Job advice for a May 2013 grad

Yeah, I bet you could get more mileage from features, if you are dealing strictly with pros and major colleges. AP is going to do the gamers anyway, so there's less reason for a sports editor to shell out for that.

One place I worked, we'd take AP on college football (Pac-10) gamers, but get a stringer to do notebooks and often ask him to get a comment or two from our local kids on the team. Paid around $75-100 for 20-something inches.

And, like BB said, if you have a non-star player on the team who isn't likely to get an AP feature done but could be of great interest back home, that's a great market as well.

 

Some great advice here.

Learning InDesign, whether through working part-time or taking a class, is a great idea.

Same for Photoshop if you have not used it.

Learning video editing is also a key. Again, personally, on the job or a class.

I would write a letter to every sports editor you have worked for and let them know you are on the market stringer/part-time or full.

I'd also drop a note to any other sports editors that you have not worked for between say Boston and New Haven -- maybe not a full resume/clips, but rather a quick intro.

Work your colleagues. Ask around.

One thing I have been successful at is covering for out-of-town newspapers. Note every MSL paper travels with its team. Same for AHL, though there are fewer and fewer. Now would be a good time to send out notes to papers that cover AAA baseball.

(I do not know where you live, so other teams might be better. I am basing off you going to URI.)

Good luck,

Billy T
Class of 81

 

Billy T....I'll definitely drop my name to editors around the area. One thing I've been slaving over is the cover letter to send out with resumes. Am I receding my hairline for no reason? How important is the letter/what exactly should I put in it?

I feel confident in my resume and clips, but I don't want to cock it with a bad letter.

 

If you have a warm coat, you'll land your dream job.

 

"Be willing to move" is great advice. Hit the road, experience some new places, and have an open mind. Offer to cover some news and features stuff, maybe some weekend General Assignment duties. Hell, stick your hands in the whole pie. Cops, obits, whatever you can, at your age.

Sports can be great and fun. You may have a talent for something else that you haven't discovered yet. Go chase it and good luck.

 

Advice from another place on this board: Write good sentences.

It flows from that.

 

Many thanks for all the advice guys. I'm leaning towards staying home for short while and working my freelance places as well as doing some substitute teaching. I want to get out of New England, at least for a while, for work, but I don't have the money saved up yet to be able to do that.

I have some solid places to freelance and living at home for at most two years seems like a good way to set up my life. Also mom is a fantastic cook ;D.