Television News Anchor Interview Preparation Guide

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Not sure of how to answer this question? Remember that this isn’t a time for a job-seeker to bad-mouth your boss or previous employer. Doing so will be a red flag and create a problem that could hurt you as early on as during the phone interview.

What this question is really getting at is why you are looking for a new job at the place you’re interviewing. So even though it’s not phrased that way, respond by talking about how appealing this specific opportunity is to you. As tempting as it may be to vent, don’t spend any time dwelling on the things that make you sound unhappy or unsatisfied at your current company.

This question is a combination of a personality-fit and work-style question wrapped up in one. It’s also an opportunity to showcase your interpersonal strengths if you have them and reflect on the way you add to the team in your current job. If you have a brief anecdote about how you were the leader in a time of crisis or pulled the team together during a stressful project, now is the time to tell it.

We have all faced challenges and overcome them, so which one do you choose to highlight for the interview? Well, ideally it is something you are proud of (which by definition means it was a significant challenge). Moreover, it should be within the professional context if possible. While it’s fine to say that you were able to climb Mt. Everest or won a medal at the Olympics, most of us will provide a great answer if we can talk about a workplace or business challenge we helped a team or company overcome.

There’s no one-size “best” answer to something that’s so personal but we think sticking with a brief vision statement about where you want to grow your career is great. It demonstrates ambition to say that you want to be managing a division (or a larger division, or even a CEO), and intrinsic self-motivation that every employer wants to see in a prospective employee.

This is actually one of the more common questions interviewers ask, even though it’s somewhat casual and may seem unnecessary — especially if you’ve already spent a good amount of time with multiple interviewers. But just in case this is thrown in at the end...have an answer in mind. It can be simple; after all, you’ve likely already discussed a lot. But prepare a brief, conclusive pitch about how you’re motivated and capable because your past experiences have prepared you well for the tasks at hand.

A news anchor is responsible for interpreting happenings locally, nationally, and internationally for a wide audience. This entails keeping at the forefront of news that has an impact on the viewing audience. Commentary is often provided to help people understand how the news affects their daily lives. Millions of people get their news from the daily evening or late night report, and come to trust and favour a particular news anchor. Successful news anchors have many followers, and are still remembered years later for covering specific events in history. While the evening news is not the only mode of broadcasting, it is perhaps the most watched and most dependable form. There are also local news programs, 24-hours news channels, and even online news programs, and they are all excellent options for someone looking to become a news anchor.

News anchors can also conduct interviews with people who impact media happenings from around the world. Interviews help to open a discussion or clarify issues that influence the news or media happenings. An interview can help broaden the audience's understanding of a particular issue or begin a discourse on an issue important to the audience. Important skills necessary for a news anchor when interviewing others is the ability to put people at ease, and remembering to be unbiased.

We want people who love this work and are going to come in ready to hit the ground running. There is no question that CNN's culture is rooted in employees' passion for the news, the desire to tell the story, and the love of the brand. That type of energy and excitement is a must. We also look for people who are curious and passionate about the types of stories they will cover for us.

Everywhere. We want to hire from a diverse mix of backgrounds and experiences. We look for the best talent for the job, wherever that person may be. Whenever possible we will help make a move easier.

Thank-you cards and emails definitely make a difference. It's an easy way for a candidate to stand out.

Ok, this may sound like a silly job interview question and something more in line with common job interview etiquette than the substance of the interview itself, but experts say that when someone does something for you, they are actually slightly more positively inclined towards you. It’s called the Ben Franklin effect: a person who has performed a favor for someone is more likely to do another favor for that person. So even if you’re not a thirsty job candidate that day, just take the water, for goodness sake!