A LARC Success Story - Trevor Connor
Trevor Connor hired by News Channel 9 El Paso. Trevor was offered 3 different reporter jobs with his LARC tape. He talks about why he chose Texas in the LARC interview.
1. Why did you choose LARC to help you with your resume tape?
Trevor: Well, I put together a tape from my school news show before I graduated from college and sent it out to a handful of small-market stations in early June. After a month, I had no responses and I started to think that news directors weren't taking my tape seriously because of the content. Around the same time, I found out about LARC and was really impressed by the number of people that went on to get jobs in the industry after doing the clinic. At first the cost seemed pretty high, but after going through the experience it was worth every penny.
2. You got three different offers before taking the job in El Paso. Were you prepared for that?
Trevor: It was definitely a case of "when it rains, it pours." I started sending out my LARC Tape in mid-July, and a month later I started hearing from stations. An email from Idaho Falls. An email from El Paso. A call from Wassau-Rhinelander. A call from Jefferson City. This all happened within a span of two weeks. What's interesting is that Idaho Falls, Wassau-Rhinelander and Jefferson City all offered me reporter jobs right away. El Paso didn't because there were no positions available (even though the news director really liked my tape and wanted to hire me). I liked the idea of starting in a Top-100 market like El Paso, so I decided to take a risk and turn the other three stations down. I had to wait until November for a news reporter job to finally open up there but a better climate, higher market and more exciting news environment made it worth it in the end.
3. Describe the job interview? What questions were asked and what did the news director want to know about you?
Trevor: What many people don't realize is that the actual interview is conducted over the phone, not in person. If a news director likes your tape, then he/she will call you to find out more about you. My boss asked me why I wanted to be a news reporter, what previous experience I had, what my approach was to writing stories and how I would come up with story ideas.
If the interview goes well, you could get a job offer before you ever see the station or the town it's located in.
4. You're on the job reporting now. What were some of the techniques you learned at LARC that are helping your today?
Trevor: The one thing I learned at LARC that is helping me the most right now is how to structure a story. Before the clinic I had no idea how to use natural sound and compelling video, no idea where to put the who, what, when, where, why and how of a story, and no idea how to end a story. After doing the writing workshop, I now have the ability to report on any kind of story that comes my way AND make it really, really good.
Another thing I learned at LARC that is helping me a lot right now is how to be a quick writer. I'm working the morning and afternoon shifts during the week and nothing has made my producers happier than finishing a VOSOT for the 5:00 pm newscast at 2:00 and finishing a package for the 6:00 pm newscast at 3:00. Plus, it's easy on the nerves when you don't have to worry about meeting deadlines because you've already finished your work so early.
5. Finally, what's the best advice you can give to people trying to break into the news biz?
Trevor: Besides signing up for LARC and having Jay Jackson help you put your tape together? I'm not kidding when I say that you need a tape that news directors are going to take seriously, so whether you put it together at school, at an intership or at LARC, you need to have material that will grab someone's attention. And there's no better of a combination to have on a tape than raw talent and great stories.
I advise people to be resourceful. Wikipedia.org has a list of all 210 television markets in the United States, with links to the websites for all of the news stations in each market. And each news station usually has a "Job Opportunities" page with listings for anchor and news reporter openings. This was the easiest way for me to pick out a starting point and move forward in the job search process.
I advise people to be persistent. After sending out a resume package, you should also email the news director a copy of your resume and clip of your tape. Then call the station and leave a message on his/her voicemail letting them know what you sent them. Sometimes email adresses won't be listed or stations will tell you not to call. Do whatever you can to get their attention.
I advise people to be patient as they pursue their first job. It took me five months between the time I sent out my first tape and started my first day at NewsChannel 9. You'll spend a lot of time putting together resume packages and a lot of money mailing them out. It can get frustrating sometimes, especially when you go a couple of weeks without hearing from anybody. But just when you think nobody's interested, you'll get some calls or emails from a few news directors at the same time.
Finally, I advise people not to be afraid to send their tapes to higher markets. By the time I heard back from NewsChannel 9, the idea of working in El Paso was an afterthought. I was mailing my tapes to smaller markets with the thought that it would be easier to get a job that way. Then I thought about how great it would be to get my first job in a market where people usually get their second job, so I decided to go for it. The moral of the story: While one news director might take a look at your tape and never call you back, another might take a look at your tape and think you have a lot of potential. You just never know.
