Clips

[Bob Loblaw]

I'm in the process of applying for jobs and wanted to know how editors like to receive clips. Do you prefer photo copies of hard copies or do internet print-offs work just as well? Do you even care? Any thoughts would be great.

 

[Tom Petty]

hell kid, clips don't matter ... just be sure to make that call and personally talk to the SE on the phone, hopefully at a busy time of the day.

in fact, if you can google the SE and find his or her address, go straight to his or her home and deliver your resume personally. they'll know you're a go-getter then.

 

[deportes]

the best thing to do is to send everyone on staff your resume and work samples. then you'll know your stuff will reach the guy making the decision. works every time.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

That's not really helpful but thanks anyway.

 

[Mira]

I don't know if sending everyone on a staff resume/clips is a smart thing. If I got materials from someone I'd wonder why they were a bit clueless and didn't bother opening a paper or checking out the Web site for the sports editor's contact info.

And Bob Loblaw (love the Arrested Development reference), I've sent internet clips and copies of newspaper stories and both have worked great. As long as the materials are well-organized and look professional, I think you're in good shape.

 

[Leo Mazzone]

And from one newbie to another, slightly newer newbie:

You're hired!

 

[toomanycookies]

What's the opinion on sending a cover letter and having the clips on a well-designed Web site? To me, it seems like it would easier for a sports editor to click on stories right at his desk, rather than flip through pieces of paper. But it also seems like this might appear like a lack of effort to put together a file and send it.

 

[Orange Hat Bobcat]

Keep a Web site as a backup, that's not a bad idea. But don't use that Web site as your primary portfolio.

Also, a word about presentation. When I started sending out portfolios during the months leading up to my graduation, I took a flimsy black binder and stuffed the cover letter on the left and the stories, which were paperclipped, on the right. During that stretch, I applied to about 50 newspapers of varying sizes and never heard back from one.

Then I decided to spend a little more money. I bought black binders, nice ones with the plastic on the front, and plastic filler pages. I stuffed the cover letter on -- gasp! -- the binder's cover, then inserted my stories in the filler pages. It looked a heck of a lot better and, within the first month of this change, I received three phone calls, two interviews and one job offer. I took the job.

Were my stories good before? Sure, but the presentation sucked. Make sure editors know how good your stuff is -- and make sure it's easy on the eyes. Presentation likely will never be the deciding factor, but it doesn't hurt. (That said, don't go overboard.)

 

[sheos]

i photocopied clips, paper-cliped the articles with jumps, threw them in a manila envelope with a cover letter, and received call backs and job offers. NO ONE CARES about the presentation of clips

 

[enigami]

Mega-dittos to Orange Hat Bobcat. I've experienced the same upward relationship between presentation of clips and volume of replies.
SEs at two big papers (SF Chronicle and NY Post) have both told me they don't care whether they're reading web printouts or copies of hard clips. But if either the reproduction quality of the clips or the overall presentation were bad, I'm sure both would notice.

 

[thegrifter]

I don't know if sending everyone on a staff resume/clips is a smart thing. If I got materials from someone I'd wonder why they were a bit clueless and didn't bother opening a paper or checking out the Web site for the sports editor's contact info.

And Bob Loblaw (love the Arrested Development reference), I've sent internet clips and copies of newspaper stories and both have worked great. As long as the materials are well-organized and look professional, I think you're in good shape.

I'm guessing you didn't realize the sarcasm font was on.

 

[Jim Halpert]

When I was applying, I sent Internet print outs, cover letter, etc. in a manila envelope to a bunch of papers, but for the the job I ended up getting, all I sent was an email with a bunch of links to stories and Word attachments of my cover letter and resume.