Sports Writer, McLean, Va.

Love your job. We work hard, but we have fun here. Join a small but excellent team of sports editors and reporters.

Cover high school and community sports in suburban Washington DC for award-winning chain of weeklies. Cover events, write features and sports news stories, participate in project reporting and writing, design and layout pages.

Connection Newspapers sports sections have won dozens of top press awards in just the last few years. We know sports coverage is key to our readership.

We want to push the envelope, go beyond superficial. We are not looking for routine coverage and bland writing.

Job requires passion for sports, ability to multi-task, energy, strong writing and reporting skills, knowledge of pagemaker or other layout programs.

Sports team also contributes to editorial projects.

Two weeks paid vacation plus extra paid time off around the holidays. Health benefits, 401K plan. Raise after 90 days.

Position is available immediately. Unfortunately we cannot reimburse relocation expenses.

Send cover letter, resume and three clips to ConnectionResumes@hotmail.com, or fax to 703-917-0997, attn: Mary Kimm, or mail to Connection Newspapers, 7913 Westpark Drive, McLean, VA 22102. We prefer email applications with text pasted into the body of the email.

 

If you're just out of college and willing to bust your ass, this is a good gig. The guy who's leaving just accepted a H.S. writing gig at the Washington Post, so there's an example of advancement that can be had out of this. Lots of good high schools in the area and the chance to do some really good enterprise projects and features.

 

Cristiano: Are you confusing this with the PotNews?

 

Nope. I know the guy that's leaving and whoever takes his place has some crazy shoes to fill.

 

You will work like a beast of burden. You will be compensated like a pauper. With luck, you won't be there long. Good training ground.

 

Damn. The WaPost has picked up quite a bit of talent in the past few weeks.

 

I am that young talented badass that is leaving this gig for the WashPost that Christiano speaks of. Thanks for the kind words.

This job is one that you can easily fall in love with and stay with for longer than you should. The staff there is young and fun and you essentially do your own thing. Editors leave you alone as long as you are good. It's the best high school market to cover with a mixture of publics and privates. Pagination, though a true pain, gives you the final say on how your work is presented.

You can do some great work here and learn every aspect of the business and, for a job out of college, you are paid quite well.

PM me for more details. They are looking to fill this gig fast.

 

Now I know who to go to for WaPost jobs! Cool...

All kidding aside, Napolean, congratulations. Looking forward to reading your stuff.

 

I've gotten a couple of emails from some young guns about this job, so I'll answer all of your questions on this thread rather than pm each of you...

hours are whatever you want as long as you fill your pages with good content. but, the catch is you have as much free time as you want as long as you are working all the time..it's a catch-22.

editors leave you alone as long as you fill your pages with good content.

you are your own boss to a certain extent.

pagination is the worst part of the job, but teaches you a lot and gives you the opportunity to be creative and present your work the way you want it presented.

it's a young staff and a fun atmosphere.

this job, in no way, should be viewed as a path way to The Washington Post. That path was manufactured through networking and working hard. But this is a place that you can work hard, break stories and get noticed.

financially you will never get rich here, but I know that in comparison to other weeklies in the area, they pay the best. you can live nicely on what they pay as long as you don't expect to be jett-setting and clubbing every week.

premadonas need not apply. this is hard work, but very gratifying. your work will be extremely well-read within the community and you WILL get feedback.

this job also comes with an opportunity to work in broadcast as the sports staff is part of a weekly television show broadcast from just outside of Richmond all the way up through DC and up to Annapolis. It's great exposure and I parlayed it into a sweet TV gig on top of the WashPost.

No more PM's, I'm tapped out of time.

Good luck applicants. I know they are already looking at one person.

 

Just building on what DynamiteJordan said...

I'd go as far as to say that the weekly sports sections in these newspapers could even be a launching point for some editorial magazine work. From the design aspects to the packaging of stories to the special projects, it's as ambitious a community sports section as you'll find. The clips will be great, the pay better than expected...and did I mention the free -- yes, FREE -- lunch one Wednesday each month?

Other than that, I'll echo everything Mr. Soon-To-Be-Postie said...especially the part about the hard work, because it really, really demands it.

 

anybody hear anything about this?

 

You're hired!