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Not sure if this should go in here or not...

Discussion in 'Journalism Jobs' started by Bucknutty, May 3, 2007.

  1. Bucknutty

    Bucknutty Member

    I'm contemplating looking for a new job in the not-too-distant future, and was thinking of somewhere along the East coast, somewhere near Baltimore for family reasons. My problem is that I have absolutely no connections to the region, and don't know how to go about starting to look for sports writing jobs there.

    What do I do? How can I get started? Any and all feedback would be greatly appreciated.
     
  2. jimnorden

    jimnorden Member

    Get some names of some editors in the area, send along some emails and send in some clips. Be a reporter and dig around for some info. It may be tough, but not impossible.
     
  3. Breakyoself

    Breakyoself Member

    got to a job site, look for stuff in maryland or near there. that would be a start.
     
  4. playthrough

    playthrough Moderator Staff Member

    Make a circle around Baltimore, extending as far out as you'd want to live from there. Send clips and a letter to every paper in the circle ASAP. Follow up a couple weeks later with a call or e-mail, inquiring if there are any open positions.

    That's what I did when moving to a new state (chasing a girlfriend, now wife). Didn't get any bites for a couple months but a small paper in my target area had a job come open eventually, and the editor already had my stuff in hand and liked it so I got an interview. Got the job, too. A year later I got a job at a bigger competing paper that was also on my original list, the editor said he liked my stuff at first and then followed my work at the other paper.
     
  5. So, crap like that really happens? I always assumed those stories were urban legends.
     
  6. Bob_Jelloneck

    Bob_Jelloneck Member

    Try Trenton. We may have some really exciting openings there soon. ;)
     
  7. playthrough

    playthrough Moderator Staff Member

    Eh, I wouldn't love my chances of pulling that off today. But if you're moving someplace new, you've gotta go on the offensive. Checking the job boards every day waiting for something to magically appear ain't it.
     
  8. Danny Noonan

    Danny Noonan Member

    I'd agree -- go on the offensive, but go on the real offensive. Try this below.

    I used to just send stuff out and try to network long-distance that way, and usually didn't get a lot of action. But several years back, my wife and I decided we were going to move to New England, and find jobs where we could, so I tried a more aggressive approach. I sent out a bunch of letters and clips, and told every ME or editor I was relocating to their area, and was going to be in his/her town on such and such a date, would like to meet with them and discuss any current or future openings. That approach opened a whole bunch of doors since I not only saved their dime, it impressed them and made me look like someone who really wanted a job. We took a week of vacation, traveled there, I ended up with a bunch of interviews, five job offers (one guy said he'd create a position for me), and took a job as a news editor at a 100,000 daily and received a 150 percent pay increase over where I'd worked previously, and ended up working 2.5 hours less a week thanks to a union contract!
     
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