(April 17, 2019) Legendary Brooklyn Dodgers GM Branch Rickey famously said, “Luck is the residue of design.” By that definition, luck – – and ability — have landed Jesse Krull a sports anchor/reporter position at NewsChannel 11 WJHL in Johnson City, TN.
“I’m excited to be able to cover Division I programs like East Tennessee State and the University of Tennessee, along with Bristol Motor Speedway and plenty of high school athletics,” Krull smiles.
“I think this jump will really help me enhance my skills and grow me as a journalist and person.”
Krull moves to WJHL from KCAU9 in Sioux City, IA where he has been Sports Director since July 2016.
The Johnson City opening was emailed to STAA members on January 9th but Krull didn’t apply. “With South Dakota, Iowa and Nebraska getting in the thick of state tournament season with wrestling and both [boys and girls] basketball tournaments, I had a lot on my plate. Unfortunately applying for that job got pushed to the side,” he recalls.
Fate smiled upon Krull after a long day at the Iowa Boys State Basketball Tournament. “I woke up to an email from [WJHL News Director] Jay Quaintance saying he saw my reel on YouTube. He liked what he saw and asked if I was looking for job. I talked to him that week, along with [Sports Director] Kenny Hawkins and after a couple weeks got the job.”
Krull has been an STAA member since December. “I knew my contract had about eight months left. I reached out to a couple of agencies and they said they don’t represent sports talent. I wanted an agency that not only made its talent better, but also helped them along the way regarding searching for jobs. I searched and saw STAA and right away after reading the page, I knew it was a fit for me.”
A career challenge for Krull has been getting the attention of employers. “Mr. Quaintance told me that 141 people applied for my job,” he says. “When I heard that number it kind of took me back, but at the same time I knew this industry is competitive. I always know that I have to do anything to give myself the edge over people gunning for the position, so I can’t give people an excuse not to hire me.
“I was told there are two things you can’t teach in this industry: being prepared and hard work. There’s obviously other attributes that make people successful, but I feel if you’re strong in these two traits, which I pride myself on being, you’ll put yourself in a good position.”
(Visit Jesse’s STAA Talent Page).