Entry-Level Positions For Aspiring TV News Anchors
To break into TV news, Kristen, an ABC7 News KGO-TV anchor, emphasizes the importance of multiple internships to build a demo reel, make connections, and find mentors who can offer guidance; she highlights the need to "give to them first before asking for help" by demonstrating self-motivation and offering assistance to busy professionals. Additionally, she points out that aspiring journalists can now create their own news stories and portfolios using their phones, gaining experience and showcasing talent before landing a job.
Internships, Mentorship, Self-Motivation, Portfolio Building, Entry-Level Positions
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Kristen Sze
TV News Anchor
ABC7 News KGO-TV
UC Berkeley
Political Science, American Studies
Arts, Entertainment & Media
Communication and Marketing
Immigrant
Video Highlights
1. Internships are very important to learn skills, make important contacts, and hopefully meet a mentor who can evaluate your work and offer guidance.
2. To gain a mentor, show them you are self-motivated and self-driven by offering help before asking for it, demonstrating your willingness to contribute and learn.
3. Start building a portfolio by creating news stories on your own using your phone and sharing them on a personal website or social media to gain experience before landing a job.
Transcript
What entry-level positions are there in this field that an undergraduate or a graduate student might consider?
What entry-level positions are there that an undergrad or a grad student might consider to get this position?
Okay, well, I definitely think it's very important to do internships. I did that in college, and it really paid off. I did multiple ones. So by the time I was ready to graduate and start looking for a job, I had an awesome demo reel ready to go, right? I even started sending them out a couple of months before graduation.
You want to intern at those outlets to learn skills, but also to make important connections and hopefully meet a mentor. If you can identify mentors who take an interest in you, who will help you evaluate your work and offer guidance, that is so important. So, definitely try to get someone to mentor you.
Remember, when you want to line up a mentor, you have to show them why they should invest in you. They're busy, working professionals, and can't invest in everyone. You have to show that you are self-motivated and self-driven. Show them you're going to be someone who will make it, because you will.
You have to give to them first before asking for help. For example, if I want a reporter to take me out on a story and work with me on writing, or a photographer to shoot my reporter, I can't just go and say, "Do this for me." I have to make myself useful first.
So, I'll say, "Hey, can I carry your tripod for you? Is your parking meter about to expire? I can run out and feed it." Or, "Hey, can I log your interview for you afterwards and transcribe it so that you can write it more quickly?" Give and show that you are helpful before you ask for something in return. I feel like that's something everyone should keep in mind.
Remember, not only is an internship important, but if you can get involved with school clubs that do that kind of thing, that's helpful. That experience will look good on your resume.
These days, unlike when I was starting, when everybody didn't have iPhones, you couldn't really do the work you wanted to do unless you were already part of a TV or radio station. But now you can. You can start putting together news stories on your own with your phone. There's no reason why you can't set everything up, shoot it, and put it together yourself.
So, do that. Start building a portfolio and put it on your own personal website, or on social media. That way, you can start gaining experience before somebody hands you a job.