Application and Interview Suggestions,

[Mark2010]

I was going to start a thread with questions regarding applications for internships, but after reading this thread I figured that I'd address my questions here.

A simple summary: A college sophomore looking for my first true internship. I've had experience working as a veteran columnist for BleacherReport, and now doing some freelancing for Yahoo Sports. Also, I work for the school newspaper and cover games, interview players weekly for features,etc.

I've applied for a bunch of internships with national media organizations, since many of those deadlines occur in November.

Two of these internships with the deadlines in November said that decisions will be made by end of December. Thus, after submitting my materials, is it realistic to assume that if you don't hear back from them a week later to schedule an interview with you, does that mean I'm out of the running? Or is it fair to assume that it can take much longer to go through the process?

It can very widely, depending on the size of the company, number of applications and whatever else (personal as well as business) the person doing the selection has going on at the moment. I've had people email me back within a couple of hours of receiving a resume. Other places, I'll get a call or email MONTHS later, after I had long since assumed they had overlooked me. So, you just never really know what sort of timetable they are moving on or what obstacles they are facing. (One hiring manager told me he had just come back to the office after being gone almost a month following surgery.)

 

[TopSpin]

Virtually a repeat of the tons of tips in this thread, but tossing in two cents.

The best advice on writing resumes and cover letters I received over the years came from a close friend who works as VP of HR for a major corporation. She tells me the volumes of resumes they receive means they spend less than 2-3 minutes reading through everything. And that's if it gets through the computer algorithms.

Buzzwords are so critical today. My friend says if the job announcement asks for a reporter who has a proven history of cultivating and developing sources, then somewhere in the resume there better be an example of that. Most already know to lock on the key phrases, but she told me the amount of resumes they receive in her department often don't hammer on the buzzwords.

Same applies when a job announcement asks for beat writer experience. You can't just put "X years beat writer experience" to coincide with the years reflected in the announcement. Instead, answer how you have beat writer experience. Do you cover daily pressers? How often are you in the locker room? How many daily stories do you file? Can you break news and how? Etc.

Given today's social media environment and Web-based strategies, if a job announcement asks for a proven track record of tweeting or a working knowledge of CMS, put that in there. For the latter, mention the specific CMS.

Finally, she tells me the resumes she prefers seeing are those of the functional variety. I also prefer using that format because it's easier to tailor and lock on the buzzwords with a functional resume over the other formats.

There is a dark side to all this in today's world and that's how much experience is in the resume. I was once told I should "dummy down" my resume.

 

[Versatile]

Does "dummy down" mean draft?

 

[babyjay newsignon]

TopSpin, what do you mean by a "functional" resume?

 

[NancyLou]

TopSpin - might this be an example of a functional resume???

http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/resumes/functionaleg2.html

I'm still tweaking my resume and would like to get it into a format that's acceptable to most editors.

And, please forgive my asking this and looking for all the world like a newb but... you mention working knowledge of CMS. I'm afraid I don't know what CMS stands for. I might have a working knowledge of it... I just don't know.

 

[NancyLou]

And I have to wonder... Is this really the ultra fabulous resume Monster would have us believe it is?

http://career-advice.monster.com/resumes-cover-letters/resume-samples/sample-resume-reporter/article.aspx

 

[buckweaver]

And, please forgive my asking this and looking for all the world like a newb but... you mention working knowledge of CMS. I'm afraid I don't know what CMS stands for. I might have a working knowledge of it... I just don't know.

Google is your friend ...

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=what+is+a+cms%3F

 

[Bristol Whipped]

Great advice on this thread ...

I would only add this: no matter what your previous experience has been like, maintain a positive outlook throughout the interview. If you've had negative experiences at your last two or three shops, interviewers are quick to pick up on that. Even if you're frustrated by your career path or the way your previous stop treated you, find the positives.

Also, since you know they're going to ask you at the end of the interview if you have any questions, prepare one or two intelligent questions. It can be something you couldn't find in your research, or simply ask your interview what they like and dislike about working at the company.

I can only reiterate the tips regarding researching the company and its coverage practices prior to the interview.

 

[Mark2010]

TopSpin - might this be an example of a functional resume???

http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/resumes/functionaleg2.html

I'm still tweaking my resume and would like to get it into a format that's acceptable to most editors.

And, please forgive my asking this and looking for all the world like a newb but... you mention working knowledge of CMS. I'm afraid I don't know what CMS stands for. I might have a working knowledge of it... I just don't know.

CMS generally stands for Content Management System. It's a computer software program that is used to input, edit and manipulate content on the internet. There are several different ones out there.

When I was working in newspaper, I would use a CMS (whatever one our company happened to have) to take stories from the newspaper (usually a Quark or InDesign document) and put them on our website. I generally copied and pasted from the page, so as to get any late edits I had to make on the page itself.

A good CMS allows you to post photos, videos and other related content and even link them. I liked to post polls that readers could vote on, as well as blogs that didn't appear in the print edition.

But basically CMS refers to a web publishing program.

 

[Mark2010]

TopSpin, what do you mean by a "functional" resume?

A functional resume can be used to highlight certain, often transferable, skills, as opposed to specific job experience.

Example: good leadership, written and verbal communication skills, strong decision-making capabilities, excellent time management, etc.

I have used it in the past when applying for jobs that I know I can do but don't have much real-world experience in. Or because I've worked at several different jobs, but each doing basically the same thing.

 

[Mark2010]

Sometimes, it's all about how you word things on a resume.

Strong leadership and decision-making capabilities = I'm always right and you damn well better do it my way, because I said so.

Strong verbal and written communication skills = I'm pretty blunt, tend to fly off the handle, speak loudly and leave no doubt as to what I'm thinking.

Strong time management skills = I usually put things off, am running too far behind but manage to hustle up and get it finished in half the time it takes someone else to do the same thing.

Social and people-oriented = I am a shameless flirt who can bullshirt my way out of most any problem my incompetence creates.

 

[NancyLou]

Buck - I don't know that the extreme, extreme sarcasm was warranted and you're doing so wasn't even remotely helpful. Were you not listening the day your mother talked to you about, "If you don't have something nice to say..."?

Mark2010 - Thanks for the thoughtful and helpful reply. I'm actually familiar with more than one Content Management System, I'd just never heard it referenced in that way. I do have on my resume that I'm familiar with some of the ones you'd mentioned.

It would seem the more than 10 years I've been out of the actual work force (been freelancing and have my own website) the art of writing a resume has changed dramatically. It's all about keywords and computer programs now, where once an actual human would be the first person to see your resume.

I've read several articles, though, written by headhunters who are now saying the keyword programs on the market and being used aren't effective and are missing some important stuff. One headhunter ran 1,000 resumes through one of these programs under the guise of finding an engineer and all 1,000 resumes were bypassed, in spite of every one of them having an engineering degree suitable for the position.