The back end of your resume tape

Traditionally, resume tapes run between five and ten minutes. You've got about a minute for the montage, then three packages, or a couple of anchor segments.

Traditionally, people will tell you that your tape should never run longer than ten minutes.

Well, guess what? You can make your tape as long as you like. Why? Because if a News Director is still watching after ten minutes, chances are he really likes your work anyway and probably wants to see more. If someone is still watching after ten minutes, you'll get a call, or get hired.

So, after your greatest hits montage and three best packages, what should you throw on the end of the tape?

Well, that's your chance to show your versatility. If you're a hard news reporter, throw a feature at the end of the tape. If you're a perky morning anchor, let's see a hard news package. If you're a weather or sports guy, how about a news package you did in a pinch. And if you're a general assignment person, a look at the time you anchored or filled in doing weather doesn't hurt.

The back end of your resume tape is free time. When dealing with VHS tapes, you've got a time limit, but with so many people sending DVDs, there's plenty of free space on the disc. Why not use it?

The resume tape police aren't going to come after you if your tape runs longer than ten minutes. If you've got some good stuff, it never hurts to add it to your tape.