One-way phone tag

Grape,

ND says they want to see some of your work for an opening they have.
You get it to them... couple of weeks go by... no response?
They forget about you? How should you handle that?

Perhaps the most common complaint I hear from job hunters, and one I made when I was a reporter, is the return call situation with News Directors. The above comment is typical.

You can run into one of the following situations:


-News Director calls, likes your work, says he'll get back to you. Weeks pass with no call.

-News Director calls, tells you he likes your stuff. Tells you to call him on a certain day. You do, but never get a return call.

-News Director calls and says he'll have a decision for you one way or another by a certain day. Day passes. A week passes. Agita ensues.


In my personal experience, two situations stick out. In one, I flew in for an interview Friday and was told by the ND as he dropped me at the airport that he would definitely make a decision on Monday. THREE WEEKS LATER he calls (while I'm on vacation) and offers me the job. In the second situation, I get a call from a News Director about a tape I had sent TWO YEARS EARLIER.

As mentioned before, lots of things can put hiring on the back burner. News gets in the way, stations want to save money, etc. Nowadays we live in a society in which no one wants to make a decision, which makes things even worse.

So waddaya do?

Well, if you're asked for samples of your work and hear nothing, it could mean those higher than the ND didn't like your work, the hiring got delayed, or any number of things. Wait patiently. I know, this is difficult, but everytime you call, your salary offer goes down. You can't appear too eager.

If you're asked to call and don't hear back, try again every few days. But after three tries, just wait.

If you're told a decision is coming on a certain day and it doesn't, do nothing. This happens more often than not.

TVNEWSGRAPEVINE, copyright 2011 © Randy Tatano

-