How do you make a good impression on a potential employer/company/station without having a special way in - or knowing anyone already there? As I mentioned in part two, there are some ways I’ve come to realize that you can stand out from your fellow employee-hopefuls.

Part two touches on the importance of introducing yourself in a bold way by perhaps deviating from the “cover letter norm.”

2. Same goes for your reel or demo tape. Sure, there are probably formulas that you “should” follow to produce a tape, but that’s always felt so status-quo to me. The first time I made a resume tape, I had a seasoned editor practically hold my hand through the entire process. From there on out, I continued to enlist his help, and the help of people around me who knew what they were doing, and what to look for.

I’ve seen some tapes for producers that are nothing more than a full half hour of a show they’ve produced - and sometimes stations specifically ask for this. But usually, when they mention a reel or tape, they want little snippets of what you’re capable of. And I’ve had News Directors tell me that eventhough your tape may be ten minutes long, they will NEVER make it that far. You have to capture them in the first minute or so.

How you do that is up to you. I’ve started tapes off with breaking news music and montages, or with a high-energy interview. It could depend on what type of job you’re hoping for or what the station specializes in. if you’re going for a job at a morning show or talk show, you might want to lay off of the “if it bleeds it leads” mentality. And vice-versa. But whatever you do, it should showcase the best that you’re capable of.

*alexis (www.10thfloorpr.com)