Help Wanted: From graduation to gainful employment

Amanda Hoffstrom

The beauty of looking for your first job is that everyone has advice to offer about the process. I have heard advice from my parents, my dentist, my professors, my neighbors, my friends and their parents. To put these wise words into context, I signed up for a journalism class that focuses on professional practices—what I like to call my job-search class. This class is definitely where I have heard the most practical advice about finding a first job.

My adviser said the most important thing in searching for your first job is to manage your expectations. This is something I’ve had to come to grips with as resumes go out and either I hear nothing or get rejection letters.

Other advice I’ve heard:

• Define where you want to live and work
• Network as much as possible with alumni, neighbors, teachers, previous employers—tell everyone you know that you are looking for a job
• Update your resume often—it’s a living document
• Start a blog
• Look at newspaper ads and job placement Web sites (though the best jobs are almost never there), associations and company Web sites. Try cold calling as well
• Make a plan to follow-up with potential employers
• Send thank you notes after interviewing—it could be the difference between getting the job or not.

While I am taking this advice and using it to make myself stand out, I’m also taking into consideration advice I’ve heard in my classes too.

From my creative nonfiction professor I am learning how to write story pitches in order to freelance, which is not something I had really considered before this semester. With staff positions getting cut from newspapers and magazines, it does not seem like a bad path to explore. My professor says all you need is a good idea, a strong pitch that sells you as a writer, says specifically why you’re the perfect person for their publication and highlights previous publications for which you’ve written, as well as the correct name of the publication’s assignment editor, which changes a lot. She advised looking at a book called “The Writers Market” that lists information about literary publications throughout the country, who to send pitches to, what kind of writing they publish and whether or not they pay on acceptance or publication, among other things. Though this book may be outdated the moment it’s printed, I take comfort knowing there are so many publications out there publishing new talent.

I am in a digital media class that focuses on the shift from ethics in traditional print journalism and public relations to ethics of new media. In combination with my love of social networking, the course is allowing me to appreciate the Internet more as a strong journalistic medium. I think it also is making me a better reporter because I can see different ways to present information while maintaining the values of journalism. This class introduced me to Twitter, which I now update on a regular basis (follow me @takethelede). I now follow career experts with job-search tips, companies that post jobs and actual job boards. More on this in my next post.