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Q. I am at a metro daily and am in the process of applying for another job. Up until

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now I always had a fairly modest application package, with a cover letter, resume and nine or 10 hard-copy clips in a manila envelope.

I plan to apply at some fairly large and prestigious newspapers and/or magazines and wonder whether I need to step up my application package with binders, color copies of my stories, etc.

What is standard?

Thanks.

Tampa

A. No, no, no.

Joe Grimm

Do not use binders, color copies, etc.

Your KISS portfolio -- Keep it Simple, Sweetheart -- is plenty.

Any print reporter who wants a portfolio upgrade these days should do it by adding multimedia content.

Multimedia doesn't just mean photos, audio and video. Think about interactive databases, blogs and collaborations with informational graphic artists.

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Coming Wednesday: He has been at his current job for six months but now has an opportunity to get a raise and work for a company with a bigger name. The jobs are comparable. Should he go?

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