VCU Mass Comm Week

After attending one of the Mass Comm. Week seminars yesterday, many people were able to better grasp the idea of getting their first job in broadcasting.

Sheryl Barnhouse and Frank Jones both speakers at the "Getting your first job in Broadcasting" seminar. Despite the fact they are each other’s competitor, both of them have the same job at their respective stations, Assistant News Director.

Barnhouse, who works for channel 6, and Jones who works for channel 12, both gave imperative information and quality tips that could would be beneficial to any student interested in a broadcasting career.

First, both of them went through their job descriptions and other jobs that are available in a new room. The biggest tip of the seminar was the fact that everyone needs experience in order to become a qualified candidate for being considered as a job prospect.

"An internship I think is key to starting out, that’s where I started out, I actually interned at a station in Greensville for 3 years." Barnhouse said. "I think I had 15 college credits before I graduated. That was defiantly the best experience I that I could have gotten."

Another great tip was brought up by Frank Jones; he spoke about what people needed to know before they get a job in broadcasting. The 3B’s are essential.

3 B’s
Be Prepared: when you go in your first interview, in terms of where you are looking and what kind of job you want.
Be Realistic: that not everyone is going to be an anchor or a reporter and the majority of the time it is difficult to get one of those positions right out of college.
Be Willing: to experiment and start out by doing some other job, other than an anchor or reporter. Other jobs are critical to the news room as well. Be willing to consider other things that you might not have thought about.

When preparing to get your first job you need to put a tape together, which is basically a video of you show casing your skills and a montage (on camera in different locations, quick snippets) of clips in the beginning. Many students can gain this experience from the VCU Insights program. When making your first tape to send out to news station Frank Jones just warns about being able to dish it and take it.

"Be willing to take a lot of criticism and a lot of feedback, because news director in this business are not afraid to give it." Jones said. "And they will give it."

The hiring process includes submitting your tape; resume and having well verse knowledge of current events to take with you to the interview. The seminar was very helpful when deciding the steps to make and the right direction to take when preparing for your first job. Both guest, Sheryl Barnhouse and Frank Jones were very knowledgeable and interested in helping the Mass Comm. majors here at VCU.

Barnhouse is an East Carolina graduate and has been working for channel 6 for 10 years. Jones is a University of Tennessee graduate and has been working at channel 12 since 1993.

Devin Peyton, a senior Broadcast journalism major attended the seminar as well.

"I didn’t like it, I felt like it was deterring people from their dreams, it was very informative but I didn’t like how they were presenting the information." Peyton said