RADIO:

Record the following types of segments on to a cassette or CD-R that can readily be played by any radio station manger or program director:

1. A series of ad-libbed transitions from radio airshifts you have worked. These would come from aircheck tapes you have recorded – no music included, just the parts of your show where you were talking.
2. Ten seconds of an upbeat commercial you have recorded.
3. An extended ad-libbed transition during an airshift where you told a joke, used funny material, or handled a promotion or contest.
4. A station promotion you created or voiced.
5. Ten seconds of a low-key or intimate commercial you voiced.
6. A recording of you reading the news – short – standard news material.
7. Ten seconds of a PSA you voiced.

Remember, a radio manager will only listen to your aircheck 2 to 5 minutes. Put the best stuff up front. You might also list the items on the tape, should they want to skip ahead. By the way, don’t forget to give them a paper resume with your tape as well as a letter asking for employment.

TELEVISION:

Similar to radio staff, there is little time to spend watching applicant tapes, so always put the best work up front and keep the material moving. For TV, the position you are applying for will determine the type of tape you will put together. Tape should be 5 to 10 minutes. No bars and tone – use just a slate with your contact info.

For television performers, the tape should show a variety of situations that you handled while on TV in an edited montage of 5 minutes. Make sure to include a professional looking resume and photo of yourself.

For news positions, the edited montage should include face shots – standups, anchoring, remotes, etc. of what you have done. Keep the material moving and make sure it makes sense as the tape moves through the different scenes. It should be obvious what you were doing, but if not, a quick overlay of text stating the context wouldn’t hurt. Keep in mind that part of a reporter’s job is to edit video, so the montage should be cleanly and effectively put together by you. If you are applying for a “one-man-band” reporter position, put some footage you shot in your resume tape as well. The resume tape should be on VHS or DVD. You might want to call the station in advance to find out what tape format they prefer to use.

In general, make sure the resume tape is clearly labeled, making a nice looking package. Include a list of what is on the tape. Include the tape with your paper resume and letter. A photo might also be of interest to them. The nicer you can make your materials look, the more serious they will believe you are about being a professional. Make sure the look is business oriented, not artsy or extreme.