Comments on: Preparing for the job

By: Meranda

Meranda — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 02:24:27 +0000

I have thought about this since graduating and wondered what I would change if I could do it all again.

For one thing, I probably wouldn’t have spent the summer between freshman and sophomore year working at a bowling alley. But, as you alluded to, I didn’t really have the experience yet to jump into journalism full-steam ahead.

The following summer, when I did have enough experience to muster an internship, I opted to stick around and be managing editor of the student newspaper. I had an amazing summer, learned a lot about the paper and the city, got a jump start on my junior year and made some of my best friends from college.

Then, the following summer, I interned at a smallish (22,500 circ.) newspaper.

So, what would I do differently if I could re-write my undergrad experience? First, I’d keep my campus media experience 100 percent intact. I don’t know how much you’ve done or what, but I touched pretty much all the magazine’s as a writer and Web master and did every position from proofing the pages to editor-in-chief at the newspaper. Moving up the chain at the paper and learning the magazine’s editorial process was invaluable. I learned more in three years of doing that than 10 internships could have taught me.

Other than that? Man I WISH I’d jumped on an internship freshman or sophomore year. If for no other reason than it would have led to a better internship between junior and senior year. And a better internship likely would have led to a better job or more money. If nothing else, it would have been a chance to explore a new city and get to learn from more editors. I don’t know for certain, but it would not have hurt to have that additional experience.

Only you can decide what’s right for you. But, if I were in your position, my hand would already be reaching toward the Sun.

By: Cub Reporters' Guide

Cub Reporters' Guide — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 00:54:08 +0000

Thought you might be interested in checking out CubReporters.org, an online career guide for young journalists and college students.

By: Megan Taylor

Megan Taylor — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 05:19:00 +0000

Whether at the Sun or the Alligator I’d be doing multimedia.

The dilemma is whether to work at a paper that already has a decent multimedia/online dept. (Sun) or go to the Alligator, which has like 3 people updating the site and creating multimedia, and help create a decent multimedia/online presence there.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 04:37:40 +0000

If you’re going to stay on campus and work for the school paper, it better be as some sort of hardcore multimedia reporter/producer.

If you want to cut your teeth as a writer or editor on a daily, do it, but produce multimedia anyway. Just start shooting and building stuff on your own, so you have more than just a bunch of print clips to drag around to job fairs and interviews.

If at all possible, get off the reservation and go work for the Sun.