Joe Grimm's News Jobs Café: Ask the recruiter

Leave Without Two-Week Notice?

Q: I recently graduated college and have been interning at a large metro in the meantime while I look for jobs. I went to a job interview in another state for a couple of days and told my editors and the internship recruiter that I was doing so.

When I returned from the job interview, I told my editor that if I am offered the job then I might have to start immediately and leave within a week (that was a week ago). Yesterday I was offered the job. I accepted and told my internship coordinator and editor that I would have to leave after the end of this week.

They both congratulated me and said that it would be fine. However, at the end of the day the internship recruiter called me into the office and said that I should put in a two weeks notice because I am putting them in a bind if I leave after this week.

I honestly understand the need for a two-week notice, but if I wait for two weeks then I might not be able to do the job (they need someone to start immediately because of beat changes).  Also, for financial reasons, a job is the best logical step for me to take right now. The internship is supposed to last another month and a half. Also, I'm really not getting much work to do here; the editor is struggling to find stories for me to do. Some people have told me that I need to do what is best financially and what is best for my career.. and also what will make me the happiest.  If I do what is best financially, career-wise and for emotional happiness - all answers are leaning toward leaving at the end of the week for the job.

What would you advise me to do? I completely understand the professional two-week notice, but if I'm not working on many stories anyway and it seems more of a trouble for the editor to find something for me to do, and if I'm stuck eating Ramen noodles all day, then wouldn't a job seem logical? Shouldn't the internship recruiter be happy that I am going to take a job?

Thanks,

Betwixt and Between

A: You are in a mild bind that does not appear to be of your own making.

As you describe things, you first told the editor you might have to leave suddenly, and there was no objection. You then told two editors you would be leaving right away and there was no objection. By the time the internship recruiter told you that a two-week notice would be better, you had already committed to the new paper.

I would meet with the recruiting editor and explain that you understand a two-week notice is standard, but that you had asked for some leeway and met no objection -- until later.

I should think that your present editors do want to see you succeed and that you want to maintain good relations with them. Limit your discussion to this sequence of events. Telling them that they have you on Ramen wages or that they can't keep you busy enough will not help your cause and could ultimately turn a graceful departure into an ugly one.

Hang your whole story on the change in signals, be gracious and go to that new job.

Overcoming My Young Age

Q: I'm a second-semester freshman who was admitted to a school of journalism directly, with most of my prerequisites filled by high school AP tests and dual enrollment classes. Because of these things, it's likely that I will be able to graduate with a dual degree (in Political Science) in three years, and I have been encouraged to do so or to take advantage of study abroad programs by advisers. But I'm a journalism student - and that's what I came to Missouri to pursue.

However, I know that without clips and internship experience, I'll have a difficult time finding employment once I get that degree. I'm on staff at the college paper, and have lots of clips -- some that recruiters from large, respected papers have told me are as strong as older applicants. I wrote for a large, professional paper in high school, by opportunities afforded to me in a teen section.

However, my internship search keeps coming back to the fact that I'm young, and I'm still without any form of internship, after applying to a variety of papers for Summer 2007.

How do I convince recruiters that I am serious, though perhaps young, and let them know that my relative age isn't a discredit?

Jay S.

A: You sound serious to me, but you may well be facing an age problem.

You're at a great journalism school and it would not surprise me if some of the other students who have a year or more on you are having more success.

Keep plugging. Stay confident. Recruiters remember people who show promise early. Get as many interviews as you can. And keep going after internships.

You are dead right that trying to start a journalism career without any experience in a mainstream, conventional daily face a much harder time breaking in.

A semester overseas sounds like a great idea. And graduating a full year early will help the budget, but if you have to sacrifice an internship in order to do it, it will cost you in other ways.

Work for a State Representative?

Q: I missed a couple newspaper internship deadlines earlier this month so I'm starting to formulate some backup plans for this summer. I've become really interested in political/government reporting recently so I was thinking about working for a state representative and seeing the other side of the coin so to speak.

Do you think that's a good idea? It could be a useful experience for future assignments, but I'm not sure. I want to be a news journalist out of college and this job could make me look like a biased reporter.

As always, interested to hear what you think,

Keegan, University of Wisconsin-Madison journalism student

A: That can certainly be a legitimate path. It is not as good as having a reporting internship, but it is better than working in neither journalism nor the subject area where you want to specialize.

I know you have broadened your summertime goals beyond journalism. Also be sure to open up your search in terms of location and circulation size. A newsroom internship would be best for the career you describe, so don't give up on that yet.

One place you can look for more leads is the internship directory on the Web site of the American Society of Newspaper Editors.

Note: "Ask the Recruiter" has moved to Poynter's new Career Center. The new home is here. Remember to change your bookmark.

Too Old for an Internship?

