Keep a tape handy

I just heard a friend of mine got let go from his job. He's good at what he does, and, for my money, is a real pleasure to work with. Over the years, I've seen a bunch of good people get fired or laid off. The first was when I was still in college. A new news director came in and within I think a week, three people were gone-- like pack your desk and leave right now. It made quite an impression on it.

Not to scare you, but it makes sense to have a resume and a tape ready at all times, both in case you get canned or moe likely, another station comes calling. If you can, you might also want to have a month to three months in the bank. That way, if the worst happens, you won't have to freak out about paying the rent. Having that money also gives you a tremendous sense of comfort when you are working in a super-stressful shop. As in being able to think, "I could bolt right out of here right now if I wanted to." You won't, but it's nice to know you could.

The other thing is-- as a producer, if you were to get fired or laid off-- good news! You will get hired someplace else immediately. The longer you are in the business, the more you will see complete idiots who keep getting jobs. And that's the idiots! You-- who are talented and actually have a clue-- would be snapped up even more quickly!