Inc Issue 7

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internships. news. commentary.

Vol. 7 April 21, 2009.

a publication of the Ohio University Society of Professional Journalists.

its a great resume builder. Prof. Carry Frith to lead resume workshop. story

Cameron Glover

art

There is one document, one piece of paper, that can make or break your access to your career field. It has rules, sections, lists and type. It has to be creative but simple. It has to be informative but concise. It has to be all about you. It is your résumé. Creating your résumé can be a tedious and tricky task. Luckily, SPJ faculty advisor Cary Frith will be providing a workshop tonight in Scripps Hall highlighting some of the important factors to remember when it comes to writing résumés. “I will be stressing the importance of a professional, clean design for résumés, as well as providing tips for marketing yourselves effectively and standing out from the crowd,” she said. According to Frith, students tend to get in the habit of listing job experiences and responsibilities, but they should be focused on drawing attention to accomplishments met through those experiences. She also worries that there can be confusion between the roles of résumés and cover letters, which have the purpose of introducing your personality and explaining why your skills would match well with a certain company. The basic parts of the résumé can include educational background, job experience, activities, awards and honors, skills and references. Including an objective can be left up to you, al-

inside inc. society news. pg 2. internships. pg 3. commentary. pg 4. special report. pg 5.

Ian Bowman-Henderson

though it is probably not necessary if the résumé is sent with a cover letter. It should only be one page and use the same fonts and sizes, except when accentuating the head and titles. When working on making your résumé unique, Frith suggests playing around with white space and fonts, which should be consistent. “A well-designed résumé with a hint of color can be an effective way to catch a prospective employer’s attention,” she said. She also stresses the significance of proofreading your document to make sure it is “flawless” in terms of spelling and grammatical errors. Tina Stewart completely agrees with Frith’s sentiment. As the alumni and internship coordinator for the Scripps School of Communication Studies, she examines students’ résumés on a daily basis. “When I see a spelling error or a little glitch, it stops me,” she said. She urges students to try and learn how to have a strong attention to detail in order to catch those little mistakes. “You have to have that to get in the door,” she said. Stewart also encourages students to think about the industry, the company and the specific person that will be reviewing your documents because that can and will have an effect

tuesday. 5:00. scripps 116 Prof. Frith presents: a Resume Workshop on how you choose to write them. However, as much as the purposes of the documents are to impress the employer, it is also about you and your accomplishments. Don’t be afraid to flatter yourself. Stewart suggests starting by making a list of all activities that you have participated in and awards that you have earned, and then go through that list and limit it in order for them to fit one page. She also advised students, especially freshman, to get involved on campus immediately in order to have a full list of items to include that will impress potential employers. According to a handout arranged by Wendy Zang, who came to speak in late February for the Ohio University Super Saturday event, gaining such experience is a must. Zang’s handout was a compilation of advice from newspaper professional. One professional said: “In this job market, you’re going to be competing against a lot of experienced journalists so you need to learn everything you can to stand out,” Debra Leithauser said from The Washington Post. Other professionals agreed that versatility, and multi-media skills especially, are highly sought after in today’s market. One of the last things to remember when creating your résumé is that employers will use it as a source of reference for questions to ask you during an interview for an internship or job. Therefore, you must be able to talk about things on your résumé. A unique way to do so is to think of a specific and memorable anecdote that explains and compliments each item you have listed. Employers will definitely remember your stories. Although there are many guidelines and tips to remember when writing your résumé, try to stick to who you are. Being yourself is the best way to show your creativity while proving that you are the best candidate for the position.

inc.

internships. news. commentary.

society news.. a scientist of the Times.

