As a TV presenter you will be a guest in people’s living rooms on national television and sometimes satellite channels. Hosting programs, interviewing people besides informing and reporting will be your daily routine. If working at the front line of television and being the public face is your passion, then you will find our Mixfame guide about TV presenters useful and informative.

What You Need?

As a starter, let me tell you that you have not picked an easy career. TV presenting is one of the most challenging industries worldwide. Getting into this business especially in Dubai requires minimum qualities that you should have. Make sure that you as a TV presenter have met the following basic requirements:

1. Excellent personal presentation skills: This is your trademark. The focus is entirely on your presentation style, questions and answers, body language, eye contact, and facial features. It is what will make you appealing and loved by your audience and thus your employer.
2. Clear Voice: Your voice is your product that you’re selling. Make sure to hear your presenting voice. Get other opinions as well. It can be tricky when voices are RECORDED. You would be surprised to know that some TV presenters have to adjust their voices into a higher or a lower pitch to meed “The Voice Tone” that the industry is looking for.
3. Ability to improvise on the spot: or as the industry calls in “ad-lib”. When you as a TV presenter have the ad-lib quality, you are creative, spontaneous and ready to react when something unexpected happens. The more experienced you become in ad-libbing, the better your chances will be in getting live interviews outside the studio because TV will trust your reactions.

What Type of a TV Presenter Are you?

Have you decided by now what type of a TV presenter you want to be or are you still floating in the beautiful dream of becoming the public face of the future? Well, wake you buddy and get focused to choose your audience who might be little children, senior citizens, young athletic, teenagers or maybe all of them together. Here are some of the different types of presenters:

• News presenters: there’s a lot of reading reports and informing audience in a studio.
• Sport show presenters: this requires you to research your topic well since you will be presenting on live TV. Being good at ad-libbing is a huge advantage. Interviewing people in the sport field can be a lot harder than reading news reports.
• Music show presenters: it is the most wanted type in the industry nowadays because once you are an entertainment show presenter; you are popular among a larger group of people. The majority thinks its easier and less work to as a music show presenter but it is as challenging as any other type. You still need to do your homework
• Talk show presenters: the most challenging one of all, where you should be able to do multi tasks at the same time; asking the guest, interact with the audience, and follow the producer’s directions. To have your own talk show or be part of one can take time until you have a reputation in the field.
• Children presenters: for this type of presenting, you might be asked to have a certain image, speak in a certain way, or even move and dance, a lot different from a news room presenter.
• Game show presenters: again, your image is important, but it got easier because it is scripted like Jeopardy. So you pretty much know what you have to do. You just need to work on your reactions and body language.
• Special program presenters: such as history, documentary, travel which can be either a piece of cake or the biggest challenge that you ever had like Extreme Survivors

Never underestimate any type of presenting because each one has its challenges and difficulties. If you have the possibility to choose your audience through choosing what type of program you will be running, then our advice to you is to pick something that fits both your personality and your passion. It might be that you will have many jobs presenting more than one type. It is not bad too because it will expose you more, make a name for yourself, and you will have a feel for what you REALLY want.

8 Tips to Become a TV Presenter in Dubai

ScreenTalents Dubai offers intensive 4-5 day workshops in TV presenting in Dubai and several of their students has made it to popular channels as MBC, Rotana TV, Physique TV and Abu Dhabi TV and visit ScreenTalents at www.screentalentsdubai.com

Watch the promo from previous students here or continue with the tips below the video.

1. Get the right training: Luckily TV presenter jobs don’t need any special qualifications. However, having some trainings won’t hurt at all, especially since there is so much competitiveness here in Dubai. Choose a program that works on interview techniques, voice training, wardrobe advice, and reading autocue with some experienced presenters. It always helps to hear from the professionals and how they started out.
2. Practice make perfect: Practice presenting in front of a mirror, in front of a family member, a friend, or even on your video camera. Make sure to get feedback to improve. You can always use the 3R rule; Record, Review, Redo. When you are not recording, watch professional presenters and see what right or wrong they did. You will be surprised to know that even the most experienced presenters cannot deliver without preparation.
3. Research your topic/ guest: Always be prepared for your guest. Before you go out and talk or interview do some research. If it’s an artist, event or a product, find out as much as you can. Be knowledgeable and don’t be afraid to show it.
4. Dress for the occasion: Be relevant to your topic in your wardrobe choice. If you are interviewing a politician, a serious look is needed. If you want to present pop music show, then a trendy image will be essential. Make sure you feel comfortable and LOOK THE PART.
5. Keep in contact: This one is quite tricky. Our advice is you do not want to email someone so much that you end up annoying them. Recently Dubai had witnessed a rapid growth in entertainment business so it is a bit challenging but you are lucky to have all the decision makers in Dubai. Show up to as many events as possible and interact with the producers. Sell yourself and promote for your presenting career. Don’t email blindly and NEVER copy and paste the same message even if you were tempted.
6. Become friends with earpiece: Get used to having the producer in your ear. Practice speaking and having music on through your earpiece at all times. When presenting, you will have to speak and hear the instructions simultaneously.
7. Overcome your nerves: Through practice and believing in yourself, you can overcome any fear. Be determined and confident that you will achieve what you want. Always remember, it is the first 5 seconds that you will be nervous. Breathe easy and let yourself go.
8. Relax and be yourself: Never try to be someone else because the audience will feel it soon. They love YOU so just be natural and have fun.

It’s your turn now, let us know in the comments if you have other tips or tricks for upcoming presenters, or watch for TV presenting roles available in the Middle East on Mixfame.com

Good luck with becoming a TV presenter in the Middle East.