“How do I get to the next market?”

Sigh…that question. I’ve been asked that question personally by my mentees, I’ve seen it posed in social media groups. It CONSUMES some of you.

So, okay, here’s the answer: Work 👏🏼 for 👏🏼 it.

“Wait? We actually have to work hard to get where we want to go in life?”

Yes, my dear ones. Once again, I’m here to give it to you straight.

So, have you found yourself stuck in a situation where you seem to keep getting the same results over and over again? Have you applied everywhere, been interviewed, maybe even gotten a second interview then—slam—the door closes again? Have your coworkers moved on to “bigger and better things,” and you’ve applied at the same places thinking they’ll put in a good word for you…but you’re still not getting those jobs either?

Let’s go back to the basics. You’ve probably heard it all before: The smallest things add up, the smallest things make a difference. Truth is, they do.

Your behavior and habits are key.

Answer these questions honestly:

          1. Do you show up to work on time every day?

          2. Are you present at work? (You know, paying attention in meetings and such.)

          3. Do you always have a “ugh, I don’t wanna be here” or “I don’t wanna work today” attitude?

          4. Do you help others when they ask?

5. Do you offer to help others even when they don’t ask?

          6. Are you a team player?

          7. How is your phone etiquette?

          8. How is your email etiquette?

          9. Are you responsive to emails? (Do you even check your emails?)

          10. Are you nice to people?

          11.  Do you have good manners?

          12. Do you honor your word?

          13. Are you genuine?

          14. Are you dressing like you’re still in high school or a college freshman?

So, how did you do? Were you truly honest about yourself and your behaviors? Think about your answers.

Now, it’s time for more questions:

          15. What can you do to make a better first impression?

          16. How can you shift your mindset to have a more positive attitude?

          17. How can you improve your manners and/or etiquette?

          18. How can you be more professional?

          19. How can you build and maintain that reputation of professionalism throughout your career?

          20. Do you need to update your wardrobe to reflect a more professional look?

          21. Do you need to rebuild any burned bridges from the past? How can you do that?

Those are tough questions to ask yourself. Those are tough questions to answer. But if you want to get better, you need to.

The news world is a small one so if you’ve treated someone badly in the past, chances are… karma is going to hit you back eventually.

Notice I haven’t brought up any actual news skills until now. Yes, you should be working to improve your writing, editing, delivery, shooting, and so on. But I’ve been in this business for a decade now, and I can’t tell you how many people (who yes, have talent and skills) I’ve seen get rejected over and over just based on the way they acted and treated others.

Also, please know that you need to apply these concepts to social media as well. Maybe that ND you just interviewed with found you on social media, and that’s really what changed their mind.

22. Do you need to do an audit of your profile and photos?

Yes. That does matter. I had one GM tell me just two weeks ago that if they see a bunch of “party like” photos, they’ll automatically assume that you’re unreliable and a liability to the workplace.

So, beware of what you post.

If you’re in the clear, and that doesn’t apply to you, then great! However, I think we can all think of some news personalities who need to just quit working in local news, and become an “influencer” already….

That leads me to the last and MOST IMPORTANT question you need to ask yourself…

          23. Are you doing this job just for the applause, accolades, or likes?

If you said yes to that one, get out of the local news business. Please, for the sake of all of us who are in it to actually help other people. Just get out. Go pursue a career as an influencer.

Journalism is about helping OTHERS….not yourself.

The time to get serious about your career is NOW. Maybe you’ve made a few mistakes. Maybe some of these questions or statements hit you pretty hard. Guess what? That’s okay. We’ve all made mistakes. But are you going to learn from them or keep making them?

Growth is not pleasant. Growth can be painful. But what’s on the other side is so, so worth it. So grow! Learn! Fix! You can do it!

Get started. Today. 💪🏼☺️