East Coast to Idaho is a big move in terms of both miles and mindset. It’s the move Eric Moon is making, though. The STAA member is the new Sports Director at KIFI/KIDK LocalNews8 and News3 Now in Idaho Falls.
Moon admits, “No doubt, it was a little scary to move from Virginia all the way to Idaho less than a month after graduating college.” But after weighing the pros and cons of moving to Idaho for work, Moon says he couldn’t come up with a con.
“This job presented a fantastic opportunity for me to start my career in a great role in a great market. Starting as a sports director is an incredible opportunity straight out of college. Plus, this job would give me a chance to explore another part of the country I have never been to before and cover some different teams and sports too.”
Job market strategies
Moon did two things that were especially helpful in his pursuit of the position. The first was not limiting himself. He applied for sports anchor/reporter, play-by-play, and production jobs across the country to get his name out there. He wanted to give himself a better chance of finding a great job to start his career.
The second was improving himself. Moon tried to keep a positive outlook and get help from friends and coworkers on his reel, resume, and cover letter. He admits, “Before [the station] contacted me, I actually had not been contacted for an interview by anybody from any other places I applied to. But, with the help of friends and coworkers, I knew I was doing the right things and something great would eventually happen, and it did.”
Mentors
One of those coworkers was Scott Hecht, his boss at ESPN/ACC Network Syracuse where he worked during his four years at Syracuse University. Moon says, “Scott Hecht has been a wonderful mentor to me.” He adds, “In those four years, Scott, Kristin Hennessey, and many other great coworkers helped me learn the industry and gave me tips for how to attack the job market and how to breed success in this industry.”
Moon first heard of the opening with KIFI/KIDK through an STAA jobs leads email and applied within a couple of hours.
Moon has been an STAA member for three years. “My dad actually found STAA and I subscribed once I got to college. He searched for sites or places I could use to help start my career and I’m grateful he and I stumbled on the STAA site.
“My STAA membership has been beneficial for making connections and learning the industry. I know I can, for example, post my reel on the site and not just get helpful feedback from industry professionals, but also connect with those professionals through the feedback. I’m very happy with my membership and it’s been very beneficial to my career and the career of many other friends and coworkers.”