Hooks in the water

Grapevine,

I am a reporter with four years experience in a medium sized market. This is my second job and I am hoping to move on to my third ASAP. My search is pretty selective, I am trying to get back closer to home. I've sent out about seven tapes so far... with not much luck. Is this the point where I need an agent, or should I try more on my own.

Sincerely,
Two Months to Go

Dear Two Months,

Seven tapes is an extremely small number to send. Most people send forty or fifty to start... pick a dozen or more markets, eliminate the bad companies and the ones that use one man bands, and fire off the tapes. By sending only seven tapes, especially during a time of year when NDs are looking but not necessarily hiring (they tend to do that after Labor Day) you're really not putting enough hooks in the water to land a good job.

Do you need an agent? Sorry, no way to answer that question without knowing your current salary, talent level, etc. Most agents aren't taking clients unless they're confident they can place them at salaries of 50k or more. And be very, very careful when signing with an agent. Do your homework, find people who have used the agent, and don't fall for a slick sales pitch. You want an agent that will pitch your work, not just put your tape in a box with a dozen others, or give up on you after a month without results.

Your other problem is the timing... honestly, you guys should start sending out tapes six months before the end of any contract. Two months is a very short window to get all the stars to align. It happens, but you're making it difficult on yourself when you wait till the last minute.

However, take heart... I recently got a client who had four days left on her contract, and she ended up with a great job. But for future reference, take plenty of time for your job search.