Jobs

Easily one of the most talked-about topics in journalism these days. Newspapers are closing left and right, two-newspaper towns are becoming one-newspaper towns. People in the news industry are having to think about back-up plans and assess the advantages and disadvantages of taking a buyout.

It is into this reality that I am looking for jobs. No, I'm not going to graduate school, and no, I'm not going to Teach for America or enlist and hope to join the real real world at a more opportune time. I'm diving into the job market head first, praying that I won't land in a bunch of boulder.

So here are a few things I've learned about the job market:

1) It's not as bad as it sounds. Yes, landing a job will be difficult, openings are out there. Don't assume you're looking at a wasteland. There are little patches of life here and there for those who use their resources wisely. Hint: community journalism is what's doing well these days.

2) You will be Googled. I think. A prospective employer gave me feedback on clips that I never provided in great detail. He asked me why I did things a certain way, and why stories turn out the way they did. I always assumed that it was up to me to select the clips that would make me look good. It doesn't end there. Don't get creeped out if your prospective employee is well-informed on what you have done in the past.

3) If you don't have Facebook and Twitter, get with the program. Now. I'm not joking. Twitter isn't just a fad. Like I said in my last post, journalists are absolutely in love with it. I have seen postings where they demanded that applicants have strong networks on both Facebook and Twitter.

4) My favorite job-hunting tools: journalismjobs.com, texaspress.com, and friends. Keep in touch with friends after they graduate, because they will really be able to help you out and pull you into the circle they are now a part of.