Trevor: Well, I put together a tape from my school news show before I graduated from college and sent it out to a handful of small-market stations in early June. After a month, I had no responses and I started to think that news directors weren't taking my tape seriously because of the content. Around the same time, I found out about LARC and was really impressed by the number of people that went on to get jobs in the industry after doing the clinic. At first the cost seemed pretty high, but after going through the experience it was worth every penny.
2. You got three different offers before taking the job in El Paso. Were you prepared for that?
Trevor: It was definitely a case of "when it rains, it pours." I started sending out my LARC Tape in mid-July, and a month later I started hearing from stations. An email from Idaho Falls. An email from El Paso. A call from Wassau-Rhinelander. A call from Jefferson City. This all happened within a span of two weeks. What's interesting is that Idaho Falls, Wassau-Rhinelander and Jefferson City all offered me reporter jobs right away. El Paso didn't because there were no positions available (even though the news director really liked my tape and wanted to hire me). I liked the idea of starting in a Top-100 market like El Paso, so I decided to take a risk and turn the other three stations down. I had to wait until November for a news reporter job to finally open up there but a better climate, higher market and more exciting news environment made it worth it in the end.
3. Describe the job interview? What questions were asked and what did the news director want to know about you?
Trevor: What many people don't realize is that the actual interview is conducted over the phone, not in person. If a news director likes your tape, then he/she will call you to find out more about you. My boss asked me why I wanted to be a news reporter, what previous experience I had, what my approach was to writing stories and how I would come up with story ideas.
If the interview goes well, you could get a job offer before you ever see the station or the town it's located in.
4. You're on the job reporting now. What were some of the techniques you learned at LARC that are helping your today?
Trevor: The one thing I learned at LARC that is helping me the most right now is how to structure a story. Before the clinic I had no idea how to use natural sound and compelling video, no idea where to put the who, what, when, where, why and how of a story, and no idea how to end a story. After doing the writing workshop, I now have the ability to report on any kind of story that comes my way AND make it really, really good.
Another thing I learned at LARC that is helping me a lot right now is how to be a quick writer. I'm working the morning and afternoon shifts during the week and nothing has made my producers happier than finishing a VOSOT for the 5:00 pm newscast at 2:00 and finishing a package for the 6:00 pm newscast at 3:00. Plus, it's easy on the nerves when you don't have to worry about meeting deadlines because you've already finished your work so early.
5. Finally, what's the best advice you can give to people trying to break into the news biz?
Trevor: Besides signing up for LARC and having Jay Jackson help you put your tape together? I'm not kidding when I say that you need a tape that news directors are going to take seriously, so whether you put it together at school, at an intership or at LARC, you need to have material that will grab someone's attention. And there's no better of a combination to have on a tape than raw talent and great stories.
I advise people to be resourceful. Wikipedia.org has a list of all 210 television markets in the United States, with links to the websites for all of the news stations in each market. And each news station usually has a "Job Opportunities" page with listings for anchor and news reporter openings. This was the easiest way for me to pick out a starting point and move forward in the job search process.
I advise people to be persistent. After sending out a resume package, you should also email the news director a copy of your resume and clip of your tape. Then call the station and leave a message on his/her voicemail letting them know what you sent them. Sometimes email adresses won't be listed or stations will tell you not to call. Do whatever you can to get their attention.
I advise people to be patient as they pursue their first job. It took me five months between the time I sent out my first tape and started my first day at NewsChannel 9. You'll spend a lot of time putting together resume packages and a lot of money mailing them out. It can get frustrating sometimes, especially when you go a couple of weeks without hearing from anybody. But just when you think nobody's interested, you'll get some calls or emails from a few news directors at the same time.
Finally, I advise people not to be afraid to send their tapes to higher markets. By the time I heard back from NewsChannel 9, the idea of working in El Paso was an afterthought. I was mailing my tapes to smaller markets with the thought that it would be easier to get a job that way. Then I thought about how great it would be to get my first job in a market where people usually get their second job, so I decided to go for it. The moral of the story: While one news director might take a look at your tape and never call you back, another might take a look at your tape and think you have a lot of potential. You just never know.
Great advice, Trevor. You're going to do great. Congratulations!
