How to land your dream TV Reporting Job (or any job!)

I talk to a lot of news reporters, anchors and MMJs. A lot of you are looking for the next great job. And, many of you are losing faith. I hear you. I salute you. I know how it feels. 

So, what can you do to keep the faith and stay positive during the job search? Let me tell you a little story. A long time ago in a world far away (the late 2000s, and the state of Connecticut) there was a TV reporter who wanted nothing more in life than to work in the number one TV market in the world – New York! Year after year, she’d make her New Year’s resolutions, she’d meet with people, she’d network, she’d do three-part standups, she’d rework her reel endlessly, she’d make connections, she’d go on interviews – and……nothing. Then, one December day, an email popped into her inbox. It was from fitness and motivational guru Patrica Moreno. Patricia talked about not only making your New Year’s resolutions, but also taking a critical eye towards last year’s. She asked, “What role did YOU play in not achieving your goals?” That reporter was like, “What? Me? I did everything I could!” Then, about an hour later, it hit her – she didn’t believe she was truly deserving of the job. Truth bomb! 

By now you’ve probably figured out that reporter was me. That day, I dug deep into why I didn’t believe I deserved to work in New York, and the truth hurt. I had been holding on to some crappy, untrue beliefs about myself. That because I didn’t go to a fancy school, and because I didn’t work in the midwest for a contract (I know, right?), and because of some old leftover self esteem issues from high school – I didn’t deserve it. I examined them. Put them under a microscope and realized – these beliefs simply aren’t true! And by shining a light on them, I diffused their power. 

I made a choice. I started visualizing working in New York. I reported my stories as if I already did. And I started thanking the universe for my next great job in New York. And while all of that is great – I started taking inspired action. When you feel something is possible – your energy attracts people and opportunities into your life. When you think you are perfect for the job and you call a news director, that energy shines through the phone and that news director feels it. Trust me.

For all of you who are intrigued but are still on the fence – let me ask you this, why is it easier to be dejected, to lose faith, to worry? It’s not. You’re just used to doing it. It takes just as much energy to believe it will happen, as it does to believe it won’t. It’s your choice. Why would you willingly pick the one that won’t get you to your goal? 

It wasn’t long after that that I reached out to the Assistant News Director at the time at PIX 11 in NYC and asked for an interview, and there happened to be a change in management. This time was different. I believed I had every right to be there, and he believed it too. I started freelancing there a few weeks later.

The only thing I did different was believe. It was the only thing I hadn’t tried before.