Omerta

Among the Italians, the word means "code of silence."

When job hunting in this business, it is best that you adopt this code, lest your career get hit with a management torpedo. In other words, don't tell anyone, and I mean anyone, where you're sending tapes, who you've talked to, what markets you like, or where you might be going on your day off.

I have two good friends who had offers in major market stations. Neither was breaking a contract. The NDs doing the hiring loved them, had made offers, and were preparing contracts. They had both gone through fantastic interviews and were making plans to move. In both cases their current ND found out and the offers mysteriously disappeared. The NDs who were ready to hire them no longer returned their calls.

Both of these people were very competent, had a ton of talent, and didn't have any ego problems. They were well liked in the newsroom.

So what happened? What was said? Who knows? Maybe the ND told the guy making the offer a contract existed when it didn't. Maybe he said the person was difficult to deal with.

Doesn't matter. The job offer was torpedoed.

Oh yeah, this happened to me as well.

Maybe your ND doesn't want you to leave. Maybe he's just vindictive.

Doesn't matter.

If the ND doesn't know where you're going, he can't launch a torpedo.

That's why you all need the code of Omerta.

So, here are the rules when hunting for a job:

-Tell no one where you've sent tapes.

-Tell no one what markets you like.

-Tell no one what openings you've just spotted.

-Only make job related phone calls on your personal phone. (Don't put your station's phone number on your resume.)

-Do not send emails from a station computer. (While they cannot hack into your email, they can print out every word you've typed and figure out what you've sent.)

-Do not do job related research on a station computer. If you want to look at station websites, do it at home. A manager can easily call up your history.

-If you have an interview and you're an on-camera person, don't talk to anyone that you don't have to at the airport.

-Don't even imply that you're looking for work.

-If you have to fill out an application, make sure you check the appropriate box which prohibits the new employer from calling your current employer.

-If you get an offer and turn in your two week notice, you do not have to tell anyone where you're going. You can do that when you get there.

Does all this sound like paranoia? Well, as the old saying goes, you're not paranoid if they really are out to get you. And sometimes they are.

Lots of people have had good jobs torpedoed. Don't let yourself be one of them because you cannot keep a secret.