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Job hunt questions for upcoming grads

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Stitch, Mar 30, 2008.

  1. Stitch

    Stitch Active Member

    I know internships are good, but you might get flak from some editors wondering why you just didn't try for a full-time gig right after school. Now you have to wait until January for a job since bailing out on an internship looks bad.
     
  2. Jeremy Goodwin

    Jeremy Goodwin Active Member

    As for travel for interviews, I went through my first job search last fall and here are my experiences:
    - 8K circ paper paid for my gas/hotel to come down for an interview. They wanted me to come down for an interview ASAP, and the drive was only 5 or 6 hours, so that wasn't bad. On the way home I got to visit some friends who I hadn't seen since Jr. High, so that was an added positive to drive.
    - 30K circ paper flew me out and paid for everything while I was out there.
    -30K circ paper did not pay for hotel or gas (about 4 hr drive). I made the mistake of not asking or pushing the issue. I was somewhat OK with them not offering to pay for gas / hotel though because they had already offered me a job. I was going up there to see if I liked my potential coworkers and could live in the town. I didn't pay for anything once I got there. I figured I could put up $200 for the trip or whatever it ended up being to decide if I wanted to take the job.
    -9K circ paper wanted to fly me out. The SE and I talked for a few weeks about flying me out. By the time the ME or EE finally called to make the flight plans I was already a finalist for openings at the 30K papers. I told them I was interested in the position, but they shouldn't book anything for me right away because I would probably take another job. I did get one of the jobs at the 30K papers, so I never ended up flying out there.

    1. I'd say expect to have some preps involved with your first job. You'll probably start off at a place that is 50K circ or less. That's just my experience and my friends' experiences. I cover preps, jucos, some minor league teams and occasionally help with our State U coverage.

    2. I also went to a big name / prestigious J-School. My SE there said to expect our pay to be in the mid 20Ks based on having graduated from our school, the internships most of us had, and our beat experience. That figure seems legit from what I've heard from friends. Obviously the large a paper is, the more they should be able to pay you. I had two job offers. Both were in the mid 20Ks, so I didn't complain. I went with a job that offered 1K less because I thought that paper was better and doing more creative things. I was able to negotiate some more money with the top editor, and eventually made up for that 1K. But money isn't everything. Making sure your paper is the right fit is what matters.
     
  3. playthrough

    playthrough Moderator Staff Member

    Sticky-ing this for graduation season. All you future effing studs, consider this your thread for a while.
     
  4. EnZona

    EnZona Member

    What about this...

    Interning at a paper that is top-20 in circulation. There's been talk of a full-time gig after graduation, though it would be out of a bureau and very, very low on the totem pole. Would it be better to take the job, going the small fish in a big pond route, or try to start off at a smaller paper that probably would mean a better beat and more opportunity. Staying at the larger paper wouldn't be bad by all means, there's just the worry of getting lost in the shuffle and probably not getting a crack at anything significant for some time.
     
  5. There's absolutely nothing wrong with a bureau, especially if the paper uses bureaus to develop young reporters. Just work your ass off and you'll get to where you deserve to go in due time.
     
  6. Xodus

    Xodus Member

    I'm graduating this December and I was hoping you seasoned vets could help me get a sense of what type of jobs I should shoot for when I graduate.

    I got my start stringing for a +40k circulation newspaper in the summer of 06 then moved on to my college paper, which is considered one of the best in the country (we have former writers who now work for the AP, Palm Beach Post, SI, Miami Herald etc.), so I could get experience covering a beat. Since then I've covered multiple multiple sports, strung for the +40k local paper again, been the sports editor for my student paper, currently correspond for SI on Campus which I'll be doing until I graduate in the fall.

    I'll also be interning at a 40k circ. paper this summer and in the fall I'll be covering one of the top teams in the SEC and corresponding for a +300k newspaper shortly. I'm also hoping to land a summer internship at a top 20 circulation paper next summer.

    Is it realistic for me to think I can land a job at a 40-50k circ. paper? I definitely won't mind covering preps, I just want to start at as good a paper as I can.
     
