how to land you first job in journalism

LAND YOUR FIRST

JOURNALISM JOB

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON

SHARON PIAN CHAN

2016.05.10

a

1. Big Hairy Audacious Goal

Picture yourself at 50

What do you want to be doing? Where

do you want to be living? What kind of

life do you want to be living?

You have to see it within yourself before

others can see it.

This is your true North. (And true Norths

can move.)

2. ALL IT TAKES IS ONE

How I got my first job

Pre-med in college

Magazine summer

internship

2 freelance

jobs

Magazine managing

editor

Here is The One

You are always

interviewing for

a future job

Don’t burn your

bridges

Buy his books

3. DEGREE ≠ JOB

Why

Not having a degree guarantees

you will not have a job.

Hiring managers care little about

you did at your college radio

station/ newspaper/TV station.

It’s your initiative and relationships

that will get you your first job.

My next job

Ready for a new job

CCNMA job fair

My first day at The

Seattle Times

Still here…

3-YEAR REPORTING

RESIDENT

TECH REPORTER

HIGHER ED REPORTER

CITY HALL REPORTER

MICROSOFT REPORTER

SENIOR DIGITAL NEWS

PRODUCER

ASSOCIATE OPINIONS

EDITOR

DIRECTOR OF JOURNALISM

INITIATIVES

DEPUTY MANAGING

EDITOR

4. FIND YOUR FLOCK

5. BUILD A

STRONG RESUME

The resume is a story

about you

Your SAG(Specific Achievable Goal)

Do

Tell a story that builds up your skills and experience

Have a sense of direction (BHAG) and why this job is the next logical step

Be specific about your accomplishments. Remember PAR. Problem, Action and Results

Copy edit for AP style

Mention your flock!

Include a line about personal interests

PDF

Pet Peeves

Not targeted to the role

Listing of duties instead of accomplishments

Bad, crazy and boring designs

Not copy-edited

Overselling your experience

Fancy terms that don’t mean anything

“successfully executed the desired outcome”

Bad

Too much design

Resume tells me nothing

about her experience

Lacks a flow and narrative

Bad Inconsistent layout

Too much color

Different type fonts and sizes

Boring

No design

Looks like the 500 other

resumes I received today

Good

Has a visual hierarchy

Sub headlines allow for

scanning

Mix of list and sentences

Contact info easy to fine

Good

Layout allow for easy

scanning of info

Efficient use of space to

pack in tons of info

Should you write a cover

letter?

YES!

6. GET ONLINE

Build your digital presence Website (LinkedIn works):

A description of you

Resume

Samples of your work

Social media links

Contact info

Public social media presence

Good photo

LinkedIn profile

Consistent voice

Example: Personal website

7. MAKE SOME FRIENDS

Friending (aka networking)

Make some Super Friends (aka mentors) who

have the job that you want

Super Friends can:

Give you career advice

Introduce you to other people

Give you feedback on your resume

Help you prepare for an interview/negotiate job

offer

Help you figure out your next step

Provide inspiration!

8. SHOW UP

80% of success is showing

up

Volunteer for journalism nonprofits: AAJA Seattle, Seattle Globalist

Help plan the AAJA Chef Showcase (email venicebuhain@gmail.com 1st meeting 5/14

Volunteer for The Globies on 10/14

Local (join the Facebook groups)

NW Journalists of Color Scholarship reception 6/2

National conventions

AAJA, NABJ, NAHJ, NAJA, ONA, SPJ, RTDNA. Volunteer or apply for scholarships to get in free, crash with a friend.

9. FOLLOW UP

Send a card. A real one.

Social media:

Follow, tweet, mention

Quarterly email check-in

Include what you’re up to, and what you’re

looking for

Look for excuses to email: congratulations on an

award, a job change, a story

10. PAY IT FORWARD

Journalism is a small world

Help each other edit your resumes, websites,

cover letters

Be each other’s sidekicks at networking events

When you land a job, mentor journalism students,

speak to classes, help them find jobs

10 tips

1. BHAG

2. All it takes is one

3. Degree ≠ Job

4. Find your flock

5. Build a strong resume

6. Get online

7. Make some friends

8. Show up

9. Follow up

10.Pay it forward

MORE READING

Interviewing tips:

http://bit.ly/1SZTtSe

“Presence,” a book by Amy

Cuddy. Her TED talk:

http://bit.ly/amytedtalk

“Show your work,” a book by

Austin Kleon

THANK YOU!

QUESTIONS?@sharonpianchan

schan@seattletimes.com(206) 464-2958

Replay this presentation at:http://bit.ly/uwjournojobs