Andrew Revkin talks science journalism. story

Emma Morehart

photo

Emma Morehart

Every week the Society of Professional Journalists brings in an industry professional to speak at our meetings. Sometimes, if we’re lucky, they stick around to answer a few questions. This week’s guest is New York Times environmental reporter, adventurer and Dot Earth blogger Andrew Revkin. Inc.: The first question is that I know you got here? What is your goal? Revkin: … I would like more people to exyour degree in biology, but was your original plan to be a journalist also? Andrew Revkin: No, I wanted to be a marine biologist, I grew up in Rhode Island, and when I got out of Brown with a biology degree I won a fellowship to go study overseas for a year. It was sort of anthropology, and anthropology and journalism are similar – you’re observing people and taking notes. And so, I came back from that trip feeling like I liked to tell stories and take a lot of pictures and wanted to try writing. I went down to National Geographic, I was pretty excited, but my pictures weren’t getting put up. So I thought “Oh, maybe I need to learn something” and I ended up getting a master’s in journalism at Columbia. Inc.: So what is the work that you do on a typical day for a typical story? Revkin: I wake up at seven. While my wife is helping get stuff together for our 11-year-old, I go online, check my blog, approve any comments, sometimes start writing a piece that will go up on the blog that morning, and then dive into whatever story I was already working on or that’s coming up that day. It’s the blog that is continual... it’s kind of like being inside a plastic bag that’s pushing in at you from every direction, and you have to keep pushing out. Inc.: How often do you travel for stories? Revkin: Not that much lately, partially because our budgets have shrunk. But I talk to people all around the world all the time, and I work sometimes with some of our other reporters who are already overseas. Inc: Emma: Where do you want to go from

plore Dot Earth (http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes. com/). I still get the feeling that there is an awful lot of people out there who could benefit from this way of looking at the world. So that’s the main thing. Inc.: So, how do you balance not only being a journalist and a scientist? Along those same lines, does it become difficult to stay neutral? Revkin: You have to work at neutrality, because some people feel more like bad guys and some people feel more like good guys. Again, the way I do it is... just to say “Well, how do I really know what this person is saying?” Even a very well-meaning scientist can have biases and passions and hidden agendas and I have to kind of say, “Well, tell me about the evidence.” Then, you always try to step back and reflect and look at the story you’ve written from the other point of view and see if it still holds up as true. Inc.: Finally, what advice do you have first, for student journalists and the future of this business, but also for students, and youth, in general, and the future of the environment? Revkin: Don’t count on someone saving it for you. Don’t count on conventional government, diplomatic channels doing the lifting. But be optimistic; I do think, pretty fundamentally, that there’s a way to get to a good place on this planet in a few decades, and it largely revolves around how young people shape their lives. Some of that is just a little portion, if you can just sort of shift your career, no matter what you’re going into, to have a little bit of that global vision, I think that could be the trick.

just the facts. AP stylebooks. $15. t-shirts. $15.

Ethics Week. 4/27. New Room. Scripps 116.

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internships. news. commentary.

internships.. a real soar subject. featured. Flight International. reporting

Graylyn Roose

Flight International, the world’s oldest continually running aviation publication, is seeking a social media intern for the summer of 2009 in their Alexandria, VA office. As a new media intern, the student will be expected to be proficient with Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and to maintain his or her own blog. “It’s kind of a new thing for us. It’s actually been awhile since this office has had one,” said Americas Managing Editor Stephen Trimble, who added that other world offices have had interns more frequently. “ Trimble said that the print publication Flight International, who also owns the online magazine Flight Global, is hoping to reach a broader audience through new media. “In the past, we would hire an intern to mainly show them the ropes,” said Trimble. “But in this case, we’re very interested in having this intern show us the ropes.” He added that, like many other publications worldwide, Flight Global will be taking advantage of bigger online possibilities. “It’s become another channel for us that we think is very prominent.” Based in London, the magazine is primarily a niche publication for those interested in aviation information and news. Flight International reporter and OU grad Megan Kuhn says that while an interest in the subject may help, the potential intern need not be an expert on flight. “You don’t have to be an aviation nerd, but if you are, this is your dream job,” said Kuhn, who has been working with the magazine for two years