  7. slatter

    slatter Member

    Okay, I'm graduating in May and have a resume that I believe should land me in the ~50k circulation range. How come every time I'm pursuing something (all smaller than 50k) from JournalismJobs.com, the company never gets back to me? Are they looking for someone more seasoned (i.e. not straight out of college)? I figure if someone needs a sports reporter and I apply, I shouldn't be getting ignored.
     
  8. RecentAZgrad

    RecentAZgrad Active Member

    slatter, I ran into the same thing last year when I was applying places. They're not necessarily ignoring you, it's just that they don't always have the time to respond to everyone who applies. The job that I applied for and eventually got had something like 150 applicants in less than a week. The SE never even got close to replying to all of them.

    The biggest thing I learned is that you have to be the one to be in constant contact, the people doing the hiring have dozens of other things they're simultaneously dealing with. Not that you should call every 15 minutes, but just call or email every so often to make sure your name is one that sticks out.
     
  9. Jeremy Goodwin

    Jeremy Goodwin Active Member

    Slatter,
    I don't know if you saw my response to your thread before it was deleted or not. Basically the crux of it was this, and RecentAZgrad hits on most of my points:

    You have to follow up with places. Sure you might have a great resume and clips, but you should never have a "I shouldn't be getting ignored" mindset. You have to make it so people can't ignore you. I'm sure it was competitive getting your internships, but with a job people have to think how things will work out for longer than 10-12 weeks. Companies spend a lot of money to hire people and then to insure them. Also, you're not just competing against college kids anymore, so the pool of candidates is a hundred times bigger.
    Bottom line is this, you have to be the one making the contact with the editors or recruiters to see where you stand with them. I was applying for my first job out of college last summer. I applied to about 30 places and heard back from five unsolicited. Three of those places I had inperson interviews with. One of the others was a generic rejection from AP, and another was a rejection from an editor I knew. I assume because I knew him he took the time to give me the rejection. With the other 25 or so places, I had no clue until I e-mailed the editors. More than half of the people I followed up with responded. They were all rejections, but at least I knew that I was rejected and wasn't waiting by my phone assuming I'd be getting a call from them because I thought they had to hire me because they were only 10K circ and I had an impressive resume. All it takes is a quick e-mail saying "Hi, I'm Slatter. I applied for X position and was wondering if you got my stuff and what the status of my application is."
    It sounds like you are still in school, so that should be your main priority. When I was applying for jobs, I was finished with an internship and living at home, so applying for jobs was my job. You have to think of it that way. You can't be sitting around waiting for calls. You need to be following up and making new contacts. Show the paper some initiative. The editor might not initially remember your name or packet, but if you follow up it could force them to give your stuff a second and closer look. You are the one who wants to get hired, so you are the one who has to do the work. You can't expect someone with a busy schedule to stop what the are doing to send out 80 rejection letters when they have enough stuff on their plate already.
     
  10. Stitch

    Stitch Active Member

    For those looking for sports jobs. Try going for news. I got an offer today for news and shooting Web video. Pay is better than I expected for the size. Don't shirk off the news side since you may have to do it at least once in a career.
     
  11. Rosie

    Rosie Active Member

    JG hit on a very good point. Looking for a job should be your job right now.

    I know there were quite a few applicants for the job I just landed not too long ago (and I'm nowhere near just out of school.)

    And although this hasn't been asked yet, when you do go on that interview, remember appearances do count. You don't need to go the three-piece suit route, but do dress appropriately. Neat and clean, and very, very light on the fragrance.
     
  12. aschaefe

    aschaefe New Member

    Anyone have some specific advice for someone looking to break into copy editing?

    I'm set to graduate in May from University of Maryland, and I'm interning right now at the sports copy desk of a major daily in the area. I'm doing great there (I get the impression that my supervisor, who's also the copy desk chief, is highly impressed with me), but that is my only copy editing experience, as my previous internships were all in news reporting.

    I know I'll probably get chastised for this, but right now, my priority is to find something in the Baltimore/DC area. I'd probably be willing to work outside sports or even journalism as a whole for a while, but obviously my preference would be to find a sports copy editing job in the area. So, any advice?
     
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