MORE STORIES! And then I found 5 dollars.

Two weeks ago, I saw on the Turner website that Campbell Brown at CNN in New York was looking to hire entry-level production assistants. Now, I don’t know why I even bother to apply to anything online, because I have never had anything materialize from it. In fact, I don’t know anyone who applied for a job at one of these big places online and ever got a sound positive response. But they make it hard to find out about the job openings anywhere but their career sites, so I guess it’s what you have to do. So, I submitted my cover letter, resume, and information online for a Production Assistant position at Campbell Brown at CNN New York.
But I decided that wasn’t enough. I wanted to make personal contact with someone working there so they would know to keep an eye out for my application. Unfortunately, I don’t know anyone who works for CNN in New York. I know someone at CNN Atlanta, but I didn’t want to bother him quite yet.
I spent 20 minutes on my computer, and I finally found an address and phone number for CNN in New York City. I called the number, which connected to me to main switchboard. Quickly I made something up.
“Hi, I am calling for Suzanne at the Campbell Brown show,” I said with force.
“Hold on please,’ he said as he transferred me.
Now, while the hold music played in my ear, I’ll explain to you why I chose Suzanne. Do I know a Suzanne who works at CNN? No. But I figure it is a common enough name, or a potentially mispronounced version of so many others (Susan, Suzy, Suzette, Susannah, Ann, Roseanne), that there is bound to be someone I could potentially be transferred to.
“Campbell Brown- this is Tina,” someone answered.
Again I mustered up a voice of confidence. “Hi, this is ____ _____ calling for Suzanne.”
"Sure," she answered, "Hold on please."
More hold music. More waiting.
I’m thinking, 'What do I do when Suzanne answers?' Why have I not thought this completely through? Truthfully, I didn’t actually think I would get past all of the secretaries and operators and actually get to speak to someone. If I had thought that my silly plan might work, I would’ve prepared more. I figured I would just explain to her that I had applied online for the Production Assistant position, and I wanted to follow up on the status of my application, as well as offer to come in and meet with them in person so that they might consider me further.
What I didn’t prepare- was a back story.
A voice suddenly appeared on the line.
“I’m sorry,” she said. It was Tina again. “But who may is say is calling?”
I got flustered and hung up.

Ok yes, it is a terrible story. Because I didn't even follow through with it the whole way.
But, I have since talked to my contact at CNN in Atlanta and talked to a few more people who have given me a few more names. First thing tomorrow- I will be calling them back, this time determined to see it all the way through.

The NBC Page Program

In November 2008, I suddenly realized that Kenneth the Page, on NBC’s 30 Rock, was not a completely fictional character. While someone over the age of 19 who still believes in a witch who comes after you when you don’t eat your vegetables probably doesn’t exist anywhere, the Page position at NBC is just as coveted as Kenneth’s NBC Page jacket in the game of poker with Jack Donaghy. With over seven THOUSAND applicants for a mere 60 spots, the chances of getting into the NBC Page Program are about as likely as your boob falling out of your top while on TV in the middle of the Superbowl. So about one. But actually, the stats prove that it is less likely to be chosen to wear a dorky suit, give tours of a glorified office building, and get the chance to usher people into their seats for a show, than to be a qualified candidate getting into Harvard Medical School. What does one learn from that statistic? Be a doctor; because your dreams of getting coffee for a GE executive are never gonna happen. Still though, one cant crush a dreamer with numbers, and I decided to become Kenneth the Page. Only a shorter, wiser, more awesome one.
My first step to becoming the next best friend to idol Tina Fey, was to find the job description and application for the NBC Page Program on the World Wide Web. It wasn’t too hard. After I read the three paragraphs explaining the program and realizing that all of my prayers had just been answered, I left the tabs open on my laptop for two weeks. It was already a moment of great accomplishment- finding something that I actually wanted to apply for, a goal for something to look forward to in my life after college.
I then discovered that my roommate’s friend’s sister had once been an NBC Page. Swish right?
I emailed the distant connection and soon set up a phone call. At the designated time, I called her, and then proceeded to have a glorious hour and a half conversation with the person who I was certain was my foot in the door. She helped me with my cover letter, passed my name around to some hiring people, and convinced me that if she could do it, anyone can.

Before I continue, I would like to take a quick moment to explain what the process entails for becoming an NBC Page.
First: you submit your resume, cover letter, and basic information online, basically requesting to be considered and applicant.
Second: they either acknowledge that you applied and inform you that they will eventually contact you regarding the next step, or you just never hear from them again.
Third: if allowed to continue, you are given a time to complete the Email Screen, a fancy way of wording: online questionnaire, within an hours time.
Fourth: if you pass ‘the screen’ you are invited up for an interview. You then meet with a few different members of the NBC team who do their best to make you wet yourself
Fifth: if you have survived the interviews and you have brought a change of clothes, you ate submitted into the well of death, that is- the group interview. There, they force you to compete with the other applicants while pretending to work as a team.
And if you do all of that correctly, and Jerry Seinfeld owes your father a huge favor, the might let you work at the lowliest position NBC has to offer.

So after hanging up on a high note that the first job I was looking into was almost guaranteed to be perfect for me, I submitted my information to the Page Program.
Then it was waiting time.