Job Search

New Yorker? Journalist? Looking for a new gig? The Wall Street Journal, which we previously noted was planning to hire 12 journalists to cover traditional city desk beats, appears to now be accepting resumes.

This was just posted to the New York Association of Black Journalists listserv (and forwarded to us):

The Wall St. Journal is considering looking into a Metro section for the paper; they may be looking for general assignment reporters to cover a range of beats which may include sports, politics, culture, etc. If you know of anyone with this type of experience please direct them to forward their resume with clips to Deborah.brewster at wsj dot com.

Four-fifths of office workers think they're prepared to start looking for a job tomorrow if they lost their jobs, but almost half (44 percent) say it's been more than a year since they updated their resumes, according to a new poll from staffing firm Robert Half International. With unemployment over 10 percent, RHI says, this is an unpleasant situation to be in.

Reesa Staten, senior vice president and director of workplace research for Robert Half International, suggests creating a "personal personnel file" to keep track of your achievements.

But is it really something to be worried about? Should you be ready to lose your job on a moment's notice, especially with unemployment over 10 percent?

Maybe if you work in the print media industry, but in general—let's say you're doing PR for a company in another industry or writing for a web site—we say don't panic. (Don't rest on your laurels, either, because it's horrible out there) Don't go around thinking that you're going to be out of a job any minute (unless there have been signs at your company that this could be the case).

Here's a NYT article from last month that explains the slow job churn we've been experiencing: "The consequences of a job loss are terribly high, but—given that the unemployment rate is almost 10 percent—the odds of job loss are surprisingly low."

So hang in there, and by all means, keep your resume current. But don't panic.

Check out all these big names and get your resume together:

Chow.com is hiring a food editor.

Politico wants you if you're a top web producer.

Reporter sought at the New Castle, Indiana Courier-Times.

mediabistro.com wants a fashion writer to teach classes in NYC.

Web Content Editor sought at Sumner Communications, Inc.

The Chicago Fire needs a manager of communications.

RedPrairie seeks a marketing events intern. Love their tagline: "A business built on innovation, technology...and manners."

We covered this idea a while back from the employer perspective—basically, the idea that an employee who proves him/herself on a tryout or by doing unpaid work is one an employer can be sure about.

In this week's Ask The Headhunter Q&A, headhunter Nick Corcodilos says a reader wrote to tell him that this advice is "intended for the exploitation of the less mentally adept."

We wondered, too, which is why we're throwing the question out there. It totally sucks to put together a bunch of writing samples or marketing materials or whatever and then still not get the gig. And it's certainly true that at lower levels of the job spectrum, it's common for "employers" to solicit samples with the worst of intentions. But does "doing the job to win the job" encourage the same behavior in otherwise legit companies?

Corcodilos' rejoinder is that one doesn't expect to be paid for going on an interview. It's treated as an investment, and so should doing the job to get the job.

His readers seem to agree, but do you?

A reminder from Please Feed The Animals:

When you're job searching (or just in general managing your career), you wanna be "the guy [or gal] who did ____."

"When we tell friends about authors, we say things like, 'You know, the guy who wrote Owen Meany...'

"When we talk about directors, we say 'The one who did Juno.'

"Instead of tweaking another direct mail piece, or redesigning your web site, have an idea and execute it. Create some news. Do some project that makes people talk. Be the person who did _______.

"It's literally the difference between hoping for a return call and having to screen your calls."

Great, sure, but easier said than done, dude.

Do you have an idea for your project of a lifetime? If so, can we steal it? (Just kidding). And don't you ever feel sometimes like all the great ideas are already taken?

Wenner Media seeks a web designer. A Fort Lee, NJ-based marketing agency seeks a freelance developer (to which we say be careful, as the job description hints that this is a full-time position. Nothing wrong with that but check with IRS regulations before getting into anything, please).

Bonnier's Babytalk magazine is seeking a managing editor. Waggoner Edstrom needs a healthcare account director.

Placeblogger is looking for two interns. And Olympus wants a web designer.

Lance Haun of Rehaul.com (formerly YourHRGuy) wants you to know: you don't need a blog.

Really?

"I haven't soured on blogging nor do I believe the space is crowded. On the contrary, I still think there is a lot of space out there for people to talk about business and talent. We've barely scratched the surface of possibilities. But I think there are also a lot of dead blogs out there and that sucks. It means someone put in a bunch of effort, got frustrated and left it behind."

If you're just starting a blog to make yourself look professionally good, but you're not really into blogging, this might happen to you—and a dead blog is worse than no blog, he argues.

We'd agree: for a job seeker, being Googlable is great, but if all your links point to projects you started six months ago and then abandoned, what does that look like? (We're just as guilty--realized we hadn't updated our personal blog in at least six weeks. Eek!)

