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Wednesday

Will your Resume "Stink up the Joint"

Six Easy Tips To Keep Your Resume On Top

Town to town, up and down the dial.  It's a fact of life for everyone in the business of Radio and Television.  But will your resume get you the better job and fatter check?  Or does it just plain stink?

Well it may not stink, but does it stand out?  Does it make it from the stack of 100, into the stack of 10 that actually get reviewed in detail?  Remember, the HR manager is going through the applicants fast!  "No, no, no, no, yes, no, no, no, yes..." and then passing the qualified candidates on to the hiring manager.  You need to be the one that gets the "yes" in less than :10 seconds.  And trust me, I've faced a stack of resumes 8 inches thick as a hiring manager in TV.  The faster I could say no, the better!  And we're only talking about the resume, let alone your demo reel.

Here are six Do's and Don'ts for the beginner as well as the seasoned professional.  They'll help get you past the initial review and in the short stack for actual consideration:

1) Do write a short cover letter.  Highlighting your best points of course, but more importantly give them back their job criteria from the want ad.

2) Don't be creative with your resume.  Managers are expecting information in a format easily read.

3) Do provide a career objective.  I suggest it should be whatever the job title is they are looking for.

4) Don't forget to give a summary of qualifications.  This is that :10 second thing.  Here is another opportunity to highlight you, but also give them back their job criteria from the ad.  Be sure to use "-ing" words, like Managing, Fostering or Developing.

5) Don't list your education first.  This screams no experience, hitting the circular file lickety split!

6) Finally, do seek out the help of a professional, experienced in career coaching and resume development.  The money you spend now will come back 100 fold later.


In my next installment, 10 tips for a kick ass demo reel!
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Bob F. Dowd is a 20 year veteren of television, marketing and advertising.  
He offers career advice and career coaching nationwide.



Monday

Entry Level Radio DJ Reel



Makelita was a 21 year old graduate from MTSU. In 2009, after an unsuccessful 8 month search, she realized her work done in class was just not good enough to land her first real job in Radio. She scheduled a 12 hour Sunday session with me and BINGO! Cover Letter, Resume, Demo Reel, YouTube Channel and the confidence to hit the ground running. Two months later she landed a great job in up-state New York with a R&B Station. 

This is the kind of success you can achieve with a little direction and advice. The cost for Makeita, just $225.00. Her first pay check, $973.00.

Don't wait 8 months to find out everyone is after the same jobs your are after. Don't wait until after graduation. Do it now. Saturday and Sunday sessions start after Spring Break. 615-294-9870


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Bob F. Dowd is a 20 year veteren of television, marketing and advertising.  
He offers career advice and career coaching nationwide.

Bob F. Dowd - Writer, Producer, Editor.

Documentary Sample Reel

Promotion Sample Reel

Product Marketing & Voice Over Sample


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Bob F. Dowd is a 20 year veteren of television, marketing and advertising.  
He offers career advice and career coaching nationwide.

Saturday

Aaron Solomon Makes the Correct Decision.

I waited to post anything until I knew something.  Not that I know everything, but I know enough.


It's a sad fact that loyalty is non-existent in the TV Biz.  And now that the entire industry (local television) is in serious peril of extinction, management and corporate are really looking for a hit of crack to keep the high going.  But if the rumors surrounding Aaron Solomon's departure are true, then there may be hope for personal integrity in the  newsroom.

The best male/female team in local news since Dan and Demetria are no more.  But how did this happen?  "We're taking the morning news in a different direction..."  I'll bet that's just what the new GM at WSMV told Aaron.  But an offer to work a crappy shift at reduced pay is not an offer at all.  Plus, back to Sports...no way!   

So Aaron took the high road and said no thank you.

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Now, what I'm hoping is that WSMV broke the contract and now must pay Aaron out.  Fight the Power Aaron.  Tell those know nothings at Meredith to pull their head out... 


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I'm not the only one pissed off about this.  Nashville is buzzing with viewers, now former viewers, jumping ship.  The Titanic is going down.  Sadly, what was once a destination market and station for broadcast professionals is now just another stop up and down the dial.
  
       

A word of warning to all who seek a career in show business.  Loyalty is a thing of the past, you work for you and no one else.  Keep you GTFO tape ready and your Resume up-to-date.

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Bobby F. Dowd is a 20 year veteran of Television
Marketing & Advertising.  
For help with your Broadcast Career
615-294-9870

Media Consultants are like a Flock of Seagulls

They Swoop In...
Shit On Everything...
And Leave You to Clean Up The Mess! 


        Have you ever wondered why there is a "Coverage You Can Count On" or "Dedicated, Determined, Dependable" or "First, Fast Accurate" station in every market?  Why, when you're on vacation, does this station looks just like the one back home?  
              
           Blame the Media Consultant Industry and their band of cookie cutter agents.  The likes of whom are usually great Marketing & Promotion Producers stolen away from the very same stations they are trying to help.  They are then brainwashed into the Media Consultant way of thinking.
  
Hell, if it works in  Peoria it's got to work here!
Who is the prime culprit of homogenized newscasts nationwide?  

Frank N. Magid & Associates
          Or "Maggot" as they are affectionatly known in the biz.  They are an outfit out of DesMoines, Iowa.  Now this is not a RANT focusing on just old Frank.  I've got a even beef with all of them.  I've seen them talk out of both sides of their mouth, from one book to the next.
  
         I've seen weak General Managers, Promotion Managers and News Directors cave to the whims of media consultants at every station I've worked at.  And heaven forbid if anyone calls them out on their errors.  I've tried!  They'll go behind your back to the GM and call you a poisonous anti-team player.
  
        Their main goal is to perpetuate their own existence. This is done by finding fault with something each time they visit or review your product.  The graphics need updating.  The music needs updating.  The anchor's hair is wrong.  This reporter is too fat or too skinny (this should be against the law, but it's discussed in secret meetings with management anyway, so who's gonna know).  The slogan or logo that has brand equity because you've been using it for 20 years, surprise, it needs to be changed too.  And of course changed  to one of their Focus Group researched and approved "Coverage You Can Crap On" slogans.  But why does this happen?  What is the reason behind all the churn?

It's called Market Driven Journalism:

Typical Consultant Driven Reporter Copy for Promotion
"I'm Action 4 News reporter (insert name here), and we're Working 4 You with an investigation that will shock you to your very core.  Count on us for Coverage of (insert what ever muckraking event here).   Tonight at 10 on Action News 4.  Dedicated, Determined, Dependable."

        Phrases like the ones used in the above promo copy find their way into the newscasts as well.  "Working 4 you at the local court house."  "Coverage you can count on, with this exclusive story."  "We're dedicated to bringing you dependable information from inside the local school board meeting."  And on, and on...  

        Forget what you learned in college about Journalistic Principles or Ethics.  But, that's how it goes in local television news today.  I should know, I'm guilty myself.

        Money taints the newsroom.  So do Meters, Diaries and Q-Ratings.  But I'll save those for another day.

BfD

Now This Is A Blog, So Post Your Comments Below 


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Bob F. Dowd is a 20 year veteren of television, marketing and advertising.  
He offers career advice and career coaching nationwide.