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!

Bush league, or standard operating procedure?

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by CarlSpackler, Aug 7, 2007.

  1. DanOregon

    DanOregon Well-Known Member

    I heard a story about a new hire who got into trouble before they even started at the paper for calling a few people at the joint for tips on where to live. Apparently management hadn't gotten around to notifying the in-house candidates they weren't getting the job.
     
  2. buckweaver

    buckweaver Active Member

    It's bush league, but I wonder too if many of us just have unrealistic expectations for what is "common courtesy" and what is not. I've never gotten offended at getting the e-mail instead of the call -- to me, if they let me know it's a plus. Not everybody lets you know.

    I appreciate the ones who go out of their way to do it right. But I don't get pissed at the ones who don't -- I know what's the norm in this business. Wrong or right, it is what it is. Maybe that's just me ...
     
  3. CarlSpackler

    CarlSpackler Active Member

    I understand getting an e-mail when I'm one of 200 people who don't get it. In fact, I appreciate it very much, because that's putting a real effort into it. But when they bring you in, face-to-face, and spend two days with you only to inform you of your fate via e-mail, then I find it a bit degrading. It's like getting dumped in an e-mail.
     
  4. txsportsscribe

    txsportsscribe Active Member

    i'm guessing they heard you were clumsy in the sack
     
  5. Left_Coast

    Left_Coast Active Member

    Agree completely. If you interview with someone -- phone or in person -- they've weeded down the applicants. Take two minutes to call and say you're going in a different direction.
     
  6. Left_Coast

    Left_Coast Active Member

    Yikes. That's bad. I know someone in a similar situation who was flown in for an interview at a big-time place for a pretty big job then communicated with them for a couple of months after that (critique, editing raw copy) and hasn't heard back from them. That was eight months ago.
     
  7. Chad Conant

    Chad Conant Member

    I once was brought in for an interview at a bigger shop, about eight years and three papers ago. Entire interview was with the ME. The SE acted like it was a bother for him to come in at all.

    Needless to say, I left there pretty sure I was staying where I was.
     
  8. Pilot

    Pilot Well-Known Member

    I'm surprised it took so long for someone to capitalize on that little tidbit of information.
     
  9. tyler durden 71351

    tyler durden 71351 Active Member

    I left the interview feeling like I didn't get the job...which was OK, because I didn't like the editor (this wasn't for a sports job) and the idea of living in Vegas doesn't appeal to me that much (I figured in six months, I would have either gone bankrupt or drank myself to death). The editor I interviewed with had the personality of a brick...he gave me a ride to the airport and I had to remove the newspapers and empty packs of cigarettes from the passenger seat...He didn't clean off the seat himself. Couple of months later, I got the job I wanted.....
     
  10. Left_Coast

    Left_Coast Active Member

    Still, bad form to not call after they brought you in. Classless. Better off not being there.
     
  11. joe_schmoe

    joe_schmoe Active Member

    It's crappy, but isn't unusual. Had one company who did less than what you got. They paid for my trip up there, two nights stay, and bought all my meals. No call, no email, no letter. Just a final check reimbursing me some expenses I wasn't expecting. Saw the job posted on JJ.com about a month later, so I assumed I wasn't it (which was probably fine because I had already decided not to take it...maybe they sensed that), and the other candidates weren't either, or they backed out.
    Other than that, I was very impressed with the hospitality, and recommended the job to a friend. I just didn't wanna live in that particular state.
     
  12. Joe Williams

    Joe Williams Well-Known Member

    You'd think that the folks who do the interviewing and are in the position to hire would welcome the chance to actually write something -- like a letter, courteously thanking you for your interest anyway -- for a change. Most of them aren't exactly cranking out copy on the front lines of journalism.
     
Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page