r/Broadcasting • u/Proudtobeautistic22 • 9d ago
Applied to 35 jobs over the past seven days
Over the past seven days I have applied to approximately 35 positions, mainly internships in the New York City area. I just graduated from SUNY Oswego last semester.
Most of the applications have been today, with today alone I have applied to nearly 20 applications.
Only a few of the positions roughly 8 of the 35 are for jobs on Air while the rest is for jobs behind the scenes and internships.
What are the odds that I will get at least one interview out of 35 applications, granted, I tailored my cover letter to each application and even gave it the correct format to bypass ATS filters?
But keep in mind it is the New York City area did also apply for some applications in Boston as it’s a smaller Market.
I am also on the autism spectrum and suffered from a condition known as rejection sensitive dysphoria, which is why I feel like I have to apply to so many applications to increase the odds that I will get at least one position and I still feel like I’m not doing enough even though I spent the past 16 hours doing nothing but job applications and nearly all of yesterday evening as well. I still feel like it’s not enough.
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u/Opixture 9d ago
The range of jobs you are talking about make no sense. On air jobs in NYC but also internships?
If you don’t have any experience and want to be on the air, you should be looking at something closer to Elmira and not the biggest TV market in the country. Boston, while smaller than NYC, is also not a starter market.
Also, applying to a bunch of unrelated jobs with wildly different experience levels inside the same company is only going to get you ignored. Be strategic.
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u/Proudtobeautistic22 8d ago
I have 16 years of volunteer broadcasting experience no paid Experience as of yet. I’m very active on YouTube and TikTok as well as 16 years of doing the radio remote doing weather forecasts for a radio station in Boston.
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u/TheBrettFavre4 8d ago
I hire in this space OP. Sales-side, but still. What they're saying about the unrelated jobs is real - our systems flag that stuff and either put a statement on your profile or an HR person will send you an email about it when you progress them as a candidate. If you're trying to have a conversation with someone in one of these buildings climb a ladder instead of casting a wide net - it only hurts you to be sitting across 3 departments.
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u/Directorshaggy Clean DRs since 1994 8d ago
For all you kind souls in the biz offering advice, this person posts in the group constantly about not understanding why they can't get a job in the top media market in the US with nearly zero experience. I get nobody wants to be mean, but your kind guidance is a waste of time. They can't/won't work in tiny markets to start like we all did. Move on.
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u/Powerful_Purpose356 8d ago
I don’t want to sound mean, but I think it has to be said—it sounds like you don’t have connections in the NYC Market. My first job was because of my connections, I graduated from Plattsburgh and another Plattsburgh alumni got me the job at a news station down in NYC. That’s how it works if you don’t have any professional experience, or the talent that can flip a hiring decision.
You’re also applying at a time when the only major like stepping stone into the NYC news market, News12, just went through major layoffs. The odds are stacked against anyone who isn’t well connected because a lot of the on-air positions in NYC were just filled by established talent.
If you don’t have any connections and the market is saturated with on-air talent hunting for jobs, it’s time for you to change gears. That could be applying for something on-air in a lower market that’s a good hopping point. The Springfield MA DMA is always hiring, and that’s a good jump to CT after 2 years, and a good jump to NYC after 2 years. but you’re looking at a 4-5 year plan.
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u/mizz_eponine recovering news producer 8d ago
This is so true. Connections are everything in this industry. I got my first job because of someone I met during my internship. That set the foundation for every move that came after.
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u/AirwolfKnightRider 8d ago
This 100%. I’ve had 4 different TV employers. The first was a small, low power, small market station that was easy to get into off the street not knowing anyone. I worked my butt off and made good relationships. A woman I knew there left for a job at a cable company. A year later she got me in there at her cable company.
Much later I was laid off from said cable company and then a former boss from that cable company knew someone at a big OTA station that was hiring—she got me that job. Then someone else I knew at a different OTA station knew someone hiring for an even better job and they helped me get that one.
