Monday, December 20, 2004

Job-finding resource

This is one of those job-finding resources (and all-around good sites on journalism writing, reporting and careers) that's worth mentioning from time to time: Joe Grimm's Jobs Page at the Detroit Free Press.

Joe, who is the Freep's recruitment and training editor, also has started a great Web log that answers career questions -- those "mundane" things like how many clips, should I move to the features desk if I want a future features editing job, how do I get out of being pigeon-holed, etc.

Also, make sure you read Mitch Albom's presentation on writing and on hooking and keeping the reader.

Wednesday, December 08, 2004

Is blogging your new resume?

In an interesting article on Tech Central, one writer suggests that your blog may be required reading for any editors who want to hire you. Read more about it at Common Sense Journalism.

As the writer put it:

If you were an editor looking for a new hire these days, what would your first move be after checking your candidate's resume and clips?

To check their blog, of course.

This, of course, is part of the idea behind this J-School Year project.

What do you think, especially since so many blogs are so personal and so woefully unedited? Are you leaving a permanent record that could hurt you down the road?

Update: A thoughtful response from Martin Stabe in the UK.

Tuesday, December 07, 2004

Restoring confidence

Hello, Bloggers:

You've no doubt read or heard the latest survey results by Gallup that show journalists have fallen even further on the scale of ethical professions. Topping the list are nurses and elementary school teachers. Journalists are clustered near the bottom with car salesmen and operators of nursing homes. Folks in media think tanks are pondering the significance of this decline in public confidence. (That's what they get paid for.) Those of us on the frontlines of journalism education see this as part of the challenge we face in preparing journalism students for the workplace. What do you think needs to be done? Interestingly, I'm teaching the media ethics class in the spring and of the 32 students enrolled, 2 are journalism majors. Should an ethics course be required for print and electronic majors? Can you learn ethical behiavor in a classroom? What say you?

Professor Wiggins