Imagine being my age: 44 and having to learn how to do something that you've never seriously had to do in an era where the way that you go about doing it changes pretty much daily. That's what I'm dealing with right now.
No, really, if any of you are former TV people, you know that you didn't have to do a "Traditional" or "Normal" job search. TV Jobs...at least up until recently weren't that hard to find...or get. If you knew of a market you wanted to work in you either made contact with someone there or you probably already knew someone there; when you heard they had a job opening, you sent a tape...if it was a good tape, you'd probably get the job.
I've had 6 of them in TV. Jobs that is. Each time, I didn't have to work very hard to get them. Probably the longest was when I was looking to leave Jacksonville, Florida in late 1994. It took a few tapes and about 2 months. But after starting in November, I got a call the 1st week in January from someone who wanted to hire me because he liked my videotape.
I'm finding out now, after moving to a town where I basically don't know anyone, that for most other jobs and even now TV, it doesn't work like that anymore. It's all about networking. Meeting people and meeting people who know people. And then meeting people who know people who know people.
The 1st lesson that I've learned: Join a Networking Group. I got lucky. When my wife Michelle got her transfer here to Cincinnati, they assigned a local company or "Concierge" service to help with the transition. One of the people in the company took an interest in my plight (Moving here without a job) and got me introduced to a couple of people...who introduced me to a couple of people and so on and so forth.
I joined 2 Groups after meeting with these people and though I haven't found a job yet, I now know where to look and who to get in touch with. (more on that in another posting)
Enjoy Dr. Fever:
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