Why won't anybody hire me? Have I been out of college too long?

ChicagoGuy1977

Newbie

Posts: 2

Why won't anybody hire me? Have I been out of college too long?

« on: July 08, 2011, 02:05:14 AM »

I graduated from college in May 2006 and got my Bachelors of Science Degree in TV Production. I work a part time job delivering newspapers. I have been trying, for years, to get a job at a local tv news station. But they all ignore my emailed resumes and cover letters. I keep applying to the same places over and over and get completely ignored. The only tv news experience is at the college news station. Why can't I get hired or even get an interview? Is it because I never interned? Is it because I have been out of college for 4 years? Or is it all of the above? I don't know what else to do here. I am over 30 and can't start my career. And I can't afford to go back to college. What am I supposed to do now?
My father keeps telling me that I need to forget tv production and my dream of moving to NYC and go to trade school and learn a trade and stay in my hometown the rest of my life.


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IKNOWALL

Newbie

Posts: 1

Re: Why won't anybody hire me? Have I been out of college too long?

« Reply #1 on: July 08, 2011, 02:15:29 AM »

TV Production, is that a real degree program? Sounds like you were trying to market yourself to a narrow angle of employment. For now, look toward something in retail even flipping burger would be a step up from newspapers.


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PE2008

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Posts: 22

Re: Why won't anybody hire me? Have I been out of college too long?

« Reply #2 on: July 08, 2011, 03:07:52 AM »

You made a very bad choice for a Major — "TV Production"??

Even when you graduated, there were far too many applicants for far too few jobs in this field.

Were you not warned while you were in college, or did you just choose to disregard the warnings?

You will probably never work in "TV Production". You need to salvage what you can and do something else. Maybe a Master's, or a second Bachelor's — or perhaps start an apprenticeship in a decent trade. It won't be cheap, but you have no other choice (except perhaps the military).


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SuperSteve

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Posts: 2

Re: Why won't anybody hire me? Have I been out of college too long?

« Reply #3 on: July 08, 2011, 03:50:16 AM »

Yes I believe combination of not having an internship and being out of college for too long...
Your best bet to land a TV job is through networking...get the word out through your friends, family etc...TV Production is tough to get into...suggest getting a part time job until you find one related to your degree...may be assistant to one of those TV people...that way you can network with people...


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Amaretta

Newbie

Posts: 2

Re: Why won't anybody hire me? Have I been out of college too long?

« Reply #4 on: July 08, 2011, 04:01:56 AM »

There are several things working against you:

1) You've been out of school too long without a job in your field. You should long ago have broadened your search to include TV stations beyond your own city. Look at smaller markets -- small towns in less desirable locations. Also, consider working with TV shows and not just news stations (although that might mean relocating to New York or Los Angeles);

2) Yes, you should have done an internship while you were in school. Internships provide practical work experience, as well as job references and potential job leads.

3) You should have found a full-time job in the past five years, even if it involved working outside your field. Working part-time and living at home makes you look like you don't have the hustle or ambition to work in an intense atmosphere like television.

At this point you either need to ramp up your job search or consider a different field. You might want to talk with a career counselor and see if you need to rework your resume or change how you're proceeding in your job search.


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Caligula

Newbie

Posts: 4

Re: Why won't anybody hire me? Have I been out of college too long?

« Reply #5 on: July 08, 2011, 04:22:45 AM »

Did you attend a public or non-profit college with a brick-and-mortar campus?

Are you applying for specific jobs or just sending in your resume over and over again?

Are you updating your resume and cover letter in response to specific advertised positions?

Are you contacting them by phone when appropriate?

Have you ever contacted them to ask what you could do to make yourself a more attractive candidate?

Have you been updating your skills on a regular basis?

Have you held any job other than paper delivery since college?

Have you been doing volunteer work that shows you are capable of holding full-time employment and working as part of a team?

Are you only applying to the same stations over and over, or are you looking also at stations you don't have any history with?

Someone who has spent the last 5 years working a part-time job that involves little interaction with coworkers and members of the public and who keeps submitting the same applications over and over even though they clearly weren't attractive the first few times is just not that attractive a candidate for *any* job. If I were you, I'd be doing my best to get a full-time job or at least a second (and maybe third) part-time job. That alone would make you more attractive; it would also enable you to save up so that you can continue to update your training. And your father has a point about learning a trade: if you make yourself employable *somewhere*, you will be in a much better position to get a job that will enable you to relocate to New York.


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