Something that many of you need to find in your Christmas stocking

I watch a lot of resume tapes. I see reporters chase down murderers coming out of court without fear. I see reporters knocking on the doors of victims without a conscience. I see spunky, take-no-prisoners reporters who act bulletproof during one hundred mile per hour winds.

And I talk to reporters who turn to jelly when it comes to job hunting. For whatever reason these journalists without fear act as though they've seen a mouse and have to jump on the table.

You know how many resume tapes I've watched over the years? Probably in the thousands. You know how many I remember that I didn't like?

None.

Here are some of the comments I hear when people are reluctant to send a tape:

-Will the ND think badly of me if I start my tape with this kind of story?

-Will the ND think I'm not experienced enough if I don't have enough live shots?

-Will the ND think I'm stupid for applying for this job?

Here's a newsflash. There are no "resume tape police" who are going to hunt you down if you send a bad tape, a tape that shows rookie mistakes, a tape that shows a lack of experience, or a tape that has editing mistakes.... or a tape the ND, for whatever reason, didn't like. I'm guessing that a lot of you think a News Director sits there with a clipboard and watches each tape carefully, then jots down notes on every one that gets ejected like this:

"Oooooh... Joe Reporter didn't have a walking standup in his montage. Let me write down his name so I'll never, ever hire him."

That sounds pretty ridiculous, doesn't it? The point is, NDs whip through tapes pretty fast. The ones they like get put aside. The ones they don't are forgotten. Forever. If your tape got ejected and you sent another tape three months later, the ND won't even remember that you sent one before... and more importantly... won't care. The only thing that matters is your work at the present time. Not what you looked like six months ago, not that you were a raw rookie two years ago, not that you changed your hairstyle since your last tape.

News Directors only remember the people they like, even if they like them just a little.

So, you have NOTHING TO LOSE by sending a tape to any job opening, do you?

Look at the good things that can happen if you send a tape.

-You can get the job.

-You can make the short list and get the next opening.

-The ND moves to another job and has you in mind for an opening at his or her new station.

-The ND might not hire you, but passes your tape on to another ND who might.

-The ND sees talent that needs to be developed and tells you to keep in touch. You might get a job in the future.

-You stop playing the "what if" game, as in "what if I had sent a tape?" (This always happens when you read that a person in your market got the job that you thought you weren't qualified for.)

So I'm hoping to put a big dose of job hunting confidence in your Christmas stocking. Send the tapes. Everywhere. You have absolutely nothing to lose but two bucks in postage. Nothing bad will happen.

Only good can happen.