Aurora (Ill.) Beacon News, two positions

[turnovers]

Anyone know anything else about this job? Is this a entry-level, the next step, blah blah blah?

 

[turnovers]

Thanks Philly...In general...is sending in a resume via email or snail mail more effective. Applying by email is obviously much easier, but does sending your resume and clips through snail mail show more interest?

IMO (and what do I know?), e-mail has always been the easiest for me. The responses are quick and if you have your clips in PDF or JPG formats, it's easy for the recipient to pop up your clips and scan them to see if they want to get back with you or not. I've always gotten quick responses when e-mailing a resume with several PDF clips attached.

 

[Chi City 81]

They had some sort of royal screw-up by implementing a universal desk in which all the papers in the group (Waukegan, Elgin, Joliet, Aurora) had essentially the same front page, with one slot for local stories and the rest being focused mostly on Chicago pro teams. If you're a suburban paper, that doesn't make a lot of sense -- unless you're the Daily Herald and can cover pros and preps with equal fervor.

That's no longer true. Some of the pages are common (e.g. their baseball pages), but the cover, at least in Waukegan, is original every night.

 

[turnovers]

Something else re: this job... "the thrust of this position will be feature and enterprise writing." Do you even see this much anymore? Especially when half the other listings want you to do desk, copy editing, agate and wash the SE's car along with some writing.

 

[Big Z]

Unlike much of the Chicago area, there isn't a lot of competition for the Beacon in and around Aurora as far as local coverage goes. The sports department has undergone quite a bit of turmoil in the past few years with three different sports editors, which has at times led to some questionable sports editorial decisions. However, the paper could use some new blood and this job will give you an opportunity to cover some pretty competitive prep sports and get your foot in the door in the Sun-Times News Group. This is one of those jobs where you can put in the bare minimum and get by, but you also have the freedom to do some really good work. As for the part-time job, expect more agate work and less coverage based on previous hires.

 

[YoungSportsScribe]

anyone care to ballpark a salary for the full-time gig?

That's what I'd like to know.

 

[Big Z]

$30-35K would be my guess.

 

[YoungSportsScribe]

$30-35K would be my guess.

I'd be sold on $45K...maybe.

 

[berklonius]

I'd think it'd be closer to the lower end of the 30-35K range. For a young journalist, this isn't a bad gig at all. I did some freelance work for these guys a couple years back and I was given a decent amount of latitude then. It seems like there's been some shakeup since then, but you'll have a chance to do a wide range of stories if you have the initiative.

 

[FishHack76]

I'll add that the newest sports editor, Todd M. Adams, is one of the good people in the business. From what I know, the part-time job is three nights per week on the desk and two nights per week writing.

 

[johnnychoice]

Would it be possible to live in the city of Chicago and commute to this job

 

[Chi City 81]

Would it be possible to live in the city of Chicago and commute to this job

Sure, if you don't mind spending 90 minutes in the car everyday.