"Get me outta here"

We've all been there. (Or, for those of you just starting your first job, you'll get there in no time.) Working at a job that simply sucks all the enjoyment out of what should be a fun career. Bad managers, run down buildings, cheap companies, backwater towns. Any or all can contribute to the feeling you have to get out as fast as you can anywhere you can.

And when you're in a bad situation, that is the worst thing you can do.

It's called "moving for the sake of moving." I've done it. Most in this business have. And guess what? Chances are, when you jump at the very first offer that comes along, you might just be going to a similar situation.

"Get me outta here" is the most common phrase I've heard from clients. I've said it to agents when I was a client.

Seriously, take a breath. Making a hasty decision to get out of a bad situation can set your career back.

Patience is a virtue that few in the news business posess. But when you're making a job change, you have to take a serious look at the opportunity. Wearing rose colored glasses to disguise what you don't want to see can land you right back where you started.

So evaluate every offer carefully. The first one might be great. Then again, it might not. Do your homework and check on the station, the company, management. If it honestly doesn't feel right, pass.

You might spend another few months in purgatory, but it might save you a trip to hell.