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Topic: Resume, Cover Letter, and Career Advice
| Author | Message |
| urlik5 | Posted – 8/31/2006 10:06:15 PM | show profile | email poster I graduated college with a BA in Journalism in 1999 from NYU (where I worked on the newspaper for a year), and after that decided to go into my family's business working in a medical office (where I do a lot of writing). Now after all those years, I would like to finally go into the field of journalism, beacuse I don't know like what I'm doing now and I still love to write. I have written many poems, and a few blogs on Myspace. I looked at some of the job postings here, but most of them are either internships for college credit, or part and full-time jobs requiring some past experience (which for me I think has been too long ago). I do have a resume, but I'm not sure it's good enough. Is there anyway to post it on here, so that someone can take a look at it and give me advice on what I can add an/or subtract from it? And maybe give advice on how to form a decent cover letter? Any advice would really be appreciated! Thanks! |
| amandashaul | Posted – 9/1/2006 12:08:16 PM | show profile | email poster I'm in the same boat!! I unfortunately don't have much advice, I'm in pretty much the same situation, only I don't live in New York (Michigan instead... blah) and want to get there really soon. I graduated in 2004 with a BA in Journalism from Michigan State Univ., worked at a weekly paper for about 9 months and have continued to work in the family business as well. If you get any good advice please keep me posted, I'll keep an eye out too and let you know!! What I keep hearing is just "Be persistent." In your cover letter mention things that aren't in your resume, and write your resume in a way that explains your accomplishments and not just your job description (Which tends to be my setback). You know, "Improved inter-office communication by...." etc. Good luck!!!!!! Keep me posted. |
| career change pronto | Posted – 10/5/2006 11:12:33 PM | show profile | email poster amanda I am considering Michigan State Univ for a masters pgrm for journalism. Can you tell me what you thought of the academics? Living area? I am from NYC. ------ KNR |
| JaneSays | Posted – 10/6/2006 7:43:30 AM | show profile | email poster It looks like both of you guys could easily score a job at a community newspaper and end up beefing up your resume. Urlik5, looks like you would have no problem writing about the medical field; being writer who knows the field and technical terms is like being handed a meal ticket. Both of you should try pitching stories to your local newspaper to build some clips and to get back in the journalism game, no matter how small it may be. That's what I did and it worked out well for me, and I had the same time span from graduation to career change. As far as resumes and cover letters go, if you join Avant Guild you can post yours publicly and someone might be game for looking at it but my recommendation is rather than fudge what you have is to rebuild your writing clips and really make yourself marketable. |
| Little Fingers | Posted – 10/10/2006 10:20:33 PM | show profile I agree. I see listings all the time for medical journals or trade mags that want writers with medical backgrounds. How about a magazine like Preventative Health or something else geared towards retirees? Maybe something for women, even with a slightly crunchier edge like Yoga Journal or Body & Soul. Check out AbsoluteWrite.com--they have a free newsletter that publishes lists of markets. Or pitch some of your favorite publications. |