The point is, doing a blog right is hard, especially when you're trying to manage it on top of a day job or freelancing commitments. If you're not ready to do one right, maybe you'd rather use other social media tools (become a Twitter star like the FakeAPStylebook guys? Guest blog when you have the time?) or work on building your offline reputation.

This brings up an interesting question: if you start a blog and then realize you don't have the time to keep it up, what do you do with the archives? Delete them? Hide them? Leave them?

Informational interviews, everyone says, are great for your career--they'll help you decide on a direction, possibly dangle some juicy job tidbits your way, etcetera etcetera. We are huge fans of the informational interview and love giving them as well as, uh, taking them.

The anonymous Manager at Ask A Manager says most people don't really want them, though, and here's why:

"When I'm asked for an informational interview, I'll generally explain that my workload usually prohibits that but that I'd be happy to answer the person's questions by email.

"The person is then never heard from again...This tells me: (a) The person didn't actually want an informational interview and was hoping to turn it into a job interview without my consent, and/or (b) the person wouldn't have had any plan had I agreed to meet, and it would have wasted my time."

Here's our counterpoint to that: People, do not turn an informational interview into a job interview—you know that's bad form. But a true informational interview, over a cup of coffee, in person, is supposed to be more than a raw exchange of information. If I wanted information I'd Google it.

I go on informational interviews to learn things I can't learn through e-mail. What is this person like as a person? Is there passion there for the work, and do I feel like I could do the same work? And I want to show myself off in a way that's hard to do via e-mail, even though I'm not asking outright for a job. Am I able to impress them enough that they'll be willing to pass along a job lead to me versus their cousin or dentist's brother? Do I stand a chance, if there is an opening available at this company, of getting it?

You can't do that over e-mail. Those disappearing e-mailers were right all along.

Author of "I See Your Dream Job" Sue Frederick will be discussing her book tonight at Elizabeth Moore Fine Art in New York City.

Frederick uses numerology, her own dreams, and—according to this New York Times article—conversations with spirits to help people find their dream jobs.

It may not be your cup of tea, but maybe it is: in any case, it's a free event. At the very least, the conversations with dead people angle is a great pre-Halloween diversion.

The deets: Tonight, 6-8pm, at Elizabeth Moore Fine Art, 963 Lexington Ave, Apt. 2R.

We'll be taking a closer look at Frederick's new book in the coming days.

"Lonely Planet's vision is to develop television programming that entertains, educates and inspires people to travel. The core strategy is to place Lonely Planet programming on mainstream channels in key target markets, with the opportunity to create a global format and a franchise that can extend into all relevant media channels. The Head of Television is responsible for delivering Lonely Planet's television strategy, including building Lonely Planet's presence on television in all regions around the globe, maximizing commissions, and accelerating the development of short form digital video content to feed lp.com, mobile and partner distribution."

"Successful B2B publication has internship position available for an ambitious college grad with extensive social networking and internet skills to assist senior sales team members increase sales revenue and volume."

Code And Theory is "hiring at all levels from Junior Interactive Designer to Interactive Art Director."

"JCPR Inc. is a full-service, boutique public relations and marketing communications agency that specializes in creating distinctively tailored strategies and programs for a diverse range of financial services clients.

"We are currently seeking to fill an Account Executive position with a highly motivated, talented, results-oriented and Type A team player who can hit the ground running and integrate seamlessly with our team."

"Located in Santa Monica, Murphy O'Brien is a creative public relations agency celebrating 20 years of success. Murphy O'Brien is one of the leading luxury/lifestyle PR agencies in the country. We specialize in three collections: travel, real estate and lifestyle. Some of our current clients include See's Candies; Morton's, The Steakhouse; Marie Callender's; The Peninsula Hotels; Pebble Beach Resorts; Hualalai Resort and Timbers Resorts. We are currently seeking a highly effective, seasoned Senior Account Executive."

"As a result of continued growth and expansion, we are currently seeking a Regional Sales Director - a highly personable, intelligent individual who will sell TIG Global's services to hotels, brands, management companies and ownership groups."

"Argus Media, a leading provider of news and information for world energy markets, is looking for an ambitious energy and regulatory policy reporter for its Washington, DC newsroom."

"The Ravalli Republic, a five-day newspaper in Hamilton, Mt., has an opening for a government reporter. Prior newspaper experience is desired. Photography and design skills are a plus."

"Antelope Valley Press, a national award-winning suburban daily, the only family-owned newspaper in fast-growing area of Southern California, seeks versatile photo journalist who can shoot news, sports, and generate creative photo options for marketing and niche publications."

"The Garden City Telegram is seeking someone with a sharp editing eye, flair for design and an eagerness to embrace multimedia to fill a copy editor/page designer position in our newsroom."