Application and Interview Suggestions,

[Mark2010]

Nancy,

I have an entire section on my resume now devoted to computer software programs that I have worked with and mastered to one degree or another. It seems like that is a much in demand skill in almost any industry these days.

 

[Mark2010]

Yes, how in the world did we all survive for decades before google came along?

 

[NancyLou]

Nancy,

I have an entire section on my resume now devoted to computer software programs that I have worked with and mastered to one degree or another. It seems like that is a much in demand skill in almost any industry these days.

I've done the same, as it seems that's just as important these days as the writing. I've also included a line in my "software" section that shows the social networking I'm familiar with.

I just had a friend who does a great deal of hiring for his company take a look at both my resume and cover letter. He made some suggestions, small ones really, and they both look infinitely better.

 

[Ace]

Unless you are applying for a position as a page designer or a web producer, I don't know that it really matters what computer software programs you have mastered. At least in my little corner of the world.

 

[Mark2010]

Ace,

That's what we're talking about. The more skills you have, the better you can market yourself. Does anyone even hire people solely to write anymore? Everywhere I've ever been, it's all about multi-tasking. Page design, photos, videos, blogging, whatever.

One place I worked, we had a real old (60s) guy who struggled with any computer system. I had to create a username and password for him just to log him into the computer system so he could type out his stories at the office. He had started many years before and never mastered the technical skills in use today. Decent writer, certainly not extraordinary. But no one was going to fire him because he was an older, hometown guy who had been around for years.... and a really nice person.

I sort of felt badly for him and tried to help him as much as I could. But he simply could not learn to paginate. And it hurt the staff, because that was one fewer person who literally could not do the copy desk stuff, so it messed with the scheduling for the rest of the staff.

 

[Ace]

Ace,

That's what we're talking about. The more skills you have, the better you can market yourself. Does anyone even hire people solely to write anymore? Everywhere I've ever been, it's all about multi-tasking. Page design, photos, videos, blogging, whatever.

One place I worked, we had a real old (60s) guy who struggled with any computer system. I had to create a username and password for him just to log him into the computer system so he could type out his stories at the office. He had started many years before and never mastered the technical skills in use today. Decent writer, certainly not extraordinary. But no one was going to fire him because he was an older, hometown guy who had been around for years.... and a really nice person.

I sort of felt badly for him and tried to help him as much as I could. But he simply could not learn to paginate. And it hurt the staff, because that was one fewer person who literally could not do the copy desk stuff, so it messed with the scheduling for the rest of the staff.

At bigger/medium papers, page design is generally it's own thing. It's too labor intensive to expect someone to do that and anything else.

 

[NancyLou]

I had the daughter of a friend call me today for advice getting going in the world of journalism. I gave her the best advice I knew to give, including that she take a course or two in Photography, Photoshop, InDesign/Page creation programs, to take some serious grammar/punctuation classes and to also take business and creative writing classes in addition to her journalism classes. I tried to explain to her being a journalist isn't just about writing, because any idiot with a keyboard and an internet connection could write. I told her journalism was about writing WELL. I also advised her to start approaching smaller newspapers to donate some articles for the sake of gaining clips and samples and to offer a variety, not just one genre. She's currently a sophomore in college and I explained to her this would put her ahead of her peers, who've written for their high school and college paper and nothing else.

After talking to her about it all, she decided it sounded too hard and thinks she'll change her major to communications or something easier.

One down, about a hundred thousand more to go...

*SIGH*

 

[SP7988]

Wow. Pretty great thread here with a lot of good information. Definitely bookmarked it.

Anyways, I just had a few questions that I didn't see answered in here:

1). When choosing clips, how is the best way to go about selecting them? Also, if they don't specify how many clips they want, how many should I send?

2). When e-mailing my application, I plan on attaching my cover letter and resume. However, most of my work I would wish to use is from online media outlets.

Do I just link each article in the body of the e-mail? Or would finding one of those portfolio websites for clips be the best route to go?


Those were the two big questions I had. Also, I know a lot of stuff regarding cover letters is in this thread. But if anyone has any other tips and advice in writing them, would love to hear it!

Thanks, guys.

 

[Versatile]

Go with five or six. Make sure they show the type of skills you will need for that job. Five puffy features, no matter how good, aren't going to get you a job on a news-heavy beat.

 

[SP7988]

PDF your clips. Links change.

So for online articles, take a screenshot and PDF it?

Also, what is the general opinion on using portfolio websites such as Pressfolios, Muckrack, Clippings.me and sites such as those?

 

[SP7988]

Go with five or six. Make sure they show the type of skills you will need for that job. Five puffy features, no matter how good, aren't going to get you a job on a news-heavy beat.

Thanks. That makes sense. So mix it up with features, game recaps, enterprise pieces, etc.

Got it.

 

[SP7988]

^thank you, sir. Just learned something new. Awesome.