Seleah Simone had always been industry adjacent. She always knew someone who knew someone- who would get her into A list events and parties. She obtained a bachelors in television and radio from Brooklyn College. Yet, despite networking and sending out resumes for over 4 years, she couldn’t land a job in the media.
She was smart, charismatic and even over qualified. None of this would help her land the job of her dreams as a red carpet host. It wouldn’t be until her best friend made an introduction to one of the owners of Allhiphop.com in 2015 that things would change.
Seleah knew this could be the chance she needed to finally get her foot in the door. Once on the phone with The contact, she immediately began to pitch him the idea of having a red carpet host represent the company at major events. “You guys are missing out on valuable content! This could take your company to the next level!”
The owner was very much intrigued. He wanted to give her a shot. She knew the MTV music awards was coming up and was hoping to get on the carpet. The owner agreed to apply on her behalf. One month later- Seleah was on her first red carpet.
From that experience, Seleah knew that she had to sharpen her skill of pitching. This would be the only way she would continue to land jobs in the industry. In fact- this is how she landed her gig as a producer at TMZ.
For journalists like Seleah – she suggests going to the direct source, pitching yourself and letting know why you would be a good asset to the company. See her pointers below:
- Have a linkedin account. LinkeIn will notify you throughout the application process. Once you submit an application, you will receive an email or alert telling you if the application was viewed, opened and or downloaded. This gives some relief during this already sometimes stressful process.
- After submitting an application- try to find a contact for the hiring manager. If you have a premium linkedin account- you can send a message directly to them. You may also come across an email from a quick google search. Send a 3-4 sentence MAX message with your resume attached and links to your work. Let them know you just submitted an application via linkedin and that you’ve also sent links to your work.
- BE ON YOUR A GAME. Make sure everything is aligned on your side. Your resume looks great, all your socials are professional looking with nothing that would prohibit you from getting the job.
For more information- follow Seleah at @seleahsimone