Q: As I get older I find that whether a newspaper doesn't like you often depends on how your skills fit their organization's needs. Part of it is the company, part of it is what kind of shape that company's in economically at the time, so I take a lack of interest less personally now than I did before, although some of the interviews I had I could have handled better.

That's also why it's good to have those interviews -- you can use it as a self-improvement exercise.

Two newspapers I respect quite a bit seemed to like me but had no forseeable openings. A third newspaper for whom I really, really want to work, which is a major urban daily sized me up and said that I looked good, but the only way they'd consider putting me on the staff is if I interned there first.

At first I felt a little jilted, not because of my educational credentials but because I already have about seven years of newsroom experience at serious small-circ dailies. The more I think about it, though, I'm warming up to the idea. Three months is a short time in the grand scheme of things. I would be paid, and it would get my foot in the door for a full-time job after that at a destination paper.

But I can see some downside to interning. I'm in my early thirties. If I finish my internship with no job offer, it could well look like I'm just spinning my wheels -- a career student with no focus.

My mom and dad, who are easily old enough to be grandparents by now, aren't thrilled with this idea, and I honestly can't say I blame them. What do you think? Am I too old to intern? Should I just try to get the best staff job I can, or should I ply the internship strategy and hope for serious gains afterward?

Grad Student

Age should be no barrier do working an internship, but the fact that you already have a lot of full-time experience could make an internship look like a step back, even though it would beat a much larger paper.

I would want to have the very clear sense that there is a good chance of a job at the end. Without the job, you'll pretty much be in the place where you are now with an additional paper that saw you work, but didn't hire you. The overall pattern of your resume could look like your career is on a downward arc.

So, talk to the editors at the big paper and explain your concerns. If a real job looks like less than a 50-50 proposition, I'd look for a full time job, even though it may be at a smaller newspaper.

Note: "Ask the Recruiter" is moving to Poynter's new Career Center. The new home is here. Don't forget to change your bookmark.

Internships for Professors?

Q: I am an ex-journalist (almost 18 years in print, with experience in online and documentary filmmaking) who is now a college professor. I have been out of the field for five years.

I would like to spend a summer as an intern somewhere, reconnecting with the field so that my skills stay fresh and relevant. Are there such internships?

Donna

A: Oh! We're just a year too late. For 11 years, the Knight Foundation funded a program througthe American Society of Newspaper Editors that did just that. Sadly, the 2006 class was the last.

The best journalism professor I ever had, Paul Jess, way back in his days at the University of Michigan, used to spend his summers on the copy desk at the Philadelphia Inquirer. He loved it. They had vacations in the summers and they seemed happyto have an experienced hand filling in.

It could be that, without any kind of program, your academic calendar and you skills in new media and filmmaking could wind up nicely matching a newsroom's needs and you could help each other out. Make some calls.

Note: "Ask the Recruiter" is moving to Poynter's new Career Center. The new home is here. Don't forget to change your bookmark.

Explaining a Bad Internship?

Q: Thanks for keeping up with this great advice column. Not all internship experiences are great. I'm sure many interns learn to cope with these situations, but sometimes office politics or an inattentive editor can make an internship frustrating. My question is how honest should you be when other recruiters ask about how well your internship went. What if you really did not enjoy working at the newspaper you interned at?

Jennifer

A: I'm sorry your internship was a disappointment. That can be rough.

You should always be honest in an interview, of course, but you can also be brief. Time spent on troubles in your past is time taken from talking about future possibilities.

If someone asks how things went, tell them you wish things had gone better. Briefly explain what the trouble was and then say what you wish you been able to achieve, whether that was playing above the politics or engaging your editor. Explain what you learned or how you grew. Try to move the interview on.

The last thing you want to do in an interview with one editor is go on a rant about another.

 

Note: "Ask the Recruiter" is moving to Poynter's new Career Center. The new home is here. Don't forget to change your bookmark.

Here's hoping your next internship or job goes much better.

Quit Internship in Mexico City?

Q: I have a post-graduate internship at a Spanish language newspaper in Mexico, but I hate it. I am not fluent in Spanish, but am proficient.

I don't really do anything and sometimes question if my editors even know I am here. For several hours each day I hit the refresh button on CNN.com. For the other few hours, I write briefs. I have talked to my editors about giving me more things to do but feel like they forget that I am even here. It's been almost two months and no bylines. I have two more months to go.

I am at a crossroads, I know that for the next two months I will be miserable if I stay, but if I leave, I am afraid I will look unprofessional. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Melanie

A: It sounds like you bought a lemon.

I understand that you feel you are wasting your time, but I am wondering about a couple of other things. Namely, is it causing you financial hardship to be there and, if you leave, what will you do?

Unless you're losing fistfuls of money, and if you don't have any better offers right now, I'd do three things:

 

• Keep trying to turn the situation around.
• Start your search for a permanent job.
• Enjoy Mexico City while you're there.

