Advice

[Devin]

I was laid off a few months back from a job where I mainly was a GA/courts/cops reporter for three years. Now I really want to write sports. However, I haven't written much sports content since college where I was a sports editor and did some freelancing at a few local papers. I was wondering how can I apply for jobs with sports clips that are four years old? Can I use those clips and send along the stuff I wrote while I was at my previous job as a hard news reporter? Some advice would really help. Thanks.

 

[Stitch]

There are some places you'll have a great shot at getting a sports writing job and some where you won't get a sniff. Hard give you more than that.

Best advice, though, would be to start stringing.

 

[Mark2010]

Bottom line is you use what you have. If you like some of the work you did, send it. Good writing is good writing. You can explain the details in a cover letter or interview.

Heck, I knew a person who was trying to break into the business and didn't have ANY published writing clips. So he went to events, watched events and wrote things (some of which were quite good) and sent those. You use whatever you have to represent yourself.

 

[mustangj17]

I wouldn't use four year old clips. Editors want to see what you can do now. I wouldn't even want to use four year old clips. My four year old clips suck compared to what I have now. And in four years, I'm sure I can say the same thing.

Use your news clips, but emphasize your sports background in your cover letter. And like another poster said, string, or start blogging and tweeting about sports. Give them something to show you have some amount of insight. Better than sending them clips from 2006.

 

[Stitch]

Apply for every sports job you can. Look at every state newspaper association website. You could spend your time blogging or you can find a job. You probably won't make a lot of money and you might have to move across the country, but there are sports jobs out there.

 

[Devin]

Thanks for the tips. I will certainly use the advice.