The OICB Radio & TV Career Tips Blog

Avoid a Career Search Fail

One of the many advantages of choosing our program is the opportunity to work with our Career Services Staff. Throughout your time with The Ohio Center for Broadcasting, students receive not only "one on one" attention during their job search, our Career Services Staff routinely offers demo and resume critiques, "tips of the week", and a personalized approach to assist current students and graduates every step of the way when trying to land their first job in the broadcasting industry.

Terry Wilson, our career services representative with the Columbus Campus, shared the following on how to avoid a "career search fail".

• Your approach is based around your needs only and ignores the employer’s perspective. While your goal is to find the job of your dreams, your dream has to fit with an employer's reality of their business needs.

• You are unaware of your Internet presence. More and more, employers are utilizing the Internet and social media to further screen qualified applicants to ensure they are hiring someone will be a perfect fit for their company.

• Your email address is unprofessional. Do you really need an explanation? If you don't currently have a professional email address, get one immediately. Hotbody28@yahoo.com, may not even make it past an initial spam scan. 

• Your outgoing phone message is unprofessional. Again, no explanation needed. I find it difficult to leave a professional message after I've had to sit through 30-60 seconds of music and an enigmatic explanation as to why you can't come to the phone right now.

• Your resume lacks focus.  This is your time to shine. Your resume should be a perfect reflection of your skills and successes in your field. 

• Limiting your options in types of jobs and possible locations.  In this economy, if you have the ability to relocate, don't discount an opportunity because of location. In the broadcasting industry, we are nomadic. Leaving your hometown doesn't mean you can't come home when the right opportunity presents itself. 

• Dismissing an opportunity based on description alone.  Never turn down an interview. People who have multiple skill sets make an attractive hire. Employers may only list a few key responsibilities to weed out undesirables right away.

• Not developing your ‘thank-you note’ technique ahead of when you need it.  There are many who believe the practice of sending a 'thank-you note' is an outdated concept. They couldn't be more wrong. Any personalize gesture that will keep you at the top of an employers mind makes all the difference. It also offers another way to show them that you really want this job. 

• Including references that have not been cleared. There are few things worse than the reference you may receive from someone who isn't prepared to speak on your behalf. There is nothing worse than receiving a bad reference from someone you had no idea would speak of you negatively. Always keep in touch with your references, and always make sure you touch base with them to let them know someone may be contacting them about a job you applied for.
  

• You sport a messy briefcase, or just look unprofessional in general. Interviews go beyond resumes and job skills. The more 'put together' you look overall shows attention to detail and that you care about your appearance. 

• You dismiss temporary positions. In the broadcasting industry, networking and resume building keep you current and marketable. A temporary job not only offers a salary, but another way to add more skills to your arsenal of talents. 

• You have (or appear to have) a bad attitude.  Being a dependable team player will get you hired faster than the amount of talent you have period. One of the first questions an employer will ask is, "Are they dependable," or "Are they a team player"?

• You include too much of your non-broadcast work history.  In the beginning, it may be difficult to find the right balance of previous work history and broadcast work history. One way to help build your broadcasting work history is to document each experience you had as a student or from an internship while you were a student at The Ohio Center for Broadcasting. 

• You take ‘no’ as the final answer.  Never take 'no' for an answer. Being persistent shows a potential employer that you are serious. Be creative each time you present yourself. I've heard stories of broadcasters who would send singing telegrams or deliver cakes with their resumes frosted on the top. Keep in mind, competition is our industry can be tough. What are you going to do to set yourself apart from every other applicant?

• You lack tact and style in your follow-up.  Always, be professional!

• Not understanding the “Henry Ford at lunch” concept.  Not aware of this concept? Well, I'll be more than glad to share the story when you arrive for your campus tour!

If you're ready to take the next step toward your dream of working in the broadcasting industry, schedule a campus tour today and learn how you can work with one of our career service professionals.

The Ohio Center for Broadcasting. Where Broadcasting Careers Begin!