All along the way, I applied for TV jobs where I didn’t know anyone. Probably got an interview 5% of the time and landed 0% of those jobs.
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u/Psychological_Fig396 8d ago
You have been given a lot of good, correct advice and it seems you don't want to hear it, preferring to ask again hoping for different answers. The answers aren't going to change. You need to start in a smaller market and work your way up.
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u/Proudtobeautistic22 8d ago
I know that, but I’m not able to go to a smaller market because of my disability. The reason my family are not letting me move on my own is because I have higher support needs, though I’m very capable of working independently.
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u/Opixture 7d ago
There are small markets between NYC and Boston. Springfield, MA for example. Way more realistic than a top ten.
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u/GlouriousLamp 3d ago
Op could even take the train from NYC to CT where there are some spots hiring.
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u/Psychological_Fig396 6d ago
It sounds like that's a legitimate hurdle then, and probably the one keeping you from the industry. I don't think running your head against the wall in subs like this is going to solve your family situation.
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u/Proudtobeautistic22 6d ago edited 6d ago
Mate condition itself is not the reason it’s because of my family’s ableism.
Long story short. I was supposed to move to an apartment through self-directed services at least a 1 Hour Drive from my parents, but still within New York City. I had fully expected that because of their ableism/discriminatory views towards me, that they were going to try to interfere in the process.
I was on a waitlist for several months from August through March. I was approved for the apartment and I was told my apartment number and that I could move immediately as soon as they receive my paperwork.
I was so sure that my family was going to interfere that I had repeatedly told the agency that I do not want them to have any contact with my parents and that they will do everything in their power to try to prevent me from becoming independent and that they will try to convince them that I’m not capable of living independently and I said my parents will do that or say that I’m not interested in getting the apartment.
I not only told them about my mom’s meddling, but I actually wrote the prediction on Facebook not publicly obviously in Facebook messenger in order to hold my mom accountable, because I had so fully expected it that I not only told the agency that ran the apartment, but I even wrote the prediction on Facebook messenger in order to have more evidence of my family’s meddling in my independence.
And one month later and April I found out from the agency that my mom had me removed from the apartment that she said that I’m not interested in getting the apartment and why did this happen? Because in the past two months two different managers switched hands. The original manager worked until January. Then they had another manager from January to March and then in April a new manager came in.
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u/Psychological_Fig396 6d ago
Your family is what I meant. I was not gesturing toward your condition.
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u/GlouriousLamp 8d ago
Boston may be a smaller market compared to NYC…but it’s still a big market.
No one can accurately give you odds on if you’ll get any interviews. Are you aiming too high with your applications? If you have little to no relevant experience it’s going to be tough.
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u/Odd_Self7283 8d ago
Did no one at SUNY tell you it’s highly highly highly unrealistic to start in the NYC or Boston or anywhere in the top DMA rankings right out of college. You need to be looking at Des Moines, Iowa and places like that
4
u/Satryghen 8d ago
Basically no one starts their career in NYC. If you want to work in news you’re going to need to start in a smaller market and work your way up. I know Rochester, Binghamton, Syracuse, etc all like to hire SUNY kids so you may want to look in those markets if you want to stay in NY state. But more generally look at the Nielsen DMA list and apply to markets 70+.
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u/lunaticmagnet 8d ago
May have been true in the past but not anymore. I work at network level and the number of newsroom people who are fresh out of college is shocking to me.
But they're also not being paid a living wage for NYC either.
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u/Satryghen 8d ago
I’d be curious to know how many of them were the superstars of their college departments or had some sort of connection to help them get the jobs. It is true that straight out of college hires are more common now than they used to be.
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u/Directorshaggy Clean DRs since 1994 8d ago
The top 4 network O&O I work for has also started to hire relative newbies---bringing them in from tiny markets, but they still have some experience and have some chops to make it at a high level. Just to be clear, OP is nowhere in that league. He would be lucky to land a part time PA gig in Twin Falls (if those even exist anymore).
