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) a full service media management representation firm based in New York City. His firm represents approximately 125 clients in sports, news, weather, business and television production throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe. Steve is a graduate of the University of Michigan and the Vanderbilt University Law School.

Rather than regurgitate most of what has been written about getting a job in this business (cultivating contacts, sending out the right tape, etc) perhaps it might be more informative to think about a few things (about getting a job) that you otherwise might not be thinking about in these tough economic times.

Forget about what YOU want for a Minute

The odds are if you're looking for a job, the potential employer is keenly aware of that. People do a terrific job of letting people know what they want in terms of challenges, salary, etc. but often do a lousy job of finding out what the buyer wants or needs. To wit, if you're a reporter who has an expertise in medical reporting, it wouldn't necessarily be prudent to market yourself (in that vein) to a station that has a doctor on staff. A little research (normally a ton of information can be found on a station's website) goes a long way.

Be Interesting and Express It

One constant refrain we often hear at our firm is, "but nobody reads the cover letters anyway." That is NOT true. Maybe only ONE person will read your cover letter, perhaps that is the ONE person who will end up hiring you. We know that you're looking for a job; is it necessary (other than to say what position you're applying for) to hit them over the head with what you want? What about telling them what makes you unique. Recently, we moved a client from Anchorage, Alaska to ESPN, in part because he wrote us a cover letter (that made me personally call him immediately) about his experience working with SCUD missiles in Saudi Arabia and Israel. Fighting Saddam Hussein gave him a unique perspective on sports. His cover letter (and his ability to explain why he was interesting) helped him quadruple his salary. Obviously, it helped that he's a terrific writer, a hard worker (only reinforced in the mind of his bosses via his dedicated wartime service to the U.S. Army) and a compelling presence.

Explain Why Your Experience in Another field will lead to success in this one

We've had two clients make quantum career leaps to major markets from sub-100 markets. One was a Molecular Biologist who pursued her Ph'd; another was an accomplished long distance runner. In each of these cases, we were able to convince people that these women had the intelligence, savvy and skill set to succeed in a major market - and each has thrived over the past year. Most people can put a good tape together and these women (with a little help from us) were no exception, however, a good number of sharp news directors are on to this little trick of seeing only your best 5 minutes of material - they expect it to be good, and flawless. In addition to looking for someone who can do it on tape, they want to know what kind of work ethic and attitude your brining to their newsroom. They've got too many other things to worry about to be a babysitter for someone who merely looks good on tape. So, if you've got the work ethic and the attitude to be the captain of the Harvard Track team or get your Ph'd. in molecular biology, those skills (and attitude needed to achieve that) are transferable.

Don't Dumb Yourself Down

A lot of people don't care where you went to college or what your IQ is and say that News Directors (and other buyers) don't care about that. It's true that where you go to school is not a great indicator of success in life (and certainly this business). For starters, plenty of really smart people go to state and city schools, but more importantly the viewers don't know or care. What is true is that the viewer cares if you seem like a credible source of information and if you make a connection (that elusive buzzword) with him. Again, if you studied hard and got good grades, why be ashamed of that. It does NOT mean anything other than you studied hard and got grades. If you explain that you did well because you can process a ton of information easily (that helps in this business) or that you're an incredibly hard worker who wants to win ? and that getting all A's is winning (that helps too, who doesn't want to hire a winner?).

Just Stay Alive

If the news director has a choice between 100 tapes (they usually do), then do whatever you can to make sure you'll make it into the next pile. If you look young, don't accentuate that on the tape. A few years ago, we had a client who couldn't get out of Savannah. He was 25 at the time and looked every bit of 18. We sent out a ton of tapes in a year and nothing was happening. One day, he sent us a tape of him doing a standup in a mock black turtleneck and black sport jacket. For some reason, he looked much older and mature than he did in a jacket and tie. We hit paydirt. He had three interviews in a month and before he turned 30 he ended up in Los Angeles, where he works today. As part of getting into that second pile of tapes, remember what Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis says, "just win baby."

How do you know when to pull out the stops and go for it? If you think you have a small chance of getting noticed, perhaps it's worth it to find out, for example, the news director at WAAA is a graduate of Penn State (as are you maybe), and enclose a bumper sticker with your tape. There's a true story about a woman who now writes for Sports Illustrated, who sent her resume inside a basketball shoe. The cover letter read, "now that I've got one foot in the door?" She got an interview?and the job.

What all of the above tips have in common is that they all ask you to use common sense. But more important than that, really think "outside the box." Yes, a lot of people get jobs in a myriad of ways, and I'm not here to suggest that I have all of the answers. What I do know is that most of the cover letters we get in our office are laughably boring. Be bold, be different and don't afraid to let somebody know (without going overboard) that you're special.

About Steven Herz
Steven Herz is the founder and President of If Management, Inc. (http://www.ifmanagement.com/) a full service media management representation firm based in New York City. His firm represents approximately 125 clients in sports, news, weather, business and television production throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe. Steve is a graduate of the University of Michigan and the Vanderbilt University Law School.

[reprinted with persmission from the author and Don Fitzpatrick's TVSpy.com]

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