Okay, so you’ve applied for a TV job and now you’ve got an interview. What’s the best approach?
Whether it’s a formal interview — e.g. “boards” at the BBC — or an informal “chat”, favoured in the indy sector, this advice should be relevant.
1. Make sure you have the two most important bits of information you need
The foundational thing you need to understand about interviews for television companies (and interviews in general) is how they’re different to the assessments people grow up doing at school and university.
In an exam, those with top marks are (in theory) the best. However, with an interview the aim is not about finding the best person, it’s about finding the best person to solve the problem.
The business has a problem, that’s why it’s hiring. Maybe the production company has just been given a commission and now needs to crew-up; maybe someone has left and they need a replacement; maybe the director they’ve hired is a great visionary but has no camera skills. Whatever the issue, it needs addressing.
So while you might be an amazing researcher, runner or camera op, the real question is how well do you — your skills, experience, personality, background etc — resemble the solution the person hiring is looking for.
An analogy: Let’s say your laptop dies and you need a new one. A review site might tell you an Apple Macbook is the best buy (in terms of performance, value and so on), yet you might end up choosing a second-hand Dell from a flatmate. Yes, the Macbook is objectively better but you prefer Windows (read: can’t be arsed to learn a new operating system) and getting hold of it just means crossing the corridor to your flatmate’s room. Your choice isn’t for the “best” laptop, but the laptop that best solves your problem right now.
With this in mind, there are two important bits of information you need in order to ace an interview:
- What is the problem the person hiring wants to solve?
- What does their ideal solution (i.e. candidate) look like?
If you know these answers then can you spend the limited time you have with the hiring person:
- Explaining that you understand the problem
- Providing evidence for why you’re the solution
If you don’t do this, you could well end up wasting the time talking about things they don’t care about (e.g. you’re keen to emphasise your camera skills but what the team needs is someone who’s great working with young contributors).
2. Start the interview by asking what the problem is
So how do you discover what problem the hiring person is trying to solve?
One place to look is in the job description. However, these often contain a lot of HR waffle. They’ll talk about something like, “proactively looks for ways of improving efficiency” but it’s just in there because they put it in all the job descriptions. Which points are really the most important?
Another suggestion is to contact anyone you know close to the job — either someone who knows the organisation or who knows the industry. You’re trying to find out:
- Why they are creating this job
- Why the last person left
- What they feel they’re missing at the moment
However, if all else fails, there’s another method: just start the interview by asking them what the problem is.
Usually, the first question (after “Do you want water?” or “Did you find us okay?”) is along the lines of, “Why do you want to do this job?” After answering for a bit, try a segue:
“Actually, before I go on, do you mind if I ask a bit more about exactly what you need from the person you hire? It’s just that I know we only have a limited amount of time, and I don’t want to waste your time telling you about aspects of my experience that aren’t really relevant.”
I then get out my notepad and list what they say. (Notepads are fine – more on this below.)
Then, for the rest of the interview, I keep returning to this list to make sure what I’m talking about (my experience, skills, insights etc) is hitting those points.
This has a few benefits:
- It stops me waffling on about stuff which isn’t relevant or interesting.
- It shows that I’m listening, which is a rare skill. In fact, I’m convinced you could ace a lot of interviews by this skill alone. (One tip: after they explain a point, repeat it back to them in slightly different language e.g. “Okay, so what I’m hearing you say is…. “)
- This approach also helps change the interview experience from a series of exam questions to a working conversation. This elevates you (you’re interviewing them, too!) but it also turns the experience into one that’s more pleasant for everyone. Interviews are socially awkward, but a conversation between two equals is more pleasant.
You might be thinking this approach sounds pushy. It’s definitely easier in the more informal “chats” that are common in the indy sector, though I’ve used it in formal BBC boards as well.
I think it works because the experience of interviewing candidates is often very draining for employers, especially if candidates are talking about points that aren’t relevant. This intervention means what’s being discussed is more relevant and generally, they welcome that.
3. Have things to say about them
As someone who has interviewed lots of candidates, I can tell you that it’s often quite an awkward experience. I’m a filmmaker, not a recruitment specialist conducting exams and cross-examinations. I simply want to have friendly informative conversations that help me find someone good for the job.
So try to bring things to the conversation. What are your thoughts on what the problems are? What opportunities do you see for them? What do you think is their best work?
Try to think of the interview less as a school-style exam, and more as a conversation between professionals sussing out whether it makes sense to work together.
4. Practise telling your story
When you watch a good comedy stand-up show, you’re most likely watching the product of hours of repetition. Stand-ups develop their shows over time, performing them over and over, and constantly adjusting and improving them based on the audience response.
There’s a similar dynamic at work in interviews. You’re talking about your experience, insights, opinions and so on, and the more experience you have doing this, the better you’ll be.
You want to be in a place where you can deliver your “show” in many different ways: at length or in an abbreviated form; in a formal or more casual way; in a way that addresses a question about, say, problem-solving or one about teamwork.
To give you an example, an important part of my professional experience is Things Not to Say, a series for BBC Three that was very successful. Over the years, I have talked about this experience countless times in many different ways — there’s a version for my website, a version for job interviews, a version for the conference stage, and so on. I can use it to talk about why things go viral, about casting, about innovation, about risk-taking… you get the idea. Hell, here I am using it to talk about job interviews!
