(July 25, 2019) Derek Tate called a career audible and has scored a touchdown. After eight years in the health care and sales industries, Tate is now a full-time sports broadcaster. He is joining NewsNet & MI News 26 in Northern Michigan as a sports anchor and play-by-play voice.
In addition to daily on-camera, writing and editing reps, Tate will broadcast local football, basketball, baseball and hockey.
LinkedIn led him to his new opportunity.
“I was proactively introducing/messaging myself to higher-up employees on LinkedIn,” Tate recalls. “The President of a company called NewsNet responded to my message, which led to an interview this past November. I was actually denied the job — likely because I did not have a great demo.”
Tate thanked the company president for his interest, took every TV and play-by-play opportunity he could find, then reconnected with the employer this spring. “I updated my demo and followed up with a LinkedIn message in May. Once he saw my new demo, he offered me the position over the phone.”
Tate’s path to his new job was less-than-direct. He graduated from the University of South Florida with a B.S. in Mass Communications-TV News in 2010. A year later, he began work as a benefit consultant in the health care industry. In 2016 he transitioned to sales.
Realizing he wanted to pursue sportscasting, Tate enrolled in the Illinois Media School’s Sports Emphasis program. One of his instructors was former San Diego Padres broadcaster and fellow STAA member Andy Masur.
After Tate graduated from IMS in 2018, Masur suggested he join STAA.
“For five months I was unable to secure a full-time position in the sports broadcasting industry,” Tate says. “I overcame this frustrating period of time by simply saying yes to any opportunities I could get. I stayed consistent with updating my demos and following up religiously.
“Always continue to expand your network and hone your skills and the doors will open.”
Now, Tate is walking through one of those open doors into a full-time sportscasting job.
“The fact that I’m getting in-studio reps daily and I’m the voice of play-by-play for local station coverage feels great. The experience hopefully will make me very well-rounded moving forward.”
(Visit Derek’s website).