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as a reporter for their wire service. Trimble acknowledges that much of the office’s staff has a direct interest in flight and aviation. However, he says that an intern will quickly learn the ropes. “Flight is a place where people who are really into aviation get to geek out about it. That’s our audience and that’s a huge part of who we are,” said Trimble. “That being said, we’re primarily interested in the social media side.” The intern will receive about eight dollars an hour and will be expected to work at Flight International for the duration of his or her summer vacation. Kuhn says that it would be wise for a potential intern to apply sooner rather than later. According to Trimble, the job could include travel possibilities, as magazine staffers often travels to Seattle and Los Angeles, as well as Washington D.C. press conferences. He adds, however, that travel would be contingent on budget allowances. Trimble says that the internship would be a good learning experience for any college student interested in new media.

old questions. new opportunities. who.

what.

when.

where.

how.

Men’s Health Magazine

Editorial Intern

July - December 2009

Emmaus, Pennsylvania

www.rodaleinc. com

50% chance you’re already a Men’s Health expert

The Ohio Society of CPAs

Public Relations Intern

Summer 2009

Dublin, Ohio

[email protected]

satisfy your secret love of accounting

Global Information Network

News and Research Intern

Any four months of the year

New York, New York

www.globalinfo.org

can’t get much bigger than “global”

Online Intern

June - August 2009

San Francisco, California

CNET will be first to know about the robot rebellion

Newsroom Intern

terms negotiable

Collinsville, Illinois

college. cnetnetworks .com suburbanjournals.stltoday. com/

CBS Interactive Suburban Journals

why.

less crime, better schools, a yard with a fence

inc.

internships. news. commentary.

commentary.. CNN: Celebrity News Network in a celebrity culture, what is news anyway? commentary Lauren Smith

For a gal who tends to consult AOL NEWS for national goings-on, it was quite a feat to seat myself in front of a CNN newscast. I’d like to preface this criticism by admitting that I am by no means a news critic, and am probably about as up-to-date on current events as a 7-year old. However, like most, I am thrilled to criticize the pure silliness of our newscasters and news stations. And where better to turn than CNN? ­­­­­­­­ BREAKING NEWS! Allegedly, Jamie Foxx publicly bashed Miley Cyrus on his radio show, The Foxxhole. Now… I’m just as concerned about the personal lives of our underrepresented celebrities as the next girl, but I’d rather hear about what ‘Brangelina’ named their 29th adopted child, or who Jennifer Aniston is boinking right now. That is far more interesting than listening to Jamie Foxx advising Miley Cyrus to contract Chlamydia or kick back and do some heroine. Poor little mutton chop. She’s just trying to sing her lil’ blonde heart out and post nudie pics online like every other normal teenage girl! Jamie Foxx allegedly justified his vicious comments by saying he’s the black Howard Stern. Indeed. Because the world is so very supportive of Howard Stern at this point in his career, yes? It’s times like this when I am so grateful that the U.S.’s leading news station can critically cover celebrity culture and celebrity politics. Now, instead of watching E! News, I can merely tune into “The Most Trusted Name in News.” The CNN slogan is completely accurate. I wouldn’t believe that Foxx/Cyrus story coming from any other source. Honest. In the midst of the newscast, while flashing photos of Foxx and playing the audio recording to death, the headline appears: ‘Foxx Comments Outrage.’ But….whom do they outrage? Can CNN elaborate so that We the People know whom, exactly, did ‘Foxx Comments Outrage?’ Assuming, that is, that the use of the word “outrage” here is that of a verb, rather than a noun. But if it is a noun, then there is a missing apostrophe in the word ‘Comments.’ Just saying. Another amusing element of this newscast is how offended the newscaster is. In all her days

