A lot of people have dreamed of seeing themselves on live television for at least once in their lives. It’s not just because of the exhilarating feeling of being seen on national TV, but it’s more of the glory of becoming a well-known TV presenter. While it is a very satisfying career, it is one that requires a lot of training and expertise to be able to succeed. And the good thing about pursuing to be a TV presenter is that anyone can turn to online training to jump start on the essential learnings.
Being a TV presenter comes with the responsibility of being sharp, reliable, and dignified. Though it is a tough job, the returns are surely gratifying! With your job, you could travel the world, meet famous and relevant people, and gain a powerful reputation—making it a very competitive career to take on!
Don’t worry, we are here to help gear you up on fulfilling that dream of yours!
What is a TV presenter?
A TV presenter is someone responsible for relaying information and media to the general public through live or pre-recorded TV broadcast. This person is familiar in the eyes of the public as he is always upfront on live TV—spouting news, promos, or announcements.
A presenter’s niche may vary depending on what field he is specializing in, but the most common areas include:
- News
- Talk shows
- Variety shows
- Sports programs
- Documentaries
- Public service programs
- Entertainment programs
- Show business
- Reality shows
- Game shows
The typical duties that a TV presenter needs to fulfill on a daily basis include the following tasks:
- Meet with the production team to agree on the order of the show
- Have a quick briefing with the researchers about the script
- Rehearse the given script
- Research about the content to be familiar with it
- Prepare questions to be raised when doing interviews
- Present confidently in front of the camera and the live audience.
- Interact with the audience on-film
- Communicate with the director or floor manager through an earpiece during filming
- Shoot several “takes” when needed
How does one become a TV presenter?
Just like any other career path, being a TV presenter requires a series of qualifications that need to be met. Unless you are lucky enough to have someone in the business to hook you up with the job offer without having fulfilled all the educational and training requirements, you are bound to follow these prerequisites.
1. Complete a bachelor’s degree.
A bachelor’s degree is a major requirement for TV presenters especially to those on the field of news and public affairs. The educational background comes off as a strong qualification as you need to be adept in handling interviews, reporting, and hosting. The most preferred programs include journalism, communication studies, broadcasting, communication research, and public relations.
2. Expose yourself to the field.
As much as you can, you need to put yourself out there and get relevant experience that will strengthen your skill set and knowledge. You will start off with an internship and move your way up to working an entry-level job at the field. You can start out as a host, junior correspondent, news writer, researcher, segment producer, etc. before you get promoted to being a presenter.
Sometimes, your luck can catapult you to being a presenter. A senior colleague may see a potential in you with your communication skills so you might be offered the job.
3. Learn through online training.
Whether you are already in the field and you only need that extra leap to take the plunge and be a presenter, or you are just starting out, online trainings will always work to your advantage. An educational background in communications and journalism are highly preferable in being hired, but as long as you have developed the skills and wit a TV presenter must have, you can make the cut.
Online trainings will teach you just how it is to be in front of the camera. These quick programs like Skill Success’ Professional Online TV Presenter Training will cover everything from learning the ways of presenting, broadcast journalism terms and TV jargon, usage of a teleprompter, interview techniques, to the different equipment in a studio. Plus, these kinds of trainings are taught by proven media experts from the industry to ensure you only get the best coaching out there.
Characteristics of a good TV presenter
As an initial training, here’s a list of skills you have to develop in order to make you stand out among all aspiring TV presenters vying for a spot in the industry:
1. Exceptional communication skills.
Good communication is what a presenter lives by. You have to learn how to speak clearly, deliver content easily, and hold conversations well as it is your main job to disseminate information to a large number of audience.
You can start out with practicing to avoid fillers such as “um,” “ah,” “like,” etc. on your sentences. Then you can move on to reviewing your tone and pronunciation to ensure people can easily comprehend what you are saying.
2. Impeccable interview skills.
It is one of the major duties of a journalist, correspondent, or host to interview leads or audience every once in a while so being equipped with competitive interview skills is a must. You should be genuinely interested in the topic and be able to formulate follow up questions that make sense.
3. Camera-friendly personality.
The camera is your buddy for the most part of your job. You could use a little charm to lure in your audience. But more importantly, it is about being comfortable to speak, interact, and move in front of the camera.
You have to familiarize yourself with how you talk, move, and sound so you can evaluate if you look and sound well. You can try rehearsing by setting up a camera at home and recording yourself while you are pretending to present and interview. It is also suggested to observe how popular TV presenters do their job to pick up some essential habits.
4. Good improvisation.
Everything may be scripted from the beginning until the end of the show, but you never know when things get out of control which may cause you to go off-script. You have to acquire the wit and sharpness to be able to save a moment and avoid “dead-air.”
You can try to improvise questions that are not in the script or tell a joke when it is applicable. Improvisation is quite tough, but once you’ve learned the ropes, expect yourself to just wing it the next instances.
5. Remarkable researching and writing skills.
For journalists, you might be required to write your own spiels and news. It will come in handy when you are out in the field and no one’s available to write for you. Research likewise is needed because you will be the source of the information to disseminate. It is your sole responsibility that everything you share is factual and reliable.
6. Well-groomed appearance.
As the forefront of the show, you ought to look presentable and respectable. Many TV personalities look well on TV, and you should, too! You may be assigned your own stylists to keep you in style, but for most entry-level roles, you will have to maintain your appearance by yourself. So practice taking good care of your skin, choosing the right clothes, and embodying a well-respected person.
It’s never too late to reach for your career goals because as long as you have equipped yourself with the needed knowledge and skill set, you can work your way to landing that dream! Do not be discouraged if you think it’s too late or you didn’t take up the most preferred programs because there are platforms such as online trainings to help you get there.
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