The Tennessean - Tennessee Titans No. 2 beat writer

Those were rhetorical questions, Dooley. Rhetorical.

 

that's bullshit! if you already have your finalist, don't post the damn job.

 

I agree! I'm sick of this business being all about whose ass you kiss.

 

What happened to Jessica Hopp? Or she was only the Titans' backup-backup?

 

Isn't any business like that to an extent?

For the most part, corporate policies require them to "post" the job. But with the better jobs anywhere, if you know the right people, you're going to have an advantage.

 

It's not a crime and certainly isn't anything new to have candidates already in mind and in line for possible interviews when you post a job. For pete's sake, any editor with half a brain should have possible candidates in mind ALL the time for any high-profile job, just to be ready. It doesn't mean there is butt-kissing going on, necessarily, it just means editors and writers are always networking, and this is reality, baby.

Keep in mind, too, that most jobs get posted only because most companies' HR departments require it. It's part of the process, SOP.

You folks griping about bringing in candidates so quickly do know this, don't you? I hear Kuharsky is leaving any day now, so doesn't it make sense to be pushing hard to get his replacement in here as soon as possible? Duh. I mean, this is old news.

 

From what I understand, they'd like to have the new hire in place by the end of the month. So I'd have to agree. Also, NFL jobs typically are filled this way. I'm not sure it has much (although it may a little) to do with networking. People I know have received calls about several of the most recent openings and those people had never before spoken to or met the person hiring.

So while frustrating, that's just the way it goes...

 

That's how most jobs at big papers are filled.

They'd rather get referrals than 300 applicants. Makes sense to me.

 

and if you can't make contacts in your own business, how do you expect to get contacts needed to be a reporter? it's part of a job. it's not kissing ass, it's cultivating sources -- both in the job market and on the beat

or you can just cry about "ass kissing"

 

I'd rather spend my time cultivating sources that can help me do my job better. That alone should get me my next job -- not kissing other journalists/editors asses.

Seems to me some people spend more time talking about journalism than actually doing journalism.

 

Hey Rabbit, I don't like it any more than you do. But it really is all about who you know, and that goes for every professional field. Each of the places I've worked, someone there knew me beforehand and I was talking to the sports ed before or very soon after the job was posted, if it was posted at all. Like to think I didn't kiss ass once to make it happen.

That said ... I know some younger "effin stud" writers who probably don't need to take the brown-nose route and blatently do anyway because it gets their names out on places like this board. It's the way of the world.

 

I don't find "networking" to be as sinister as it's being made out to be here. And networking only works for people who make a favorable impression.

I certainly don't think I kiss anybody's ass, but I have received calls about job openings before from people I knew. I think it helps that I don't tell everybody to "fuck off" at conventions. I also think it helps if people have already seen your work before you send clips and may have an impression about you. This is especially true of places that have beats in a particular league — you tend to become more aware of those reporting the same league.

Put simply, searches don't happen in vacuums.