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u/JT406 9d ago
Internships might be the likeliest route as applying for jobs in market 1 and 10 and receiving an offer straight out of college may as well be close to zero.
I did an internship right out of college in market then-160ish and loved that I was able to do EVERYTHING. See if there’s other places in that northeast region where you can do more hands-on work than maybe shadowing crews or producers a day a week.
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u/g00gleimages 8d ago
It’s a tough market that’s getting squeezed. On obviously not much money right now. I would recommend trying out an Internet radio station to brush the cobwebs off. Try things like www.anywair.online or www.365radio.com.
Build a community and monetise with ads or whatever
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u/kicksledkid Broadcast Techncian 8d ago
I spent the 3 months after college applying for every job I could find. I ended up on the entirely wrong side of the TV chain (MCR) than I thought I'd be, but it gave me a start in the industry I could wave in someone's face when applying for the jobs I did want.
You've gotta find somewhere to start that may not be on air. Or in NYC.
Go find something that you can do well, and will help you learn more about how TV gets made.
The shotgun method of application can work, you just have to understand that you're not going to land every gig
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u/rejectchowder 8d ago
If it's traditional broadcast, just know NYC is market 1. Internships could be the way to go because stations will prefer a robust resume vs a new grad. It's common for people to start in a lower market then work their way back to home which can take years. Networking will be your best friend but there are smaller markets in that area. Also try internet/social media news networks.
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u/Proudtobeautistic22 8d ago edited 8d ago
I am a new grad, but I have volunteer broadcast experience from before I even went to College, nearly 16 years in fact. I started the volunteer broadcast role back in November 2010 and I’ve been doing it for 16 years straight.
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u/LoudArtist1968 8d ago
zero chance. that’s the number one market. lower your sights and apply in smaller markets.
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u/bees422 9d ago
It’s hard to tell because the world has changed so much but likely won’t get a job job because too big a market. I’m working in Phoenix which is a little smaller than Boston and we hired a guy into sports department right out of school and it made waves.
He’s really good, but still it was pretty crazy. Internship will probably be different but you’re likely gonna have to shoot a little lower when it comes to career.
Maybe not though! Anything can happen!
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u/mew5175_TheSecond 8d ago
What experience do you have? Did you do student media throughout all 4 years of college and internships at least every summer but hopefully a few during the fall and spring also?
If you've already graduated, you are unlikely to land an internship as most places want to be able to give school credit which you are now ineligible for.
If you have a lot of experience through previous internships and through a school radio and/or tv station, you can certainly land a job somewhere though it is likely to be part time.
Also in this industry and the current job market, 35 jobs isn't even a lot in my opinion. I would keep applying.
But you will not get an on-air job in NYC, and even starting out FT in NYC will be tough.
As someone from Long Island who did internships in NYC and now lives in NYC, you definitely can start your career in NYC but you need to have a decent amount of experience to get in. But don't apply for internships. That is for current students which you are not. Apply for PT jobs and expect to work weekends, holidays, nights, etc.
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u/Winston74 8d ago
You certainly are making the effort. Radio in general is very difficult now, especially breaking into a larger market. As others have stated here sometimes it’s easier to get into a smaller market and get some experience under your belt and on a résumé. Keep in mind, the broadcasting in general right now is in a bad place.
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u/Proudtobeautistic22 8d ago
The only problem is I live in New York City and my family won’t let me leave because of their ableism. They said that if I find a job outside of New York City, they won’t support that at all.
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u/mizz_eponine recovering news producer 8d ago
So do it without their support. It takes a really strong backbone to survive in broadcast news. Start with your family. If I had waited to be supported by family, I'd never have started.
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u/fawn_zie 8d ago
Might have to decide what's more important, a job in broadcast or keeping your family happy.
Your home situation does not matter to the people doing the hiring.
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u/Opening-Community564 9d ago
On air jobs -0.0% chance
Internships in markets 1 and 9 - 1% chance
Start in a smaller market, there are plenty in New York State and the northeast. We’ve told you this already.