First Jobs: To Call, or Not To Call?

BiB Contributor | George Howell

Here’s the scenario: you mailed your resume to the HR manager two weeks ago, and now you’re staring at the phone. No one has called you back about the job. You are desperate to get an answer. A yes! A no. Even a maybe would help give you a little peace of mind. Then, you ask yourself the question many have asked before, “should I just call the news director?”

It really all depends.

In most cases, the answer is no. Refer back to the job posting. If you see the words “no phone calls please” mentioned anywhere in the ad, I suggest that you definitely heed that warning. The phone can be your worst enemy! Patience is always the best policy. Hiring managers are usually bombarded with hundreds of resumes in response to a single television job opening, so the search can take weeks if not months. The best way to determine the status of a job search is to simply monitor the station’s website. If the position you applied for is no longer posted, chances are it has been filled. Job applicants who ignore the warnings about phone calls run the risk of putting themselves on the news director’s radar as the person who didn’t follow the rules.

If the job posting does not warn against calling directly, then it’s really your call to make (no pun intended)! Some news directors actually prefer applicants who take the initiative to call them! It’s up to you to weigh the risks against the possible rewards. Whatever you do, do not make the mistake of ignoring the warnings against phone calls on job ads. You don’t want to shoot yourself in the foot, before the race has even started!

Tags: breaking, broadcasting, calls, job, job posting, news, news director, phone