Maybe we can call this a "must-read" for anyone just starting their careers or thinking about getting into media. But by the time this post is over, it might be less of a "must-read" and more of an "avoid at all costs" read. Let's see how this bad boy goes...
I remember when I first left Lethbridge College and wanted to get into the "real world". It actually took me three months to find that first job. And to say it was a painful wait would be an understatement (just ask my parents, who had to put up with me moping around the house for that three months). But finally, Lloydminster came calling and I never looked back.
The interesting part about this is that I never really expected to get into the big cities right off the hop. Don't get me wrong, I applied EVERYWHERE. Even did a few interviews and had a few news directors keep in touch over the years. But, after doing my practicum in Red Deer and listening to my teachers tell us over and over and over again, I knew the likelihood of getting a major market gig straight out of school was slim to nil. But you'd be surprised how many new journalism students think they are "the exception" and that they're going to bypass the small towns and cities to land that perfect gig.
I had a conversation with a young lady not too long ago about this actually. She was dead-set that she was going to get on CTV here in Calgary right off the hop. She figured she was better than everyone else in her class and went so far as to say she was already better than some of the reporters on most TV stations in Calgary. I was a little beside myself. Confidence is one thing; ridiculousness is another. I told her she'll likely have to start in a place like Lloydminster or Yorkton, work her way up to a Lethbridge or Regina, and then maybe in a few years she'd be able to get to a major market. Nope. The smallest she's willing to start at: Saskatoon. Good luck with that.
By no means am I saying don't have dreams, kids. All I'm saying is set realistic goals. Ask just about any reporter/anchor in Calgary about where they've been and they'll give you quite the list. I was actually pretty lucky to have been given a kick at the can after just over a year-and-a-half in the business (two stops). And believe it or not, after a while, I knew I wasn't ready.
It's one thing to BE in the market, it's another to be ready for it. For radio, the expectations and workload are insane. You have to be an expert in everything, from council and school board to crime and the court system to business and agriculture. When I went back to Medicine Hat in 2008, it really allowed me to brush up on some of that stuff that I was flying by the seat of my pants on earlier in my career. I was able to go to councils, school boards, courts, you name it, and do it at a much slower pace than what happens in Calgary. It also gave me a keen understanding of how to develop stories at a much slower pace. In my first stint in Calgary, I was pounding out stories left, right and centre, but I'm not 100% sure I knew what I was talking about half the time. Going back to the smaller city, it allowed me to understand the processes a lot better. When you understand the processes, you can more fully develop the stories as you have a better understanding of how everything affects everyone.
But the most important thing (to me) that you gain from working in the smaller centres is you get a better appreciation for not only the industry, but the way you connect with people. And you would be surprised how often that can come back to help you when you're sent out to a smaller town to do a story. You're able to throw on the "small town charm". But that also helps in the city, because people tend to gravitate to that as compared to the "hard-nosed reporter" that you can't say two words around because it might be on the news that night.
Two words come from this: trust and integrity. You can learn how to build both of those in a small market so that when you get to the big city, it's almost second nature to you. Or you can start in the big centre, and if you flub up, best of luck to you in picking up the pieces of your career. Think of it as a poor man's "traveling the world". You get to see some places you normally wouldn't get to see. And who knows, maybe you'll actually like it there and decide to stay a while.
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