Station visits: the body language of a staff can tell you a lot

These days many people are being hired for their first jobs over the phone. It's pretty hard to judge a person when you can't look that person in the eye (can Skype interviews be far away?) so it's a crapshoot for both the person doing the hiring and the prospective employee.

But most stations that take the hiring process seriously will bring candidates in for interviews. And during those interviews, those candidates will more than likely be dropped in the newsroom for a few hours to see how they blend with the staff. The ND usually will ask members of the staff what they thought of the candidate later.

If you're visiting a station, whether you've been invited or just dropping in during a road trip, it's always wise to chat up as many people as you can. But while doing that, keep an eye on the rest of the newsroom staff. As Yogi Berra once said, "You can observe a lot just by watching."

Pay close attention to the overall mood of the newsroom. Are people friendly toward one another, chatting away, or simply working silently in their cubicles? What happens when the News Director enters the room? Do people suddenly stop talking and sit up straight, as if afraid, or does the atmosphere remain the same? Do kid producers order people around, or do they act friendly to the field crews? And don't forget to visit the photog lounge... you'll get more honesty there than anywhere.

The problem with most interviews is that you're there because you want a job at that particular station; but you need to remove the rose colored glasses we all wear when job hunting. If there are red flags, you need to be alert and objective in order to spot them. Otherwise you could find yourself going from one bad situation to another.