Television News Anchor Interview Preparation Guide

Download PDF

We believe it’s best not to name names. Nobody really wants to hear that you’re interested or applying to their competitors and saying that may turn some hiring managers off. On the other hand, if you say you are not looking at any other position, it might seem far-fetched or make you look like you’re not aware of your market worth and ability to get a job elsewhere. The best answer here is something along the lines of “Similar roles at companies in this industry where I think I can make a real difference.”

Average job tenure is growing shorter and shorter but that doesn’t mean hiring managers don’t get worried when they see someone that can’t hold a job down without changing every year or two. It’s a big investment of time and money to hire someone new and they want to make sure that you are not fickle or immature about your choices. If you can provide context about inevitable job changes that weren’t your fault (e.g. you had to move across the country to be with your spouse, the company closed down), that will put the interviewer at ease.

We believe that anchoring your salary expectations to your prior salary is the surest way to get very incremental pay raises. Ideally, you’ve done your compensation research and understand the salary possibilities for the role. If not, and you must anchor your salary expectations to what you have previously earned, don’t frame the expectations that way. Simply state the number you believe you should receive for the role (and make sure it’s more than what you would settle for, just in case it sets an anchor figure for future pay negotiation).

Here, you should be honest. If the job requires you to be on a plane once a week (or even a month) and that’s just not going to work for you, it’s better to figure that out sooner rather than later. There’s no point in pretending you’re cool with spending half your nights in a hotel room if that’s just not going to fly with your family situation (or if you’re just plain not interested).

A couple of great entry points are our news assistants and technical operation assistants positions. The technical positions focus on work in the control room and studios. The editorial career path focuses on newsgathering, writing, and producing.

There are many types of interviewers, and those who really want to get a good sense of who you are might ask this question. This is often a question people ask to get a sense of what your values and aspirations are. There’s certainly no wrong answer -- you can name someone personal or a celebrity -- but being authentic here matters because there’s no point in trying to guess what someone thinks the right answer is. Your reasoning is also probably more important than the name of any individual.

This is one of the most common job interview questions. If you’re interviewing for a role that might be relatively ‘standard’ across many other companies, it’s actually a very good question — so it's a good idea to have a ready answer. It also is a test to see how much you understand about the larger context and employer, itself.

Think about the interviewer's perspective and about the company goals. This is a time to show that you understand the company’s mission, its values or something about its culture. Remember, you want to make the interviewer feel good about where he or she works and make them believe you really want to join them.

This is a common question when a hiring manager wants to assess whether you will be a good fit, culturally. Be as honest as possible when you respond to this, but make sure it’s clear you’re comfortable working collaboratively and on your own. Companies want to hire people who are fun and easy to work with -- but also those who can manage whatever they need to on their own.

In the U.S. most of our jobs are Atlanta, New York, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. Our people are deployed to all corners of the U.S. and the world covering stories.

We are investing in many parts of the business, but digital is seeing a lot of exciting changes and growth.

We always like to know why a candidate is interested in this particular role. It's one way to see how their skills and interests are aligned.

Again, no matter what job you’re interviewing for, it’s important to convey that you’re intellectually curious and well-informed about what’s going on in the world. Have a couple of your favorite news outlets in mind so that you’re not scrambling to come up with something if asked.

Ok, we admit it’s unlikely the interviewer will put the point so bluntly. Typically, this question is asked in the following way: “Tell me about why you left your [insert name of last job].” What they really want to ask is: “Were you fired and if so, why?” People are reorganized and fired all the time for reasons that have nothing to do with their individual performance. On the other hand, some people are fired for cause as well. Whichever category you fall into, be sure to spin the best story possible without being defensive. The more casual and confident you can be in your answer, the easier it will be for your interviewer to conclude what you want them to: “Ok, no big deal.”

This might seem random, but trust us, you’ll probably be asked this question at least once or twice during an interview. Employers want to know that you’re intellectually curious, and this question will give them a window into your particular interests.

I don't think there is a standard question. It is more important just to have questions and show that you are engaged and that you prepared for the conversation.

Hiring is a nearly constant activity for us as the work evolves. Between our full-time and freelance staff, we have approximately 3,500 employees around the world. The majority are based in the U.S.

First, consider what your work style really is. And then consider whether that style is suited for the job and company culture you’re interested in. If you’re an extreme extrovert but the job requires hours of independent, fairly isolated work, you will have a much harder time answering this question than someone whose work style does in fact match the job. This question is really getting at whether your personality is a fit for the role and the company so try to answer accordingly.

This may seem like an unreasonable question, but if you think about it from the employer’s perspective, they are trying to hire someone to fill a gap or hole in their team. They have real, usually time-pressing needs and they want to see at least improvements in the issues they’re facing when they hire you. Therefore, be prepared to talk about what you think you will accomplish in a 1 to 3 month horizon. Ideally this is based on a clear understanding of what the job entails and what the company’s challenges are.

Some of our biggest success stories at CNN are employees who started with us as interns. It's an active recruiting pipeline for us.

The workload for a news anchor can be demanding. The day may begin very early, depending on the shift assigned. Once at work, the anchor will begin by reviewing the events of the last 24 hours, and then decide what and what not to cover. A large portion of the workday is devoted to reading news articles and searching out items of interest to the viewing or listening audience.

Beyond perusing your prospective employer’s website, think about how you, specifically, can contribute to their mission.

Be ready to have anecdotes about your experiences for these kinds of situational interview questions. They don’t have to be about the most interesting days you’ve had at work; instead, think of situations that have highlighted the fact that you’re mature and capable of working with a variety of people, even if you don’t always see eye-to-eye.

Always come prepared to discuss both a strength and weakness. "What is your greatest weakness?" is often one of the most dreaded questions of an interview because, quite frankly, we all believe that we cannot really be honest in answering. To address this question, be brief and be comfortable with silence. You should certainly brainstorm examples of weaknesses (yes — there are some good weaknesses for interviews, especially when they’re fairly honest and you can describe how you’re improving).

In other words, whatever you say, don’t say more than you have to, and remember that you don't have to literally share what you believe to be your greatest weakness. Typically this means choosing a single weakness and one that isn’t very serious (e.g. “I can be a little too aggressive in setting goals” or “I can be very impatient when I’m working on a project I really believe in”) and too central to the job description you’re interested in.

As a job seeker, the best way to answer this common interview question is to emphasize the merits and exciting aspects of the position itself to convey your enthusiasm, rather than a time to rehash how your background and work experience is a fit. Think of it this way: Even if you’re the perfect fit, that’s what the rest of the interview is to demonstrate. This is the time when you get to demonstrate your enthusiasm about the work you’re about to do. Actually wanting to do a certain job counts for a lot.

In the main, there are three entry routes you can take into reporting in radio:

☛ traineeships offered by a few of the larger employers;
☛ moving into radio after first working as a print journalist; and
☛ completing an accredited pre-entry degree or postgraduate qualification.

Employers will expect you to have hands-on experience. To gain this hands-on experience, you could seek a place presenting community, student or hospital radio.