Job-hunting in today’sjournalism market

Steve ButtrySociety of Professional Journalists

July 29, 2015#jjobhunt

Questions for you• What’s your job (1-3 words, type in

chat)?• What’s your experience level (poll)?• What’s your job-hunting situation (poll)?

Questions for me• Ask or share in chat box• Tweet w/ #jjobhunt • Ask for “a friend”• Private questions:

stephenbuttry@gmail.com

• Positioning yourself for your next hunt

• Network• Digital profile• Resumé

• Finding right job• Pitch• Prep• Interview• Follow-up• Q&A

We’ll discuss …

My job-hunt history• 13 journalism jobs• 6 promotions• 10 offers turned down• Key role in 50+ hires• Countless unsuccessful

pitches & interviews• Webinars, workshops,

blogs, collecting tips

For more tips:• I won’t discuss all points in slides (they’re on

slideshare.net/stevebuttry & my blog)• Social media (& email tips will show during

Q&A)• Check links in Monday’s blog post (I’ll update):

stevebuttry.wordpress.com

Your job search is a story• Watch for oportunities• Research online. Thoroughly• Work your connections• Nail the face-to-face interview• Be resourceful• Try multiple approaches• Never say no for someone else

Prep for your next job hunt• Do good work• Develop & tend your brand• Network• Excel in traditional journalism• Excel in digital skills• Build good will• Blog & social media

Network• Connect digitally w/ people you admire• Especially on Twitter• #wjchat, #dfmchat, #muckedup etc.• Follow up (social media, email)• Comment on blogs• IRL (conferences, seminars, etc.)

Build your digital profile• Google yourself. What do you find?• Twitter• Google profile, About.me, LinkedIn• Facebook, other social media• Blog (when did you last post?)• Personal site (“about me” or portfolio)• Use new interactive tools to tell your

career story

Find the right opportunities• Spread the word• Apply (or ask) even if nothing’s open or

advertised• Ads (Poynter, journalismjobs.com,

LinkedIn)• #journojobs • LinkedIn, Facebook groups, etc.

My job offers• Primary connection was through

network: 13• Learned of job through ad/posting: 7• Applied when no position was open or

listed: 5• Network gave me advantage before

posting (or precluding posting): 11

Make your pitch• Strong lead for your cover letter (proof &

then proof again)• Can a third party introduce you to

decision-maker?• I pitched for a job by Twitter DM• Never say no for someone else• Show your creativity

Show, don’t tell• Hyperlink résumé (but make sure it reads

well w/o links)• Don’t send hard copy by U.S. mail unless

asked• Creative pitch (video, animation, map,

interactive)

Guy Lucas tips• In the cover letter, give your first and last

names • “If any sentence in your cover letter

begins, ‘Anyhow,’ delete it.” • “No matter how good you think your

writing is, have someone else you consider to be a good writer proofread your cover letter and your resumé.”

Why ask someone to proof?A cover letter I received this month described the applicant as an “enthusiastic person … having multiple personalities.”

Deb Gersh Hernandez tip“I was applying for a comms job that in its ad listed four specific areas of expertise sought in a candidate. … The HR person, she said that my cover letter really stood out because I used bullet points to address each of the criteria, making it easy for her to see how my skills fit into what they wanted. (For example: ‘Branding: Oh, yeah. I do that. ...’ I'm paraphrasing, of course.) It's a format I'd never used before -- I'd always just done a regular narrative letter -- and it's one she said she'd never seen before.

Little things are big things• Customize your resumé• Spell the prospective boss’s name right• Proofread (resumé and cover letter) • Take initiative (can you schedule your

own interview?)• Include Twitter username, other social

media links on resumé

Prep for interview (& pitch)• Read/watch/study the product you hope

to work on• Do some reporting on the people who

will interview you: background, interests, recent work, social media

• Come prepared to show them how you’ll help achieve their goals

Nail the interview• Prepare thoroughly• Listen effectively & respond• Answer honestly• Don’t filibuster• Ask tough questions• Don’t fake: “I don’t know” beats BS

Follow up• Thank the interviewer(s) at least by email• Handwritten thank-you cards are nice,

too (and rare so yours stands out)• Elaborate on an answer• Provide more details• Persistence is a job skill• Don’t overdo it

More from Jann NyffelerWe all think that "networking" is a dirty word, so don't think of it as networking. It's about working hard and being nice to each other. And listening to each other. Charles and I worked together almost 20 years ago and haven't seen each other since I left the News & Observer in 1996. We collaborated spontaneously, as a copy editor and a graphics reporter, and had each others' backs in Raleigh. So down the road, when jobs came up, it was apparently easy for him say, "Geez, Jann, here's a job for you. Interested?”

Read more• @stevebuttry• #jjobhunt • stevebuttry.wordpress.com (“career

advice” category)• Check links in Monday’s blog post• slideshare.net/stevebuttry