Sample resume...

It's been my experience when applying at larger circ. papers, that the resume IS the weeding out process, and the cover letter doesn't get looked at unless you make it through that process. I don't think one or two pages will make or break you. My advise, if you have a crapload of achievements, put 'em down. If it makes it two pages, so be it. It's your work, and the achievements are a big part. Another piece of advice, build the resume for the position. Me, I'm a designer, so my resume is more graphically-oriented and very well organized. It's not necessarily all left to right, I have a shaded rail that lists my achievements going down the side, elegant rules seperating the other fields, a small logo of my initials in the corner, stuff like that. Hey, I'm a designer, that's not just limited to the newspaper. Either way, for those who say hooey, I've gotten a lot of compliments on my resume, I'd say at least 85 percent of my interviewers mention it within the interview. And I try to keep the skills to design-related skills. At the very least emphasize that. Oh well, my $.02.

 

1. Tie the letter, resume and clips together. Letter: "my groundbreaking interview with Pete Carroll." Resume: List some of your major stories. Clips: Include copies of those major stories.

2. Include awards only if they are major, national or otherwise recognizable.

3. Limit clips to five or six and NO NOT email them or use links to newspaper archives. When you do that, you make me do a lot of work. You want the job, you do the work. Also, people who email clips or links tend to send too many. I want your best five or six stories, and no more. If you want to mention other stories you have written and say they are available if wanted, fine.

4. Your clips are your best advertisement and therefore must be good. One bad clip overshadows two or more good ones.

5. Unfortunately, reference checks are a dying art, but assume they will be made, and the best editors will make them to people not on your reference list. A good, experienced editor will know 50 or more colleagues he/she can (and will) call.

6. Don't leave a job with a bad odor. The smell will follow you.

 

not saying i reprsent the industry standard. just saying what sells me on writers. cover letters mean even less with design dorks ... IMO.