showing the video over and over for shock value… and superficial man-on-the-street reporting. Challenge you community to take action. Rally neighborhoods, politicians, public servants and more to celebrate… life. These stories should force media to think about how they are serving their communities. Don’t just report the problem… be a part of the solutions. Every single person on that street in Hartford should not be allowed to ever forget what they did… even when the mass media stops showing the video and superficially reporting the story. Take action! In fact, we all would be well served if the mass media across the country would use this to spark action in their communities as well.

READ MORE MEDIA NEWS AT: Watching The Media For You
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When I’m applying for a new job in media, how high should I aim?

The easy answer is to always shoot for the stars… shoot for the markets, stations and companies you have always wanted to work for. But, know a few things going in. The quality of your work and your experience SHOULD be what gets you the job. Always dream big. But be realistic. If you only shoot for the stars, you may be disappointed in a search. Plot your market and position moves over a longer period of time than a 2 or 3 year contract. Where do want to be and what do you want to be doing. A very few people are lucky enough to go from college to dream jobs. Most of us have to be realistic and work at it.

Why The Title Of News Director Should Change

Why The Title Of News Director Should Be Eliminated
((From April)
Three weeks and counting… until the start of the next sweeps period. TV news directors are busy making certain their plans are in place to keep the prime time audience and grow all news time periods.
“What do we need to do to grow our share and demos?”
“How do we make certain we win the big story tonight?”
“Is our plan to win weather ready for hurricane season?”
“Just how much will the prime time lead-in deliver?”
All are fair questions for coverage today. But while news directors are ‘minding the store’ today, technology is ripping off the TV news headquarters. The trouble is that newsroom and station managers have not realized how to stop the theft. Everyone is so focused on how to win tonight’s newscast that they’ve forgotten the bigger picture problems. That bigger picture is not next month or even next year. The bigger picture was last month and last year when increasing number of news consumers realized that there’s no longer a need to make an appointment to watch the 6 or 11 p.m. newscasts. News for consumers today is when, where and how they want to receive it. With that in mind, consider these questions (and my answers).

Is TV news dead?
No. Much like radio evolved after television launched, relevant TV news will always exist. It will simply be a much smaller piece of the media buffet than it has ever been. TV news as we knew it three, five, even 10 years ago has changed. Viewers no longer feel obligated to tune into their favorite channel for the news. It’s easy to say the internet has changed the TV news business. But that statement and concept are very shortsighted. In reality, technology and the consumer demand for instant information have changed the TV news business. The reach extends far beyond the “web”.

What should I know about my viewers today?
The term “viewer” is a relic. The definition paints a picture of someone who actively watches television. The number of people doing that today is far less than a decade ago. Today, news directors and station managers are better served to define their customers as ‘consumers’ of information. Local stations produce valuable local content. The challenge for TV news managers is to solve the problem of greater distribution of that local news content beyond the boundaries of a newscast, web site or mobile device. Distribution of the relevant local content is the future. Viewership is the past. To survive, we must achieve success in both and accept that the decreases in the latter are forever changing the local TV news business.

What do you mean by “distribution”?
I recently had a general manager of a large market station simply reject even a conversation about the future of local news content as “products”. Consider this: TV newsrooms produce hundreds of elements each day compiled for on-air newscasts and web sites. If you pull together hundreds of elements for a single product like newscasts, why not consider each of those elements as a valuable piece of information or a product that a consumer or advertiser might want independently of each other? Traditionally, our news staff efforts are combined for a TV newscast or web site that generates revenue from advertisers. This new ‘product’ approach in local TV news will still offer that larger product. But, it also offers every single element as a potential additional revenue stream. Today’s “news directors” really should be “content directors”. News directors must deliver much more than quality journalism. They must deliver a strong, aggressive and strategic approach to distributing a local station’s content to consumers on all traditional and contemporary platforms.

When did all of this really start?
For five decades TV news has delivered its menu of content as a three course meal at specific times of the day. Viewers either liked the news, weather and sports menu or they often sat passively waiting for the next program. The remote control started a change. But 9/11 signified the biggest change ever in our TV news direction. When the attacks against Americans happened, the world wanted to know every detail as quickly as possible. While it was only a matter of minutes, it seemed an eternity for TV news to refocus coverage with live city cameras of smoke coming from one of the towers. Seconds mattered more than ever in TV news. The demand for information exceeded the speed at which even TV could deliver. More importantly, viewers wanted more than TV news could deliver at any given moment in a simple audio and video stream. In a mad search for more information, “viewers” turned to the web. The attacks changed Americans. It also changed the media forever. Consumer demand information when, how and with as much depth as their want.

