How to Get a Job as a News Anchor

The so-called glamour job of anchoring a newscast isn't as easy as it looks. But, if you're determined to become one of those smiling faces that reads the news to us on a daily basis, there are a few steps you need to take on your path to fame and fortune. Read on to learn more.

Instructions

Get an Internship

1. Get an internship with a local station, network or cable news network. Many internships are offered to students studying journalism, broadcast journalism or English through colleges or universities. Many of these are non-paying positions and you'll probably have to do everything no one else wants to do, but it's a good way to become familiar with the inner workings of the industry and begin building your resume.

2. Contact the intern coordinator in the station's newsroom. Be quick and brief, because these guys usually don't have too much time to spend on the phone conversing with you. Get the name and address of the person to contact.

3. Compose a well-worded letter, resume and assemble writing samples and video tapes, and mail the packet to the person doing the hiring. Typos and awkward sentence structure are deadly, especially when applying for a job in journalism, so make sure everything you send them is void of errors.

4. Wait about a week for a response. If you don't hear from them, follow up with a phone call to see if they've received your package. Persistence is the key to getting any journalism job.

5. Take advantage of the situation. Once in the door, look for opportunities where you can be a hero. In crisis situations, which occur often, take the next step to answer the phone, spot factual errors in scripts or respond to the situation quickly and efficiently.

6. Make sure you're getting something out of the internship. If you're just a lackey, talk to someone about it and tell them you want to do more.

Know Where You Want to Be

1. Choose between local or network broadcasting. Obviously there are far more opportunities with the local stations than with the networks or cable channels.

2. Decide on a career track. In other words, what do you want to be when you grow up? In TV news, these are divided into two categories, on-air and production.

3. Prepare yourself for a future of roommates, canned beans and leftovers as you work your way up the ladder. Entry-level salaries on either track are extremely low, with networks paying a barely livable wage and local stations paying even less.

4. Pick the production track if you want to actually assemble a newscast. Entry-level usually means reviewing hours of video tapes and lunch at your desk, but you'll eventually be doing everything necessary to build coverage into a story.

5. Choose the on-air track, and your best bet is to get a job as a reporter with a small-town station. To get these positions you should submit a resume tape, so the station executives know what they're getting.

The Interview

1. Dress to impress. Appearance is essential, especially in TV news, but don't overdo it. Look, clean, neat and well-dressed.

2. Keep up with what's happening in the world. Make sure you're current on breaking news: locally, national and world-wide. Be prepared to discuss a few of the major stories during the interview.

3. Tell the interviewer how you would cover these stories. Be objective and try to keep your own opinion out of it.

4. Get caught up on local news by reading the local newspaper. If you're seeking a network job, ingest everything you can from the New York Times, Wall Street Journal or USA Today. You need to be prepared to discuss any stories with the interviewer and show that you're keeping up with current events.

5. Volunteer to help if a story breaks during your interview. Show what you know. Just sitting there when a story breaks or picking up your hat and leaving is not going to impress anyone.