As I perused through the trades over the last week, I was disheartened to see that there were several people in our industry have suddenly found themselves out of work.
As someone who has spent time on the beach, I wanted to share some experiences that I went through and what I learned along the way. In the past, I penned a piece with advice for those that have been fired.
What I wanted to focus on this week, was the next step, the actual job search process. Once you get over the trauma of losing your job, an even more frustrating and time-consuming process awaits. If you’re in that stage, here are some things to keep in mind as you go through that journey.
DON’T TAKE IT PERSONAL
When I was on the beach for 7 months, I interviewed for eight different jobs in eight different cities. I made it to the finalist stage EACH time. I knew that I was qualified for all these positions. In some cases, I was overqualified. All I ended up with were eight different rejections. Repeatedly I kept asking myself the same questions.
“How the HELL did they not hire me?”
“They hired THAT person??? WTF????”
People make hires for a variety of reasons and often it isn’t because you weren’t good enough for the job.
Here’s another thing- sometimes, they make the WRONG hire. Don’t take rejection personally.
MEND FENCES
Nobody is perfect. Odds are, somewhere along your career path, you pissed off somebody. Maybe it was your fault. Maybe it wasn’t. None of that matters. All it takes is one person to say something bad about you and it can cause irreparable damage to your future job prospects. Trust me, I KNOW that to be true.
Whatever the case, swallow your pride. Seek out the people you had tense moments with and try to make peace. Even if they aren’t receptive, it will speak volumes about your character to have at least made the effort.
KEEP NETWORKING
Whenever I meet someone who is looking for a job, I try an introduce them to as many people as possible. Like any industry, broadcast media is really about WHO you know. Do you have a friend who knows a friend who is a PD or a GM? Work those relationships. Even a ten-minute conversation on the phone can be worth ten times its weight in gold in terms of your prospects.
NEVER STOP WORKING
The great thing about our business is that you ALWAYS can continue to do a show. Creating podcasts have become all but turnkey. Platforms like YouTube and Twitch have given anyone with a camera and a microphone the ability to broadcast whenever and wherever they want. Take advantage of this. Do YOUR show. Don’t think about how many people are listening. You’ll stay sharp at your craft and provide potential employers something to listen to.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THE RIGHT JOB WILL COME ALONG
There are moments when, as much as I was told thus, I didn’t believe it. However, every talented job seeker has always ended up on the right side of the employment line. One way or another, the right job will come along.
Less than a year ago, I was sitting in my house, unemployed and wondering what I was going to do with the rest of my life. This past weekend, I was in the visiting radio booth at American Family Field, producing the White Sox Radio broadcast of their road series with the Brewers.
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A year ago, I never thought I’d be in this position, but it happened. It will for you, too.
Ryan Maguire is a columnist for BSM, and a longtime sports and news radio program director. He has managed KIRO-FM in Seattle, WQAM in Miami, 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh, 610 Sports in Kansas City, and 105.7/1250 The Fan in Milwaukee. Presently, Ryan serves as the Executive Producer of Chicago White Sox baseball on ESPN 1000 in Chicago. Originally from Michigan, Ryan still holds out hope that the Detroit Lions will one day deliver a Super Bowl title. He can be reached on Twitter @RMaguire1701.
