Joe Grimm's News Jobs Café: Ask the recruiter

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.

Should I Put My GPA on My Resume?

Q: I have a few questions.

First, some friends were recently debating whether it's good to include college GPA on a resume. I assume it's probably seen as mandatory for internships, but at what point do you scrap that? I'm a two-year vet of newspapers and had a pretty strong GPA (about 3.7) and graduated with honors and distinction. Does anyone care?

Second, how much value do recruiters give to international experience (particularly at English-language papers)?

Lastly, I'm nearing the completion of my first novel and have some interest from publishers. Obviously, I don't include fiction writing in any applications. But is that kind of a side-career something that employers need to know about? Could that be seen as a negative?

Thank you,

Van

A: OK, 1-2-3:

1. Resumes are GPA-optional, even for internship candidates. Put it on if it's high, omit it if it's under 3.0, And, yes, two years is probably long enough.

2. Not as much as they would give to experience at U.S. newspapers of a similar or even somewhat smaller size. It's about comparable experience.

3. Recruiters can go either way on your fiction-writing side job. But don't wear your beret to the interview.

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

How Long to Park in an Interim Job?

Q: I left a staff reporter position in September that I held for two years at my hometown 70,000-circulation daily in order to move to New York City.

I arrived without a job and have been working as a waitress for the last few months, but next week I am interviewing for an editorial assistant position with the AP Business Desk. My question is whether I am overqualified for the job, and if it would be better to hold out for a reporting position at another news outlet.

The editorial assistant job is obviously a step up from my restaurant gig, but I'm worried that if I accept and shortly thereafter end up looking for a position that allows for more writing and reporting, it won't reflect well on my reliability. What do you think?

Thank you,

Jackie

A: It does, indeed sound that you are overqualified to be either an editorial assistant or a waitress. However, either job will keep you in New York City and it's better to sling faxes than it is to sling hash.

If you accept a job that makes your AP tenure a short one, you should have no problem if you make sure you stay with that subsequent job long enough to establish that you are not a job-hopper.

No, the real problem would be if the AP feels ripped-off that they hired you and you didn't stick around.

So, anticipate that by talking about it in the interview. It sounds as though they will spend almost nothing for recruting, interviewing or moving you, so they do not face very muc financial exposure. So, the issue would be any investment in training or time.

They know you've worked for a 70,000-daily. They know you're a journalist. Explain what you're doing and ask what they see as a reasonable minimum commitment on your part. It probably is unwise to tick off one of the nation's largest employers of journalists, so make sure you're on the same page.

A note for you and others: In some cases, employers will have new hires sign an agreement that, if they leave within a one- or two-year window, the employee will reimburse moving costs.

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

Is a Second Application Worth it?

Q: If I've applied to a paper before, and either got a form rejection or no reaction, is it wise to approach the same paper again for a job opening, particularly if the same people are in place?

The cynic in me says if they didn't flip the first time around, so what makes me think they had a change in heart now.

On the other hand ...

Bill

A: Because we don't know why your previous application didn't lead to a job, I would try again.

Here are half a dozen of the reasons why you might be a good candidate this time, even though they took a pass on you previously:

 

• A different, more suitable position is open.
• The first time around, the opening evaporated or got frozen, and no one at all was hired.
• You've grown.
• The job went to a better candidate and no such competition has applied this time.
• Your application fell through a crack.
• The job requirements have changed (more online experience, increased need for a foreign language) that play to you and make you much more competitive.

Of course, this is all guesswork. I think I'd call the hiring editor for this position and ask what they are looking for. I would not mention that you have been rejected before.

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

How to Balance Baby and Job Search?

Q: I can't tell you how much I appreciate your blog, but in particular, the answers you provide to the questions dealing with balances between family and work. I will soon be in the same boat as others.

My wife and I are expecting our first child in May, and I'm very excited about it. I'm also very worried about what will happen with my career because of it. Here are the issues I'm fighting:

1. I've been at the same small daily for six years, and it's basically an 8-5 job with evening events (sports) several nights a week. I think it's time for someone else to take a turn. I'd love to advance to a larger, morning paper whether it's nearby or not (for me, location has only a few limitations). As you've mentioned before, a 3-11 shift seems ideal for raising kids at a young age. I also want to be a good father and actually see the baby.
2. My wife's family lives nearby (which is both good and bad), so change doesn't come easily.

What do you suggest I do? I know you're not a relationship expert, but you've had experiences with this sort of thing, or at least some of it. It's troubling because I do have personal and professional goals for myself, but am afraid I'll be pigeonholed and I'll be stuck in a job that is no longer challenging or rewarding. Am I doomed? The next place I go, if it's anywhere, I want to stay for a long time. I'm almost 30, and I would like to settle down, but this seems like the wrong place at the right time.

Thanks,

Chad

A: Congratulations on the baby-to-be!

Now, let's stop talking about doom.

You have about six months before the baby arrives, so let's get busy and try to make a move while it is convenient. If nothing develops, settle down for a while, let the baby come and meet everyone and then pick up your job search again.

I don't see why the arrival of the baby should have a major negative affect on your career or your mobility.

Stop worrying, dust off your resume and paint that nursery!

Balancing work and family can be challenging, but it is not impossible.

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

Tell My Boss I Plan to Leave?

Q: I really enjoy your column and think it addresses many issues that I have.

When you are in your next job search, how do you let your current employer know about it? Or do you at all?

I'm thinking about switching newspapers after two years and wonder how to go about doing so, especially when it comes to listing references. How do I do so without harming my relationship with my current employer?

Hope you can answer this one. Thanks again,

Amy

A: This varies from case to case.

