Hometown applicants have an advantage

Ever notice how so many stations tend to promote the people who actually grew up in that market? There's a reason for that.

They're not going anywhere.

Awhile back we ran a poll on dream jobs, and "getting a job in my hometown" was the winner. More so than cracking the network, more people want to work in their hometowns; they already have roots, and getting a job back home would put the seemingly endless task of job hunting to rest.

News Directors know this, and that's why it is always more appealing to hire people who grew up in the market. If there are two people applying for a job and they're dead even in talent, the one who is from that market will more than likely get the job.

News Directors, for the most part, hate the job hunting process. The huge boxes of tapes, the endless interviews, countless phone calls to check references, and the crapshoot of actually hiring someone. By hiring someone who wants to come home, a ND knows he won't have to worry about that person leaving in two years.

It's one less person to hire.

Several years ago a friend of mine got a job in his hometown and told me, "I'll never have to job hunt again." That was ten years ago, and he's still there.

Recently one of my clients got a job in her hometown, and I'm sure she won't be making any resume tapes either. How did she do it? She laid the groundwork for the past year, visiting stations on her trips home, keeping in touch with News Directors, sending tapes every few months. NDs got to know her face to face, knew she wanted to come home, and saw her talent grow each time she sent a tape.

That's why I always tell you guys not to waste those trips home for the holidays. Visit your hometown stations, let them know that coming home is your ultimate goal. You may not find an opening right away, but you'll be in the back of the mind of a ND when the time is right.