I joined a panel workshop with LA Times' Randy , VP of ABC7 Diane Medina and McClatchy Newspaper's corporate recruiter Reginald Stuart.
I am willing to post up the actual handout somewhere, either hardcopy at the office or PDFs, i guess PDF is better.
COVER LETTER
- it is your first impression
- you need to show that you can tell a story.
- you must able to string sentences and concept together coherently
- use active voice, use strong muscular verb and HAVE A VOICE
- tell them your career goal and why are you interested
- be specific, dont say that you want the job coz you love to write
- tell them what is unique about you that you can put on the table and how you and the company can compliment each other.
- have your personal info listed on it, name email address and phone etc.
- For traditional media only: follow up with a hard copy package of resume cover letter and work sample. You might end up being the only thing they hold in their hand after your email being forgotten in the pile.
Experimental cover letter is good only when the editor like it, so it is a risk. But if you are thinking of applying something that you probably wont get anyway, do that. When you are doing experimental, stay away from cliche, fluffy languages and dont OD on adjective and
adverb.
But Conventional business format cover letter is perfectly fine. However, would recommend dont go online and look at sample cover letter, those are for accounting jobs. Write an interesting story on your cover letter, get attention.
***MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT COVER LETTER:***
When you are applying for journalism jobs, NEVER EVER address the letter to the hiring manager or to whom it may concern. YOU MUST TRACK DOWN THE PERSON WHO IS HIRING YOU. Reason being that you are a journalist, if you cant even track down your recruiter, you cant track down your sources. So stalk people, or even call the bureau to check,
check with your connection or anything, make sure you send the package to a SPECIFIC PERSON.
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