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Topic: Recent graduate seeking commentary work.
| Author | Message |
| shanellematthews | Posted – 3/17/2008 11:53:54 AM | show profile | email poster I moved to New York about 2 months ago. As a recent journalism school graduate, I hoped to find a fun, enjoyable, gratifying, not necessarily lucrative job in media when I got here and finished my post-graduate internship. Well, my internship is over next month and I still haven?t found anything. I've found out the hard way it is truly who you know on top of what you know here in NY. Although I do have some news experience my niche is in op-ed/commentary. I spent 2 years as a columnist at my college paper and have also written several freelance pieces and run my own daily blog. As a recent graduate, I?ve been told it?s unrealistic to seek a job in commentary but I don?t want to give up hope. I?d love to write for a distinguished magazine. Here is what I have: -A B.A. in journalism -2 years op/ed experience -1 year news experience -Lots of clips -2 traditional internships and 1 post graduate internship -A daily blog I?m more than willing to work my way up. I?m an honest, hard working self-starter who?d work in the mail room to at least have the possibility to have an opportunity at doing what I love. I?d be grateful for any suggestions. |
| dribbledrive1 | Posted – 3/17/2008 12:30:52 PM | show profile If you're looking for a full-time commentary position, they basic don't exist on an entry-level basis. (There are exceptions, but they are rare). Normally, people get into the commentary biz in one of three ways: 1. An editor happens to see their work and absolutely loves it (this is more luck than anything, and not something you can control. 2. You get a staff job as a reporter on some newspaper and beg them to let you write an occasional commentary, though it won't be your main job. 3. You write commentary/opinion pieces on a spec basis and send them out to magazines or newspapers, hoping they'll bite. Op/ed is the type of thing that lots of people want to do, but there is relatively little demand for (same as travel writing and reviewing movies and plays). Of course, there are tons of Internet sites that will take your stuff for free. |