One phrase I’ve heard used to describe a collection of narratives you can draw easily upon is a “story bank” and I like this idea. Your story bank will build up naturally over time the more applications and interviews you do, but you can shortcut that process through more active preparation. Start with the interview questions you’re expecting, then go through your work history, consider the lists of competency questions (e.g here), and jot down your answers. This exercise will give you answers you can then develop further.
5. Watch TV
As you’re researching what problem they’re trying to solve, you also have a chance to find out lots more that’s important.
- Research the interviewer — what have they been involved in that they’re most proud of? Is there something you liked about it?
- Research the production company – what commissions pay the bills? What are they most proud of?
- Research the channel – what are the pressures? Lower budgets? A need for younger viewers? Something to compete with ITV on Saturday nights… (Broadcast magazine is worth reading for this info. It’s expensive but you’ll often lying around, unread, in production company offices.)
You’ll notice a lot of the research involves watching TV programmes, and it’s fair to say one of the biggest problems entry-level candidates have (especially if they’re coming straight from university) is they haven’t seen enough recent TV.
6. If you’re waffling, just stop
Try to directly answer the question posed. It’s quite common, when you’re nervous, to jumble up the question the person’s asked, and end up answering something that wasn’t asked about. I’ve seen it a lot in interviews and it’s painful. If you suspect that’s happened, the best thing to do is to just stop and ask, “Sorry, is that what you were asking about?”
One technique to buy time if given a tough question is to ask clarifying questions. It sounds smart, plus and you give yourself a bit of thinking time.
Also, if they’ve said something you don’t understand (e.g. jargon you don’t recognise) this is a time when it’s better to confidently ask for clarification rather than just bluster through it.
7. Reframe nerves as excitement
Unless you do interviews regularly, you will get nervous. It’s much better to expect this because then when it happens it won’t surprise or dismay you. Remember, you’re only trying to act confident and relaxed.
I recommend trying to reframe nerves as “excitement”. When your leg is shaking, say to yourself, “I am excited!”. Sounds weird but it helps.
Another issue I have is that when I’m nervous, I start wondering what to do with my hands and other body parts. One approach is to just mirror the body language and energy of your interviewer. If they’re leaning forward, lean forward etc (though wait a bit before you do it or it can become creepy.)
8. Have some questions
It’s quite normal for interviews to end with a chance for you to ask questions. Hopefully, by the end, you’ll have managed to change the dynamic to one that’s more of a conversation, so you would have already asked some questions, but if not, it’s definitely a good idea to have a few! For example:
- What is your definition of success? “Let’s say I was working for you and everything was going well, where would you expect us to be in six months time?”
- What mistakes do you see people making in this position?
There’s also another interview ninja move you can throw here, where basically you ask them what (if any) doubts they still have, so you have a final chance to address those doubts. For example, “Is there anything that makes you hesitate about me being a good fit for this job? Before we finish it’d be good to have a chance to address anything like that.”
I’ll be honest, I haven’t used this a lot. Perhaps, because I’ve focused the interview at the start by asking what they’re looking for, it hasn’t felt necessary. If you use it, I’d be interested to hear about your experience.
Another good finish I’ve heard — from someone who was a little under-qualified (and who perhaps knew it): “I’m really excited at the thought of working with you here at the BBC, but I know you’re talking to lots of people and I only want to do this job if you believe I’m the right fit. If you decide this job isn’t right for me, please do bear me in mind for other things. You guys are doing great stuff and I’d love to be part of it.”
9. Notebooks are great!
It’s fine to bring a notebook and use it during the interview. Remember, it’s not an exam, it’s a work meeting.
A notebook is also useful a useful prompt for material you’ve prepared. Let’s say they ask you to think of some programme ideas. In that case, it’s completely professional to say, “I was thinking about this before I came over, and have written some things down.” This is also a useful tool if you’re nervous — just write out all your key points in your notebook and refer to it. It’s totally legit.
A few other points to consider:
- Don’t expect the interviewers to have read your application. You might have spent ages sweating over it but don’t presume the person has read or remembered it.
- You want to get there on time and that means arriving 15 minutes early. Life is unpredictable and you need a buffer. Plus, if you’re rushing, you’re spending the time before the interview stressed, which is not good preparation.
- Make sure you’re going to the right place. For example, at the BBC you have lots of buildings with similar names: Broadcast Centre, Television Centre, Broadcasting House, New Broadcasting House… which place exactly are you going to?
- BBC interviews usually have at least two representatives involved. One of them will be the hiring person, the other is often from HR, and there to be a second pair of eyes, and help the hiring person make the right decision. Try to establish who the key person is.
… And if it doesn’t work out
Have a reward for yourself lined up after the interview. You did everything you could, which is what counts. I also recommend applying for other things while you wait to hear. Sitting in “waiting-to-hear” limboland is horrible but it’s easier if you keep moving.
Finally, if you don’t get the job, please remember: you’ll forget about it soon enough, and you only need to be lucky once when it comes to interviewing for great jobs. To some extent, it’s a numbers game, so hang in there and it will work out.
Good luck!