“They’re strong, but they all sound the same.” That’s what a network television executive told an agent who had just presented a group of sportscasters.

The sportscasting job market is undergoing a seismic shift: personality over polish.

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My parents gave me a lot of advice when I was growing up. Much of it I ignored, thinking they were wrong or that I simply knew more than them. Sometimes, though, when a coach or the parent of a friend gave me the same advice, I ran with it because it came from a different voice. Trying to help our members at STAA is sometimes the same way.

I have preached ‘til I’m blue in the face that cookie-cutter cover letters – form letters – do not work in the job market. Alas, not all of our members at STAA respect the message. I received the following email this week from the Program Director at a one of the nation’s most prominent sports radio stations.
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Do you remember the scene in Slap Shot when Strother Martin starts calling other teams because he knows the Chiefs are folding?

Here’s how to utilize your contacts to help you in the job market without sounding desperate like Strother Martin.
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An aspiring sportscaster living in Los Angeles saw an opening for a sports talk radio producer in South Carolina. He badly wanted the job in order to get his foot in the industry. Instead of mailing or emailing his resumé to the employer, he hopped on a plane and hand-delivered it. They were so impressed with his gumption that he got the job.

That aspiring sportscaster was Jonas Knox, who ended up being a sports talk host with Fox Sports Radio Network.
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It’s fun when employers share crummy cover letters with me.

I’m sharing two examples of dumb things sportscasting job applicants have written in their cover letters – and why you want to avoid making similar mistakes.

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With the cancellation or postponement of games, sportscasters nationwide are being challenged economically and emotionally for the foreseeable future because they’re losing opportunities to do what they love in covering sports.

As we all begin to grapple with the impact of COVID-19 in our lives, we invited members of the sports broadcasting community to share stories, feelings, frustrations, and strategies for staying positive.

The result was an encouraging 2-hour conversation with sportscasters from around the country. In this post we’re sharing some of the key takeaways, plus the audio and video replay of the community chat.
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An STAA member called me to vent about the job market. He’s been a small and mid-market sportscaster for more than a decade but has struggled to earn bigger opportunities. I asked him what he’s doing to follow-up his applications. His answer stunned me. In short, he said he doesn’t follow-up – that is ability should speak for itself and that he didn’t feel he should have to “brown nose” anyone for the sake of getting a job.

Wow! My jaw nearly cracked when it hit the floor.
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When I graduated from the Princeton of the Plains, Kansas State University, I thought I was going to immediately get a sportscasting job.

Nope.

It took seven months. I interviewed in person in Grand Island, NE and El Centro, CA and did a phone interview in Clay Center, KS. I finally got a job in the small town of McPherson, KS.

I wish I would have known then what I know now.
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