Beaten down

I just got back into the business covering preps and hockey at a small 10K or so in southeast Minnesota. The SE there told me he got 40 apps from guys all over the country, and the job only pays about 25K a year.

When I applied, I thought I was a shoe-in. Experience, good clips, local guy, all that. When I got the job and heard how many people applied, I was amazed that I still came out on top.

This business is crazy

 

Take a look at the last part you say here: busting your butt, producing good clips, stuck here forever. If that's the way you truly feel, then most likely it's oozing out when you interview or inquire about a new gig. That's really easy for me to say, not being there, I realize that. But, when it seems you have little appreciation for the job you have right now, how can you sell aother manager on you interest in his/her available position. No one ever wants to hire someone who didn't have a pleasant appreciation of their last job (even if they're lieing).

Best of luck

 

great advice

 

Looks to me like you know quite a lot.

 

Years ago I knew a TV photog who worked in Eugene, but really wanted to get to Seattle - a huge jump that's pretty rare without a stop in between. He had a friend in a Seattle newsroom and went up to visit her. While he was standing with her in the newsroom the News Director walked out of his office and yelled "Does anyone know a good photog who wants to come here?" Apparently they were low staffed and another photog had just quit.

"I want to work here," the guy said, and he had brought a tape of his work just in case he had a chance to meet with management. He got the job.

 

Right place, right time.
I think every person in this biz can relate a similar story of how fate played a big role.
So, how do you beat fate? Sounds like another thread to me.

 

I'm doomed.

 

I'm not sure you can ever truly beat fate. What I am suggesting is that you can move the odds considerably in your favor.

If you and 99 other people simply reply to an ad, you have a 1 in 100 chance of getting the job.

If you proactively and aggressively try to make contacts, meet editors, send out query letters, etc., then your odds will improve dramatically. Maybe 1 in 100 becomes 1 in 10 or 1 in 5 or even 1 in 2. Big difference.

One other key benefit is that you will feel more in control of your life (or fate or whatever you want to call it) if you have an active plan you are working to manage your career, rather than just being one of the cattle who blindly sends out resumes hoping to land his or her dream job.

 

i love that kind of stuff

 

Between gigs years ago, I picked up the state high school media directory and, starting with the A's, called papers that might need part-time help. One of the A's said it did, and I was back in the game. Would have sucked if I had no hits before Zanesville.

 

I'm going to make a gross generalization here, but I think most hiring editors or lazy. They immediately gravitate toward people they know.

I know whenever we have an opening, it's always, "What about so-and-so from such-and-such?" Or, "why don't we just promote old whatisname?"

So, a lot of times in the business, it's about who you know. I got my current gig, basically, because I had a lot of folks on the inside giving me the thumbs-up to management.

 

It's all who you know. This is all fucking bullshit.