(September 19, 2016) When Ryan Ruff received notification from STAA of a job opening at WETM-TV in Elmira, NY, he recognized it as the station where one of his college friends works. She put in a good word and now they are co-workers. An STAA member, Ruff has joined the 18 News staff as a news/sports anchor/reporter.
“The job will allow me to sharpen my reporting skills in both areas (news and sports) and make me more marketable for future jobs in larger markets,” says Ruff.
A 2016 graduate of Penn State University, Ruff spent considerable time in University Park honing his craft on the student radio and TV stations. It was at PSU’s Comradio where he met Amy Simpson, now a news anchor at WETM. Simpson gladly recommended Ruff to the station’s news director. “I believe the news director took her advice into account and made the decision to give me a phone call. Penn State’s alumni network is a beautiful thing,” Ruff smiles.
Prior to interviewing for the position, Ruff studied techniques on crushing the job interview. “I have found numerous STAA videos and live chats to be extremely helpful,” he says. “I must have reviewed “Winning the Job Interview” 100 times before I met with the news director.”
Shortly after interviewing, Ruff accepted the offer to join WETM’s news and sports staffs. “Trust me, I’m a huge sports guy, but when an offer that would allow me to get my feet wet in different areas came along, I had to bite.”