BOSTON — For young people entering the workforce today, the job search can be daunting, especially in journalism and media fields. The SPJ New England 2024 Conference kicked off with a conversation to ease the nerves and educate young professionals beginning their careers with a “How to Get a Job” panel.
This panel featured Paula Bouknight, Boston Globe assistant hiring editor; Chris Vaccaro, SPJ national board member and director of journalism at Hofstra University; and Ciara Speller, senior evening news anchor for WWLP-TV, the NBC affiliate in Springfield.
The conversation began with the question we all should ask ourselves and potential employers — What are you looking for? To which each panelist replied with variations of the message that we should always be writing, pursuing connections in the field, and showing others how you stand out.
“There is no perfect way to get a job,” unfortunately, said Vaccaro. Especially with recruiters fielding through countless resumes and reels, looking for an excuse within those first moments of reading or watching to flip to the next applicant. However, there is hope.
Avoid rambling on your resume, “no gobbledygook,” said Bouknight. Keep things precise with relevant and recent information at the top of your one page, single sided resume. Let your experience paint the picture of who you are as a journalist, triple check spelling and make it clear and easy to read.
Do not lie. For example, don’t claim skills you do not have.
Seek out jobs that align with your values in a workplace, a team that supports its players, a manager that upholds standards you believe in. Do your research before applying, and definitely know a thing or two about the place with which you are interviewing. In Speller’s first interview at her current job she was asked to name three of their top headlines, or something that was going on in the community they report on. She was able to answer the questions because she had done her research.
“Why would I waste my time with someone who hasn’t done the work,” said Vaccaro, in response to Speller’s comment. If you show up unprepared for an interview, you are wasting your time and the time of the hiring manager— do your homework.
Take advantage of every opportunity at school, get what you paid for. Join clubs, internships, co-ops, school publications, for resume and experience buildings.
First impressions are everything, be polished, precise, and professional. Your perspective matters, put in the work and you will get what you want, and, as Vaccaro sited Billy Joel, “don’t take shit from anybody.”
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