Life of Me
I've been working in broadcast journalism, a.k.a. television news, since the end of last September. So nearly a year now, which seems like a pretty decent amount of time right? But considering I'm working in a field I didn't go to school for and had absolutely no plans of going into, a year isn't all that long.
I feel like I've learned a lot in that time and I've established myself as a producer, at least within my station.
But I never really thought I'd ever be asked to train someone. It's a totally new and almost bizarre concept for me. Sure, I've trained people before but nothing like what I've been doing this week.
I mean, I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing! I feel like a rookie trying to tell a newborn how to do my job...
There was a point in my life [when I was very young] when I thought I wanted to be a teacher. Then I figured out that I'm not very good at teaching. I can show people how to do things, but when it comes to actually explaining the process I usually end up stumped.
Last summer I wrote a college-level guide to using Adobe Photoshop and InDesign, as well as a quick reference of journalism rules, in the form of a Student Publications Handbook to leave for my successors on the yearbook staff.
That task, not unlike the one I'm faced with now, basically consisted of me breaking down the things I did every day into step-by-step instructions, as if the person who was reading the finished product had never used a computer before. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done [and that includes writing a 20 minute research paper on Spanish publications in the U.S. completely in Spanish].
I'm trying to take that same approach to training my replacement so that my show, my baby so to speak, is left in capable hands. After all, as those of you who've stuck with me through my television journey know, I've worked extremely hard to get the morning show to where it is today. I don't want it all to go down the drain as soon as I swap shifts. That would be irresponsible and a little too close to failure for my comfort.
So instead of breezing through my nightly duties, I'm trying to take things extra slow and be extra deliberate in my actions, all while talking them through. The first night I just let her watch. The second night [today], I let her get her hands dirty and kind of get a feel for what's going on with everything. Tomorrow I'm going to let her try to produce the entire show, with me right there next to her of course.
If she's comfortable with everything at the end of Friday's show, I'll officially move to my new schedule and new shows on Monday.
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3 comments
Yeah, I'm doing the same thing you're doing now, but with only 2 months in the telecom arena. I'm like, whoa, you must think highly of me if you want me to train people! It's a compliment, so train away!
ReplyDeleteI know it's a compliment, but I honestly am just winging it! I think I'm doing a decent job though. She appears to understand what I've been trying to show her at least, lol.
ReplyDeleteWait. A year? Holy crap.
ReplyDeleteAnd kudos on replacement training going well... well. Lol.
Hoorah for new experiences!