How did you stand out when applying to work in TV production?

When I was in college I worked in my schools Athletic Department as a receptionist to the Athletic Director and Head football coach (in addition to our school's sports media production department and school's station). Anytime someone from a major broadcast network was coming into the office for the day I would introduce myself and let them know that I was interested in getting into the field. I would follow up meeting them with an email with my resume attached. I never expected anything of the emails, just would ask them to pass it along as they see fit.
One day I got a call out of the blue from a producer saying he received my resume from an individual that I emailed it to. It was for an interview for a Booth Coordinator (or sometimes called stage manager) position on a primetime football crew on a weekly basis. I ended up getting the job. I then made connections with everyone on the crew and learned the various positions and responsibilities of each. The producer knew I wanted to work full-time and hopefully work my way up the ladder so he helped me along the way through the application and interview process at the company I am with now. I am now an event production assistant (working football still but with more responsibilities). I'd have to say the greatest piece of advice aside from getting experience in all aspects, is to NETWORK! Not just for business needs, on a personal level too. Most people are more than willing to help you along the way. If you're willing to do what it takes to be an adaptable team player you will be a valuable asset to any company!

I have to agree with Carlie. Network! It's a small business and everyone knows someone. That said it is imperative your work ethic and reputation is on point. Be a team player who puts out and no job is too small. Have a well rounded skill set as most companies want multitaskers who can do multiple jobs. Seek out internships, or any job that gives you real world experience. Treat the internships even if unpaid like a real job. Show up early, go home late. Do whatever's asked of you with eagerness. Try to find mentors or people to learn from. If your interested in what they do, they will show you. The good interns are the ones who find part-time to full time employment starting out.

Great question Rob! Yes, it is highly competitive however gaining experience while in college is key. The best way to gain experience is through internships, volunteering (public access, radio, etc.) or entry level positions at TV stations, PR/Marketing sports venue's. The more real life experiences you have outside of your degree the more you will stand out amongst all the candidates who apply for a position. Good luck!

Hi, Rob!

I would like to put what the above folks said into better perspective for you, since I have a somewhat longer view of this process (I've been at ESPN for almost 24 years). Of course, the more you can say you have done, the better your resume is going to look.

Here's the thing, though - if you need to be told to dive into these kinds of activities ("Get an internship," "Make connections"), then you're clearly not going to make it in this business or any such business you want to enter. Presumably, if you're on these kinds of chat boards, you ARE involved in a number of different internships, jobs, etc. You need to wake up each day and think something like, "What else can I do today to move my career aspirations forward?"

If that's the case, then you're naturally going to gravitate toward those kinds of endeavors, and you'll meet the right kinds of people that will help you move toward where you want to go. Many times, the people who "make it" have resumes or skill sets no better than the people next to them; they just knew how to "package" themselves better.

Things you can do to "package" yourself - make an email newsletter of the things you're doing and send it out to people. Make it look slick with nice graphics and brief, concise text. Throw a photo of yourself in action into the newsletter. Use social media WISELY. No one cares what you ate for dinner last night, but if you're interning for a baseball team, take a picture with a player and post that on your social media streams. You'd be amazed how fast the "right people" will see you doing good things on social media...and sophomoric, dumb things if you post that stuff, too.

Hope this helps. Best of luck moving forward.

Barry Abrams