SCREEN-L Archives

August 2001, Week 3

SCREEN-L@LISTSERV.UA.EDU

Options: Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
Darryl Wiggers <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Film and TV Studies Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 17 Aug 2001 22:49:22 -0500
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (55 lines)
On Wed, 15 Aug 2001 13:36:59 -0500, Scott Andrew Hutchins
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>I have been out of school with my B.A. since December 1999.  I have not
had much luck getting a job or getting into graduate school.  I interviewed
for a TV station once (They get my resumes constantly.)   If anyone knows a
good way to rework my resume for TV stations, please let me know.

1. Have a specific career focus. Very specific. Put it at the top
2. Keep it lean. One page (no one has time to read the whole thing).
3. After that, stop fretting about the resume

I would strongly suggest buying the book "Breaking Into Television" by Dan
Weaver and Jason Siegel. I notice that it's very reasonably priced right
now. It's an enjoyable read but also highly educational, loaded with good,
invaluable and often amusing anecdotes. As someone who got into the
industry in much the same way covered in the book (i.e. interning), I must
say it is an essential resource; an ideal guide to a career in
broadcasting. Especially if you're in the U.S. (a lot of the same advice
wouldn't work here in Canada).

For some reason a business administration degree will get you MUCH further
than an arts degree. If your resume is loaded with arts experience and
ambition it'll probably end up at the bottom. But it shouldn't matter. The
key to success is "interning" and being lucky enough to connect with the
right people, say and do the right things, and being at the right place at
the right time. I've seen lots of hard-working, skilled people in the
industry work their butts off, befriend (even marry) vps in the industry,
and still never achieve their goals. Others connect with the wrong people
who later happen to be the right people, and a steady, happy career is
made. More commonly, suck up to the right people and success is assured...
actually, it's quite like a lot of industries, including academia. It's
very much a Dilbert world all around.

But, to begin, you have to willing to work for nothing, work hard (no
tardiness, no slacking) and impress the hell out of people. But the book
covers much more about the do's and don'ts of slavery uh, er... interning.

Honestly I don't know anyone who landed their dream job because they had an
excellent resume. At least not in this industry. Generally what happens
when a job opens is they look around and see who they know who can do the
gig -- or ask around their immediate co-workers. That's why interning is a
potential gold mine. If you can make your presence know in your target
field (have a specific job in mind -- don't intern in marketing if your
real goal is to work in operations), when the jobs come available, you'll
hopefully be the person that'll stick in their mind. Not some anonymous
person's name on a resume that sits on a stack of a few hundred other
resumes.

dw

----
Online resources for film/TV studies may be found at ScreenSite
http://www.tcf.ua.edu/ScreenSite

ATOM RSS1 RSS2