In a short time some of you will be heading to Vegas for some old fashioned face-to-face job hunting. No emails, no text messages, no links to your website. Just you, one-on-one with someone who could hire you. If you've never been to RTNDA, it can be an eye opening experience.
My first convention was in the mid-80's, and I was of course armed with a satchel full of resume tapes. I had a one day pass that was given to me by a friend, so I used that time to meet as many NDs as possible. Everyone had a badge with his name and position. Reporters and anchors walked around checking out badges before faces. Since my badge said "reporter" no one paid attention to me.
I ran into a network executive I knew who gave me his badge after finding out I only had a one day pass. He was flying back to New York anyway. So the next day I had magically changed into "Network VP." All of a sudden I had all these women staring at my chest and smiling. (I know, you gals reading this are saying "Now you men know how it feels.") Now I was a guy who could change a career, and I had a parade of on-air people who wanted my time.
That's how many NDs will feel at RTNDA; their badges make them people who are in demand. All of a sudden they become rock stars at a convention.
Of course this year the turnout will probably be significantly lower than in years past. Back in the day even the cheapest stations sent their NDs to this affair. The good thing for you is that the bean counting operations won't be sending their people; so any NDs or GMs you run into will probably be from companies that are relatively decent.
Okay, so let's get down to walking the floor. The thing is usually set up like any other trade show, with booths all over the place. Companies will be selling weather equipment, editing systems, cameras, you name it. It's a toy store for NDs. But smart NDs are also keeping an eye out for good talent. It is also an opportunity to conduct interviews without spending money on plane tickets and hotels for job applicants.
First rule: dress for the job you want, not the one you have. I've seen reporters in jeans looking for jobs and some women who looked as though they were auditioning for an escort service. You need to look professional. Bring your best suits, your best outfits. You need to look as though you stepped out of a Spiegel catalog.
Second rule: it is up to you to make the first move. My "do not call" rule goes flying out the window at RTNDA. No ND is going to come up to you. You have to take the initiative. But be casual in your approach. Nothing too aggressive, as this is a casual affair for a ND. Introduce yourself, tell the ND a little about yourself, and then...
Third rule: You've gotta have a tape and resume ready to hand out. DVDs will save you a lot of space and weight in this case, and also allow a ND to look at your work immediately on a laptop. If you don't have something to hand out, this says you're the kind of person who isn't prepared.
There are also plenty of evening functions after the convention hall shuts down for the day. Some of these are open to everyone, some require an invite. You can usually wrangle an invitation from someone you meet. While these are still casual affairs for the NDs, you still have to maintain your professional look and attitude. And by attitude I mean do not drink alcohol at these affairs. You will probably see some managers hammered like they were still in college, but no one wants to hire a party person as a reporter or anchor, especially when the TV websites are frequently filled with stories about on-air people who've been arrested for drunk driving. Things are looser at these affairs, and you can easily strike up a conversation. Keep everything professional.
Collect business cards and make a list of everyone you meet. When you get home (or on the plane) write out a handwritten note to each person and stick it in the mail. NDs love on-air people who are old-school polite.
Any questions, fire away.
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