Do I Need The "Convergence" Experience?

Short answer: YES. I hate the term convergence though. You need to know how to prepare content for TV, the web and even mobile devices in some cases. You can gain that experience in your college courses, in your internships or in your first job. But, I hope there are no TV journalists out there who believe that really don't need to make the web a part of their knowledge base.

What jobs are most available?

There are two job classifications in demand.
Producers. Great producers are in high demand. In fact at this point, even average producers are in high demand. Be sure to get some intern experience with producers. Sample this job. Evaluate whether you will be fulfilled. You can move quickly as a good producer. Here’s a side note. There are plenty of reporter jobs. But there is a mass of reporter job candidates to fill those positions.
A lot of producer jobs == few great candidates
A lot of reporter/on-air jobs == a massive number of candidates
Online producers, editors, etc. This is a quickly growing need. Stations and companies are looking for online editors and managers. I'm not sure that the salaries on online editors and producers are where they should be. But, a few companies are hiring online managers as well. So if you're looking for a hot trend for the next decade, this is it.

What’s the most important thing to know about getting my second reporter’s job?

Storytelling. Storytelling. Storytelling. Those are the three most important things to know. Great storytellers who are hard workers, passionate for their job and aggressive will go far.

How much should I expect to make in my first job?

As little as you need to survive. Plan a budget before you start your search. Know how much you need to make each month. For fun.. add a few extra thousand! If you are lucky enough to be offered more than you planned, go for it!

Will a picture help me get that reporting job?

I’m glad you asked. NO and I hope ALL news directors answer the negative. If you’re hired based on the picture, you shouldn’t have wasted the time and money on J-school. To be honest, I have discarded (put in the HR folder) any resume that came to me with just a picture. Sometimes I also dropped resumes that included a tape and a picture. Your quality work should speak for itself. If a hiring manager doesn’t notice your look on your resume tape or audition tape (lacking a resume tape), then he or she is not worried about it. I could go on for pages about this topic. But, I won’t. Don’t waste your time sending a picture.

Do I need to go to a small market to start?

Many people do. Consider these points as they apply to you.
--What contacts did you make during your internships (yes plural) that can help you?
--Did you use your hard work, dedication, knowledge and aggressiveness to prove to hiring managers where you interned that you deserve an entry level job?
--How good is your first tape? If the content on the tape appears small market, that may be where you go?
--Don’t think just because you’re pretty, sexy, hot, etc… you deserve a larger market.
--How early did you start your search and how long are you willing to wait for the first opportunity? Smaller market jobs are often easier to achieve.

I’m graduating next quarter. When should I start looking for a job?

If you are just now thinking about this, you are already behind. It never is too late in this business. But, there is a threshold where finding a first job is much more difficult. There are so many opportunities these days to really lay the foundation for starting your career in TV news. Here are some things to know:
--Get involved. Even if your elementary school offered a media class (and there are some who do), I hope you wanted to be on the school TV then.
--Middle school and high school programs are a great place to start thinking about having ‘fun being on TV’ (most on-air people have thought that at one point or another) AND whether you really want to do this for a pay check!
--Internships are CRITICAL. Don’t think one is enough. Get involved in as many as you can or your school allows. The more experience the better. These internships are where you will make key contacts for your first job. Someone in those newsrooms knows someone who will hire you.
--IF you are just now starting in the last quarter, start NOW.

When do I need an agent?

The most likely scenario is that you can use an agent to negotiate big market/network deals that are valued well over $100,000 and need special consideration based on the contract language 'they' are asking you to sign. If you’re making less and have to give over 8-10% of your salary to an agent, it’s a risk. Agents should work for you. They should show you proof of their performance in handling difficult situations or challenging job searches. Too often, young people in the business, sign on with an agent after their first or second job. We’ve all been there when you need to money to pay the rent… not your agent. Consider this when an agent calls: “I’ll sign with your agency and give you 10% when you get me that major market job you’re talking about.”

Do I need an agent?

No. You just need to be aggressive and smart in your job search. Really assess what you want. Do a checklist of what’s important to you. (location, job duties, money and how much you need to survive in the first job) Start your job search early based on those guidelines you determine on your list of priorities. . Most of all, be patient. The job won’t land in your lap tomorrow.