In most cases, people prefer not to be so frank with their editors. There can be some serious disadvantages to telling the boss you plan to leave. The greatest danger is the loss of opportunities for things like good assignments, training and sometimes even raises.

An editor might figure, "Why should I give her training? She plans to leave, anyway."

If you have cultivated a frank and open relationship with an understanding editor, you can be honest and even enlist a little help. Good editors will understand your career ambitions and help you achieve them. While they don't want to lose you, they might use their network to help you move to another paper.

So, evaluate your relationship with your editor. Start by seeking advice from more experienced colleagues at your paper.

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

To a Smaller Paper but a Better Locale?

Q: I am in a small predicament. I am currently working at a daily newspaper on the east coast after graduating college in May. I really enjoy my job, but the area where I am at is not so desirable and is about eight hours away from my hometown.

I've recently come across a job offer at a weekly newspaper close to my hometown, which I think would make me happier because of the location alone.

1) Does going from a 10K-circulation daily in a rural area to a 7K-circulation twice-weekly 30 minutes away from a city look like I'm taking a step down, even though I'd rather be in the area of the smaller paper?

And 2) As I said, I just graduated in May -- what does searching for another job this soon make me look like? I am not a scatter-brained person who can't make up her mind, I'm just honestly not happy with the location I am at.

Thanks for your help.

Kristen

A: Sit tight.

Leaving a job after seven months will not look good to prospective employers -- unless you plan to stay at your next newspaper for three years or more to show some stability.

And moving to a smaller newspaper that published less frequently will not help create a rising career arc, either.

Persist.

Ideally, we'll see you move to a better area as well as a better job. While this move might take care of what sounds like loneliness, homesickness or cultural deprivation, it will come at the cost of some career mobility.

Make more visits home or to other cities to keep your sanity, but also steel yourself for putting in about another year getting great at the job you have -- and then using that success to make a move that makes sense for you professionally and personally.

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

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.

When -- and Whether -- to Move Up?

Q: I have been a working reporter for close to three years, and am wondering when, and if, I should consider making the transition to a larger paper.

I began at a very small local semi-weekly paper, and did what I consider some good work there.  While at that paper, I turned down two job offers, one as an assistant editor for a small, nationally distributed political magazine, and one as a reporter for a daily with a circulation of around 40,000.

I did accept an offer from a group of people starting a competing newspaper. I'm the lead local reporter and news editor. The circulation is somewhat larger (but still only about 3,000), the production and coverage are better, and I have more responsibility.

The new paper is a lot of fun, but the fact remains that it's small, and the pay is pretty minimal.  While I'm having fun, I suspect that I'm not doing anything good for my professional ambitions by staying here too long.

I'm leery, though, of trying to transition to a larger paper. The bloodbath of job cuts at many dailies scares me, and I suspect that my pay as a journalist will never be much above poverty level.

So, my question is not only when to consider moving to a larger publication, but whether to continue in journalism. I love the work, but I'm getting married soon, and low wages simply will not cut it. One more question: if I do pursue a position at a larger paper, how should I go about it?

Thanks in advance for your time,

Mark

A: It sounds as though it is time for you to move on and up and it sounds like you enjoy journalism enough to have some fun.

You could use a little more perspective, though.

While we are reading a lot about cutbacks in the industry, we're also seeing a lot of jobs getting posted (like, in the Career Center, to the right). Every week, I hear about people getting new jobs -- and they keep them. The last thing an editor wants to do is hire people, move them and then lay them off. It can seem cruel and makes no business sense.

Fortunately for you, most of the troubles that accompany the realignment of our industry hit the largest newspapers hardest. The next circulation tier for you, say, 10,000 to 50,000, have not been under very many of those alarming headlines. I'd go ahead and start to make my move.

Pull your good clips together, polish the resume and start scoping out areas and newspapers. Put quality ahead of sheer circulation size.

One more thing: I always advice people to pursue the things they love, and if you love journalism, it's worth pursuing, but recognize that journalism is transforming -- and you will have to, also.

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

What if My Best Reference Left?

Q: I’m getting ready to leave the newspaper I’m working for now, and I have a question about references.

This is my first job out of college and I’ve been here about two and a half years. I still list the editor who coordinated my internship four years ago, as well as my college media adviser (I was the editor of the student paper) and a professor who had me in a number of classes and also coordinated an international summer program I participated in.

I also list my former editor from my current job. He left for a different newspaper about two months ago, but I still feel like he’s the guy from this newspaper who knows me and my skills best. Should I list someone else who’s still at this newspaper in addition to (or instead of) the former editor who has since left?

There are other people here who I could list, but I don’t think they’d be as good as the guy who’s gone. I get along with my immediate editor, but I wonder how she’d come across in a reference call. She’s not an enthusiastic person in general. So she wouldn’t have anything bad to say, but I’m not sure she’d wow someone who called her, either.

There’s a fellow reporter who’s sort of a newsroom mentor who I could use as well. Does it look strange to have no references from my current employer? Should I add someone to solve that problem? Also, should I drop some of the college and previous internship references? Are they out of date?

Thanks for your help on this. Your column is my new favorite feature on poynter.org.

Ready to Move

A: Use your former editor, with his consent, of course. He sounds like a strong reference for your recent career and that should be acceptable to anyone. Be ready to serve up another name if someone asks, but reserve it for then.

You are so right to evaluate potential references on their ability to give a good reference. I see nothing wrong with using the newsroom mentor as a secondary reference, as it sounds like he has some experience and credibility.

Those college advisers? Pare them to one now, preferring the one who knows the most about what has happened with you since you left college.

Long-term references can be helpful -- but only if they have been in a position to follow your career growth.

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