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Application and Interview Suggestions,

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by dkphxf, Dec 20, 2010.

  1. Mark McGwire

    Mark McGwire Member

    Stop putting commas at the end of thread titles.
     
  2. Ben.Breiner

    Ben.Breiner Member

    I just finished a first job hunt and these are a few observations.

    -Region Matters: most of the interest I got was from places near whichever part of the country I was in at that point. So if you are in Florida, expect less from a preps opening in Iowa than one in Georgia. I'm guessing you could use your cover letter to make it look like you are especially interested in the part of the country the job is in.

    -I'm not sure how one weighs interview skills, but I'm guessing it ranks behind the other things. You have to stand out from a lot of people just of get an interview and employers probably won't bring in that many (those skills are the closer, but you'd rather get on a lot of interviews then send out app after app hoping to showcase interview skills). This also doesn't apply if you just try to meet and talk with to editors in hopes of working your way in. If you do that, interview skills are excessively important.

    -I don't know if this will help but it could also be beneficial to do some stringing with local papers (perhaps a bigger name paper if you can swing that). It keeps you involved in sports writing and at the very least means that one editor knows who you are.

    -It's interesting you mention a college beat, because I'd bet it's not not easy for a rookie to get that without someone recommending you or a mind-blowingly good resume.

    Now this doesn't answer the direct question of the thread but I hope you find it somewhat helpful. Also remember that I'm only looking at this from the side of someone going through a job hunt. If someone who knows the process better feels like demolishing everything I said here with their knowledge and perspective, please do so.
     
  3. Simon

    Simon Active Member

    Honestly, it helps if you're not a huge douche. Clips are clips...but no one wants to work with an egotistical jackass. People want to like their co-workers.
     
  4. Stitch

    Stitch Active Member

    If you're looking at just sports jobs, that's silly, especially if you're out of work.

    Look at state newspaper association websites and start e-mailing every editor under the sun with a unique cover letter for every paper. I did that for the state of Pennsylvania for sports editors and got an e-mail from about half of them, and talked with about half a dozen about various opportunities, ranging from sports to news.
     
  5. Mark2010

    Mark2010 Active Member

    Don't concern yourself too much with platform. More and more people are writing for both print and online, even broadcast. Reporting is reporting. Writing is writing. Interviewing is knowing how to ask the tough questions. Research a subject. If someone is a good reporter, they can learn the details of just about any platform.

    The other thing I would add is be versatile. In my job, it's not uncommon for me to write a story (feature, event coverage, whatever), lay out some pages, compile statistics and post things to a website all in the same shift. A person who can do multiple things has more opportunities. So try not to pigeonhole yourself to just one area.
     
  6. dkphxf

    dkphxf Member

    Does region always matter? What if you're willing to work anywhere?
     
  7. Turtle Wexler

    Turtle Wexler Member

    I've been reviewing dozens of applications lately and have some suggestions:

    -- Triple-check your spelling and grammar. Then have someone else check it. I may not be willing to overlook your typos, no matter how many Ivy League degrees you have.

    -- Follow the instructions. If the notice says send a PDF, send a PDF. Don't send me a .docx or InDesign file I can't open. If you can't make a PDF on your computer, it's up to you to find a way to do it. If the notice says no phone calls, do not follow up with a phone call.

    -- Confidence is good. Narcissism is bad. It's a thin line to walk, but show me the former, not the latter.

    -- If you are young and don't have a ton of journalism experience, don't underestimate the importance of your non-journalism experience. If you have managed people, held a position of responsibility or started your own business, I'll be impressed.

    -- That said, if you want to go into journalism, get some experience. Work for the campus or local paper or reasonable equivalent. Do not start a WordPress blog and write about your thoughts on the NFL. That doesn't count.
     
  8. dkphxf

    dkphxf Member

    Turtle: Do you have suggestions for what makes a cover letter or resume stand out? What do you look at first and what do you use to weed out candidates? For example, if you see a weak cover letter, do you just throw away the rest of the application packet?
     
  9. Turtle Wexler

    Turtle Wexler Member

    If there are typos, grammar/punctuation mistakes and errors in a cover letter, that makes it pretty easy to disregard the rest of the packet.

    Also, I have a first name that is either male or female. If you assume I'm male and address the cover letter to Mr. Wexler, that tells me you didn't visit my organization's website and see my pretty picture. Do your homework.

    Use your cover letter to explain all the things you can't in a linear resume: an experience and what you learned from it or an intangible trait.
     
  10. RickStain

    RickStain Well-Known Member

    Sell yourself to the paper.

    It should be 101, but almost every time I've given a peer advice on a cover letter or job hunt, it turns out that they want to talk about why they need or deserve the job. Your focus needs to be on why the paper needs you, not the other way around.

    The caveat is that if you are applying from out of the region for a small-time gig, explain why you want to work in that region. You don't want to get into the "they are just applying for every job in site" pile.

    Do your freaking homework. Read the website, find out the history of the organization, google stalk your potential boss and their coworkers. Know the beat you are going to be expected to cover. My first job interview out of college, the first thing the editor did was give me a test where I had to match the nicknames of the schools in the coverage area with the town. When I failed, he ripped me pretty hard for not doing my homework ahead of time. I've never made that mistake again.
     
  11. Ben.Breiner

    Ben.Breiner Member

    I was also willing to work anywhere, but most of the interviews I got were within 400 miles of the address on my resume. I even got a response from a job (where I sent an old version of the resume with an old address) asking me about the challenge of moving across the country.

    I can think of a few reasons this would be the case. It's expensive and an applicant might want help coming out for an interview or with moving expenses. Papers don't want to do that. There is also the time factor since you'd have to take a chunk of time to get there, delaying the process. They might also feel bad bringing you in if you don't have a great chance since it will likely be quite expensive.

    There is also the factor that you will likely have a better feel for a closer sports scene and the editor will probably be more familiar with other places you worked and maybe your references.

    Beyond that, moving to small towns far from friends and family isn't always easy. There's a chance you'll want to go back fairly quickly and papers probably don't want that.

    Now there are some papers that are really willing to take far away applicants, but I don't think there are a ton of them. I'm guessing if you tailored your cover letter to the job and included something about why you want to go to that place it could help. I'm not super sure about that.

    Again this is all conjecture from someone who spent a lot of time applying. If someone on the other side wants to correct any or everything about this post, I welcome it.
     
  12. RickStain

    RickStain Well-Known Member

    I've gotten two jobs in the last three years that required 1,000+-mile moves. Both times, I outlined early in the interview process why I specifically wanted to work in that region of the country.
     
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