Q: recently won a best reporter first place award at a SPJ awards ceremony in a state in the western part of the U.S. I am originally from the eastern part of the country and want to return there. How hard will it be to find a job across the country? How willing will employers be to interview me? Will they frown on doing phone interviews? What should I say in my application to better my chances.
Thanks,
C.P.
A: Congratulations on the award! That can't hurt.
It is probably unwise to move across the country to work in a newsroom you have never even seen, so I would avoid places that might hire on the basis of a phone interview. Go for the in-person interviews.
Is it difficult? Yes. You can improve your odds by being very good and applying to places where you are a competitive candidate. Sometimes that means applying in specialty areas, sometimes that means applying to smaller places. It always means talking with people who are seriously trying to fill live openings.
