Using Social Media to Get a Job in TV News

FTVLive has told you how social media mistakes help get you fired from your job. But, the upside is if you use social media it could also help you land a job.

A News Director that you have anxiously been waiting to hear back from calls to schedule an interview.

Immediately, you begin thinking what you can do in the interview that will leave them forgetting all other candidates.

Of course, the fundamentals apply: sharp suit or professional skirt, being on time, calm demeanor.

But you need to go in there with knowledge as well. 

Is the ND on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn?

If you find out the News Director is a huge Baseball fan, read up and be ready to talk about the latest blockbuster trade or other MLB news. It's a great ice breaker and immediately you're on his/her good side. 

Even if the ND is not on social media you know the station is.

Follow them and see if you can learn more about their news philosophy. Does the station lean more towards hard news or features? Do they do a lot of I-Team stores? See how they cover the news and use that to your advantage in the interview. 

You'll also be able to tell how they interact with the viewers on social media. You can see if the station has sort of a funny tone, if they put funny things out to try and get their audience engaged. Or is their page very corporate, very strict, careful?  Either way, that's going to tell you a lot about the newsroom and the person running it.

Watch clips of the station's newscast or stories posted on YouTube. You will be able to see how they package a newscast. It's like scouting a football team by watching film of them before the game.

Social media can give you info about the company and the person that will be interviewing you. You need to take advantage of that and it might help you land your next job.