Julie Banderas

It takes a special kind of individual to enter the news business. From following leads to making the phone calls and sitting down for the interview every step is filled with hard work. Then throw Breaking News into the mix and may the best man win! Some of my most memorable behind the scenes moments include covering the Terry Schiavo case in Florida. A woman whose feeding tube was removed against the will of her parents and she was left to starve to death after a judge ruled in her husband’s favor. She was deemed brain dead with no chance of recovery and did not have a living will. The media circus that surrounded her hospice in the days and weeks after the story dominated national headlines was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. The competition between television networks to secure interviews with family members who would sneak in and out for visits got ugly. Prime-time television became a literal rat race every night with correspondents fighting to get the best interview and latest exclusive information to beat the competition. Another story I covered with plenty of behind the scenes drama was the Natalee Holloway disappearance. Getting the information from Aruba authorities was like solving a puzzle every day. The stories that would develop behind the scenes as the news came out of Aruba attracted a worldwide audience. If only they knew what happened before the cameras turned on. Physical family feuds, reporters scrambling to get exclusive interviews with the family stopping at NOTHING to step on each other’s toes and making sense of gossip and rumors in between every live shot(I was doing about 5 an hour.) The behind the scenes stories surrounding these two stories are endless and there are only two stories I have to share. There are many more!

Some of the smartest people I know are women and nowadays a higher percentage of women are the primary bread winners in their household. With this said don’t get caught up in the notion that being a woman makes it easier to be a success in the workplace. It’s quite the opposite actually. More and more, men and women are being treated equally in the workplace and as a woman who wants to stand out in my profession that means I have to work even harder. Be a step ahead of your colleagues, don’t get lazy and always think of what you can do to stand out. Don’t ever get caught up in workplace gossip. Not to say men don’t do this either but we females tend to relish in it and believe me it will hurt you. Make girlfriends. Women don’t tend to gravitate toward each other as easily as men. Make it a priority to make girlfriends. Your female co-workers are looking to get ahead and as women drive toward similar goals the competition sometimes gets ugly. You’ve heard the saying, “service with a smile.” Practice that every day. Don’t give anyone anything to say that isn’t positive about you. Offer to help your female colleagues and keep it professional. Work friends can become some of your greatest friends but proceed with caution. While your intentions might be in the right place believe me there are plenty of women out there who are out for themselves and will do anything to blow past anyone standing in their way.

Get the job in your head first then convince your future boss there’s no one else that could do the job better. When you go in for a job interview don’t expect to go in there just answering questions. Do your homework! You wouldn’t take a final exam without hours of studying would you? Consider the job interview a test. Only you go in flunking and have to turn it around to an “A” grade. Before the employer meets you he/she has probably interviewed at least a dozen other impressive candidates so the minute you walk in the door you are already a step behind someone else who walked in before you. You’ve got a lot of catch up work to do and fast! Time is money and employers don’t like you to waste their time. In 20 minutes you need to make them forget everyone else they’ve interviewed before meeting you and DON’T show up empty handed! Bring your CREATIVITY, suggest ways to help this company grow further. Bring your ENTHUSIASM, tell them this is THE job for you and why you can perform it better than anyone else. Bring your DETERNINATION to succeed, be confident but not over confident. I’ve made the mistake of committing the latter and I came across as cocky and didn’t get the job. An employer can see ambition a mile away but remember they can sense a fake as well. If you truly love the field you’re interviewing in don’t force it, let it come out naturally.