Wouldn’t it be awesome if you knew an employer watched your TV reel and for how long they watched it?

You will know these things if you host your reel on YouTube.

YouTube’s analytics provide two key pieces of info about your TV reel:

1. Who is watching

YouTube’s analytics tell you the states from which your reel has been watched and when it was watched. If you applied last week for a job in Dallas and see that someone in Texas watched your reel on Thursday, you can feel confident it was the employer to whom you applied.

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Minor League Baseball teams can expect up to 200 applications for Director of Broadcasting and Media Relations positions. Setting yourself apart from such a large crowd can seem impossible. With a solid follow-up strategy, though, you can make yourself stand out.

The key is polite persistence.

Very few people get jobs without following up their applications, but the squeaky wheel really does get the grease. The trick is being persistent without being annoying, but where do you draw the line?
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Each time an STAA client gets a job, we post their success story on our homepage. The stories serve as motivation to others, and often provide keys for how you can win in the sportscasting job market. One of my all-time favorite success stories is that of Delaney Brey.

Delany went to work for The Media Gateway in Little Rock. What makes her story worth mentioning is that it is a typical story of job market frustration. What sets Delaney apart is that, instead of stubbornly doing the same thing, she made changes.

Here is her story in her words:

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How do you think it would go over if you told your spouse or your significant other that you were starting to look for someone new? At the very least, it would likely put a strain on the relationship. Worst case, your significant other tells you to get lost.

It works the same in the job market.

The best time to tell your boss that you are looking elsewhere is when you have accepted a job offer.

There is one rare exception that I will get to in a moment. However, if you tell your current employer that you are looking at other opportunities, you run the risk of four things happening – none of them good.
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Uh oh…I’ve heard from another sports broadcasting employer who is frustrated by lack of attention to detail from job seekers.

I’ve written posts based on employer feedback before. This is the latest.

While I was disappointed to learn that many of the careless job seekers in this scenario were STAA members, I am glad to have received the comments. The best way to learn about how to apply for broadcasting jobs is to listen to the employers who are evaluating your application.
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Each month, I probably read at least 30 cover letters from sportscasters looking for jobs.

Here are a handful of common mistakes that people are making.

1. Copy and paste

Other than changing the name of the school, some people sent the exact same letter for MSU as they sent for Clemson.

2. Not stating your reason for interest

State in your opening paragraph what is it about that school that is attractive to you. Be sure to make it about them, not about you. Writing, “This would be a good opportunity for me because….” is hurting your letter, not helping.

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“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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