Note: "Ask the Recruiter" is moving to Poynter's new Career Center. The new home is here. Don't forget to change your bookmark.

Itching to Write?

Q: I just found your blog and I love it. I spent a good amount of time reading it and learning many new things.

I'm in a tough situation. I'm a sophomore in college at a small private school. I'm from Detroit. I love to write, it's my passion and my biggest hobby. I have self-published two books and am working on one more. I have experience with programs such as InDesign and Photoshop having used them to help write, design and publish a newsletter for a large club I belonged to. I've designed and maintain a large and popular amusement park fan site. My point is, college is really frustrating for me. I wasn't allowed to take journalism until this year, and when I am in math or science class I feel lost and  -- well, as immature as it may sound -- I just I want to write.

Ever since spending the day with a travel reporter a few years back, I knew I wanted to be a journalist (not so much a travel report but just in general) and my mind or my goals haven't changed since. Everything I did, from the trips I take to interesting things I hear --  I always see a story in it.

I'm just the kind of guy that likes to write and share stories and information he learns. I'm even in the process of creating a blog to write stories about Detroit just to get them "out there." The school newspaper here is a joke -- the students know it, and the faculty knows it, so I don't have a lot of "help" with that outlet. College, after aid, is costing me $14,000 a year. Everyone here is telling me I can't get an internship until the end of my junior year ... I want to make contacts, get in the know, and most importantly write before that!

Help! I feel lost/trapped at college, not to mention it is costing me big time. I've tried to freelance numerous times and had no luck. Is it worth it for me to pay upwards of $14,000 a year to get a "communications" degree? Am I better off attending a school in state that may not have as much prestige but would get me a degree for a much cheaper price? Do I have any options as a college student without a degree in being a journalist? I very much so want to be an intern and know the value there, I'm just looking at the big picture?

Andrew

A: Finish college. You'll regret it if you don't.

But, yes, think about transferring. The journalism business cares more about what you do than where you went.

So, it is time to get busy -- at your present school paper if necessary -- to get some publishing experience. We always admire people who roll up their sleeves and get involved in fixer-uppers.

You absolutely do not need to wait until your junior year to get an internship. Start applying now, but realize that you'll likely need to have half a dozen published clips to land one. That is where the school paper can be useful.

Keep up your on-line activities. More and more newspapers are embracing the internet as another publishing platform and your design and new-media skills will be prized.

And try to pay attention in math and science classes. The best journalists know a little about a lot of things -- not just journalism.

Breaking in Without Experience?

Q: So I always hear the same thing: If you want to go into journalism, get an internship in college! Well, here I am, six months out of college, and I've finally gotten it together enough to know for sure that I want to go into journalism. I've had plenty of good jobs and I consider myself very qualified to do a lot of things.

Unfortunately, I've never had a job working for a newspaper, even at my university. I'm now making it on my own in New York, and I can't afford to have an unpaid internship. However, without one, it feels like no one wants to hire me. What do you think that I should do to break into the journalism world?

Thanks so much,

Alex

A: This is a tough one. You've decided to break into one of the most competitive journalism markets in the world with no experience and you need to get paid right away.

You have several choices, all difficult:

 

• Move to a market where there is far less competition.
• Get published. Freelance for newspapers, magazines or Web sites and get paid per piece. Even they will expect you to have some demonstrable experience, but if you start with the small ones that pay less, you might fly under the competitive radar.
• Go back to school. Work for the student paper, this time, and use off-semesters to get the internships you missed the first time.

None of these solutions is easy, I know. You have put yourself into a difficult position and will have to change something about it to make any headway.

Newspaper internship or job?

Q: I just recently wrapped up a hell of a three-month internship at a 75,000 daily. I got an opportunity to do a lot, in sports as well as features and news, everyone was very supportive, and the editors and I collaborated closely when my stories were edited.

I had previously had trouble getting internships earlier in my career, so I just freelanced. I am the head sports writer for our campus weekly, and also did stringer work for a small daily nearby

My question is that since I am about to graduate and have bills (student loans, etc.) I will need to pay, would it be best if I try for another internship at a big gun (like the Free Press) or just shoot for a full-time job at a mid-sizer after graduation?

Also, when talking to sports editors for a writing position, should I list the fact that I play football in college, or is it really irrelevant? I would think that it could only help.

Christian

A: Congratulations!

And now it's time to pay the bills ... Wehere newspapers are concerned, you can actually find some internships that pay better than some newspapers' jobs. They key question, though, will not be who is paying the most, but what is available to tyou. It sounds as though you're fraduating in December. There can be no good in waiting around till summer to do an internship, so I would be looking for a job orinternship that will start soon after you graduate. In many cases, internships are offered with much more lead time than jobs, and they tend to happen much more frequently in the summer. For a winter graduation, search for jobs and internships simultaneously.

And I'd add the bit about being a player. It shouldn't hurt and might help.