1. Welcome to SportsJournalists.com, a friendly forum for discussing all things sports and journalism.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register for a free account to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Access to private conversations with other members.
    • Fewer ads.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Application and Interview Suggestions,

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

  1. Stitch

    Stitch Active Member

    Newspapers want people with experience who are willing to work for paltry wages. Those without significant experience could have a better chance at some papers because they won't likely try to move on to something better in a few months.
     
  2. MartinonMTV2

    MartinonMTV2 New Member

    If you're looking for any sense in this process, you'll be looking for a long time. Just look at all the openings listed at this site that re-appear within a few months. Are we really supposed to believe the newspaper chose the best candidate and that person then just fizzled within 3-4 months? Doubtful.

    There are some emergency hires that don't work out. But often newspapers put themselves in a bind because they don't consider potential applicants until there's an opening. Why not interview people from time to time, as long as you're straight with them about there not being an opening?

    Finally, people use crazy reasons to rule out good people. There's an example of that in this thread.
     
  3. dkphxf

    dkphxf Member

    Why are you such a troll? You're digging up months old posts on separate threads. What's wrong with you? I'm sorry, but I'm not going to play your little game. Go enjoy grad school.
     
  4. dirtybird

    dirtybird Well-Known Member

    Because I entirely feel like stepping in it.

    This whole, "you should be willing to work anywhere to start" thing always struck me as somewhat hollow. It seems like many hiring editors seem to prefer hiring local or semi-local, so why wouldn't you factor that in. If I prefer living in one part of the country and would ultimately like to end up there, doesn't going to another, excessively remote part of the country sort of get in the way of that?

    Plus there is an irritation factor in being really far away from friends and family. I went to school far from home and now work further from home, and it should be noted that it's not easy. And its EXPENSIVE if you want to go back and visit friends/family.

    I look at an associate of mine as a prime example of this. He graduated, did the MLB internship in his home town and then endured a long stretch of unemployment because I'm pretty sure he wanted to stay in the area. Eventually he landed at a small 6-days-a-week paper on the outskirts of his metro area. He did good work and around a year later got a call from someone he worked with at the MLB internship. That call turned into a new position where he gets to cover an array of professional sports for a reputable outlet. Had he just said, "My dream is to be a sports writer and I'll go anywhere to do it," I somehow doubt things would have worked out so well.

    Now that individual is not a template, but in my eyes it shows that there can be a payoff for selectivity.
     
  5. spud

    spud Member

    It's funny and telling that I can repudiate every one of these based on my own experience. The trick is there is no trick.

    My first job was 2,100 miles from my home base.

    From what I understand, I was more or less hired on the strength of my interview.

    Never did a day of stringing for a newspaper.

    Just did that to point out that I have yet to come across a single bit of advice that works for everybody, other than to just play it as smart as you know how.
     
  6. RickStain

    RickStain Well-Known Member

    Let me second that in my limited experience, interview skills are hugely important. I've repeatedly talked my way into jobs I had no business getting.
     
  7. spud

    spud Member

    To me, that seems like such a select sample size that it's pointless to trumpet as some kind of model to follow.

    There can indeed be a payoff for selectivity. But you are in the severe minority for finding it.
     
  8. Versatile

    Versatile Active Member

    I can say with certain assuredness that the answer is no, even at some of the biggest papers in the country.

    Talent can rise to the top even at a young age. If anything, it's harder to get a good job if you're unemployed and in your 50s-60s than mid-20s.
     
  9. dirtybird

    dirtybird Well-Known Member

    Were you selective when you were going for that first job? You seem to have landed in a very nice spot, a good number of months after you graduated. Were you applying to every small, middle of nowhere shop you could during that stretch, or did you weed a lot of them out.
     
  10. dkphxf

    dkphxf Member

    Suggestions on whether you should go for an in-person interview if they're making you pay your way. I feel as if you have to pay your own way for a job interview, they're not likely going to be willing to pay for other things -- travel to cover games, open-record requests, etc.
     
  11. Mark2010

    Mark2010 Active Member

    Honestly, it depends what your individua situation is. If you think this is your dream job, a once in a lifetime opportunity, maybe you make a few extra sacrifices.

    If the job isn't all that good, or if just costs too much to travel or you're just plain broke, then you do a phoner.

    I've been hired twice on phoners alone, because the paper didn't want to spend the money to fly me thousands of miles. I've also driven more than 1,000 miles to investigate a job/city before making the leap. And I've had a company fly me halfway across the country at a pretty ridiculous price and then freeze the position less than a month later.

    So, bottom line.... look at it as an investment and decide if the potential payoff is worth it to you.
     
  12. Stitch

    Stitch Active Member

    I wouldn't pay my own way to drive more than a few hours and flying is out of the question. I can't justify spending more than a week's pay for a job that likely would pay less than $30K.

    If you have to pay your own way to interview, you probably won't get moving expenses paid for.
     
Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page