of reporting the hard-hitting facts about the trials and tribulations that celebrities suffer through, she has never heard anything so offensive or abrasive. And neither have I, for that matter! The way comedians come up with line-after-line about Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan is mild and borderline affectionate compared to Jamie Foxx accusing Miss Cyrus of needing a “gum transplant.” Compared to the other CNN frontwebpage stories such as ‘Trial Begins in Transgender Slaying,’ and ‘Mexico and US disagree on assault weapons,’ Jamie Foxx’s mockery of Miley is far and away the most appalling thing to be reported on CNN as of late. As though we don’t have enough celebrity culture television shows airing right now, the networks we rely on for actual, hard-hitting, meaningful news are becoming immersed in the aforementioned viral celeb culture. My advice? Refer to BBC News and BBC World News if you want to get your facts straight. The news is purposeful, meaningful, cross-cultural and, well, important. Now, don’t get me wrong, I understand that some people want to hear about what is happening on the celeb vs. celeb circuit. But to mix that into the news? Isn’t that a bit of an oxymoron?

inc.

internships. news. commentary.

special report.. how to: write a cover letter.

a few helpful tips to get these tricky letters covered. reporting

Cameron Glover

When applying for an internship or job, what is the first thing you normally do to attract the employer’s attention? If it isn’t stalking them outside their office then it is probably sending in your résumé with a few work samples and, of course, a cover letter. Generally, an employer will skim through your cover letter first to determine whether he or she is interested enough to continue sifting through the rest of your documents. This is your first chance to introduce and prove yourself a good match for the company. You will want to be straightforward and creative enough to set yourself aside from the other applicants. “The general purpose of a cover letter is that it is one more way to market yourself to an employer,” Kristine Hoke said. She is an assistant director for Career Services and she received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Ohio University just a few years ago. Hoke said that cover letters accomplish a wide variety of things within a small amount of space. “It introduces you and explains why you are writing,” she said. “It goes over what you have to offer for that company and why you are interested in that company.” It is likely to assume that a cover letter written by a journalism major will be assessed by other writers, editors, etc. so, take extreme caution when proofreading your cover letter. Simple mistakes can and will cost you everything when it comes to first impressions. A helpful tip to remember is to have someone else read through your letter, or you can also take it to the Career Services office on the fifth floor of the Baker University Center and have an assistant go through your letter with you. Career Services also offers a variety of sources that can supplement your letter writing process, such as several handouts located by the office entrance and a small library of helpful books for all journalism and communications majors that

not only mention cover letters but can help with job searches, industry information and staff environments, as well. Although cover letters can range from three to five paragraphs, there are three basic sections to keep in mind when writing them. The first section is where you should say why you are writing and how you became interested in that specific company. Employers like to know whether their marketing and advertisements are working so it is good to mention how you heard about the position. The second section is where you will write about your experiences as they relate to the job. In order to do this successfully, pay close attention to the job description so you can try and match it with classes or work background that you’ve had. The third and final section is where you thank that employer for his or her time and let them know if and when you can meet for an interview. You can also let them know that you will contact them in a week or so to make sure they received everything. They will appreciate the follow up. There are some pretty simple dos and don’ts when it comes to writing cover letters. The most important, as mentioned before, is proofreading. Simple mistakes can be devastating. The second most important thing is to really focus on the job description and make sure that you mention qualities that they are looking for in your letter. You also want to make sure you have addressed the letter to a specific person instead of a company department. Lastly, close the letter with “Sincerely,” because it is professional and also personal. If you do happen to get stuck, ask for help from a friend, professor or someone at Career Services. Always remember that cover letters are the first impression that an employer will have of you so don’t be afraid to sell it.

direct from HQ. National Shield Law: Help to protect the rights of journalists across America by contacting congress members.

‘09 National Convention and Centennial Celebration: registration now open at SPJ.org/convention.

new on the blog. See Change: Go online to the OU SPJ blog (OhioUSPJ.blogspot.com) to take a look at this year’s new inductees and next year’s OUSPJ executive board..

inc. identified: Managing Editor Copy Editor

Ian Bowman-Henderson

Graylyn Roose

Contributing Writer

Lauren Smith

Contributing Writer

Emma Morehart

Contributing Writer Cameron Glover Contributing Writer Graylyn Roose