Final words and random wisdom from the CCNMA job fair

• Always believe that you have an advantage when you seems to have one.
• Dont follow the path, go around and get to the guy who will hire you. Especially if you are not confident about some big time companies, you have nothing to lose, your resume will feel better if it were to be tossed away by the bureau chief instead of the HR staff.
  
• Dont linkedin people, coz ppl delete emails when they see invitations, always email

From everyone: YOU MUST HAVE A BLOG OR WEBSITE. LEARN HOW TO EDIT VIDEOS. LEARN AS MANY SOFTWARES AS YOU CAN.

MYTHBUSTERS:

Do employer look at your drunk pictures on facebook?

For online media, maybe, if they are bored and creepy. For most normal people, employer will only check your facebook to verify facts, such as, if your name is Jackie Chan, or Winghei Kwok,
they might look at your facebook to see if you are a guy or a girl. They might verify your school info on facebook. They might refresh their memory of you by finding out how you look like on your profile pics. But anyway, privacy set everything on facebook. Let only your friend see your pictures or notes. Facebook has a block function and you can block people one by one using the privacy setting. If they are persistant enough to work thru that, then they could be some creepy people.

USEFUL SITES:

JournalismNext: job banks for journalist of colors

Knight Digital Media Center: USC media center, contain job
opportunities and fellowship info, online tutorial for online
journalism and other cool stuff.

Interview tips for journalists

INTERVIEW:
1. Preparation: research on the following:

• Latest stories
• business situation
• who are the big talents in the company
• what news things happened in the company recently
• information about the interviewer
  

2. 1st impression:

• punctual
• professional
• confident
• sit up
• be slightly nervous but not disfunctional ( to show that you care enough to be nervous but good enough to hold it
• make GOOD handshakes and eye contact. show that you are secure
  

3. actual interview:

• prepare your answers for questions like :

1. what are your strengths and weakness?
2. If you can change something in this department what would you change?
3. Where do you see yourself in five years time?
4. What is it about this company that you like or dont like?
5. Questions about current news topics.
   

• When you have to take notes during the interview, ask for permission.
  

4. Closing

• When asked "do you have any questions?" ALWAYS ASK SOMETHING, such as
  

1. Tell me something I should know about you
2. How did you get started?
3. What advice would you have for me
4. What is the next step or how long would the review process be?
   

5. Follow up

• Thank you letter ( prefer letter than note cards)
• ollow up if they dont give you any reply within a couple weeks
  

Bonus:
When you sent in your packages, CALL to make sure that they get the package. Then if possible start a conversation on the phone to reinforce your presence. If it goes to voicemail, leave a voicemail. ( these three panelists say they return calls, not sure about others)