(August 27, 2015) A position that at first didn’t grab Chris Morales’ attention has turned into the first full-time opportunity of his broadcasting career. An STAA member, the New Jersey native has been hired as News Director/Play-by-Play Broadcaster at Chisholm Trail Broadcasting in Enid, OK.
“Although I will be pretty far away from home, I know that this is a necessary step for my career and where I want to go in my future.”
Morales received the job lead from STAA while he was broadcasting a Cape Code League baseball game. Even though he knew he needed to find full-time work quickly, he initially wasn’t going to apply for the Enid position. “After going back and forth, I ended up sending my resume and cover letter over, and the rest worked out as well as I had hoped. Thank goodness I went back and sent that application in; who knows where I would be now.”
The sports part of the position is what initially piqued Morales’ curiosity, but he is also excited about working in news. “It’s going to help me branch out and meet new people that I wouldn’t normally have met if I were to strictly stay involved with sports,” says Morales. “Being versatile and well rounded in the media market is crucial for excelling in the future, and I intend on being sharp in all aspects of broadcasting through this opportunity.”
Morales was the general manager of the campus radio station at Rutgers University. Since graduating last spring, he has learned that patience, proactivity and professionalism are critical to success in the sportscasting job market. “The image that you portray with your resume and cover letter can make or break an application.
“Above all else, I think being confident in yourself and your brand is perhaps most important. If you can portray excellence and confidence to employers, it automatically gives you a leg up against all other applicants within the market. That’s huge, especially for someone coming straight out of college.”
Morales has been an STAA member since January.
“STAA’s services have been so crucial from day one of my membership,” he says. “The work that Jon, Melodie, and everyone else in between put in for someone else’s success is remarkable. For a young 21 year old like myself straight out of college, approaching the job market can be one of the scariest things to do. The process becomes a lot easier when you know that you have an entire team behind you, backing you up and giving you hints and tips to best go forward into the job market. The advice and tidbits STAA has given to me have been absolutely outstanding, and have worked.”
“This feeling is amazing, and I’m ready to get to work!”
(Visit Chris’s STAA Talent Page).