A Lesson From Katie Couric

After years of success on the Today Show, Katie Couric's move to anchor the CBS Nightly News was heralded as an exciting new chapter in her career - but low ratings soon started rumors that she'd be ousted. Now, fresh from her infamous interviews with Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, Couric's stock is rising again.

Last night I came across an article on Couric, and found this section especially interesting:

Her interviews with Palin ultimately served as a reminder not only to her viewers but also to her bosses of what helped make her such a star when she was on NBC's 'Today'

"For a while I was told really not to do any interviews on the show, which is of course what I love to do," she said, suggesting that the network feared taking precious time from the news of the day. "That wasn't, in my mind, using me to my full advantage."

It's just such a reminder that getting the great job with the great salary isn't the be all and end all. Not if the people who hire you don't understand your value, or have plans that are not in your best interests.

Which really does mean that you have to (a) know who you are and (b) vet potential employers to make sure they plan to use your strengths.

Who knows, maybe Katie Couric would have signed up anyway - the money must have been pretty tempting! But if you're not being offered a multi-million dollar contract, you might want to learn from Katie's mistake.

Comments

[Chris Hamilton]

Hi there,

I tried contacting you a while ago but never received a response, did you receive my previous email?

Thanks

[Louise Fletcher]

Hi Chris,
I'm afraid I have no idea. I receive hundreds of emails a day - but if I didn't respond, you can probably assume I didn't get it. I usually stay on top of my emails. Feel free to resend.