Q. I'm graduating from college after one more semester and will likely start my job search the month after that. This summer, I managed to land my dream internship. I'm working at one of the five largest newspapers in the country and couldn't be happier. But the one thing that scares me as I prepare for the job hunt is this: Will I be able to get a job at a large daily paper after I graduate this winter? I don't even want to consider a paper with a circulation under 300,000, and ideally I'll end up somewhere over 500,000 right after graduation.
I know my aspirations are high, but I genuinely believe I can do it. I have a stellar resume that includes my current internship, another internship at a big-city daily and lots of college-level experience and awards. More importantly, I have a portfolio packed full of great clips. They're all published work, no class work, and I know that really stands out to recruiters. I'm great with computers, have advanced knowledge of Web design, have dabbled in multimedia and am fluent in pretty much any design software out there, including the dreaded CCI.
I hate to sound boastful, but I think I'm a very valuable potential new hire. (I promise if this weren't anonymous I'd be much more modest and humble! I kind of feel like a jerk for being so frank.) But even with all this on my side, every day I worry about not getting a job I'm happy with. It's hard having a top internship because I'm not sure where to go from here. I know some internships can lead to jobs, but with the massive cutbacks at my paper in recent months, I wonder if they are even able to hire new people.
Please help! Am I fooling myself thinking I'll get a spot at a top 10 newspaper, even with an excellent resume and portfolio?
Thanks!
WorriedA. Your aspirations do not seem to me to be out of line with your expectations. But they might be out of line with today's job-market realities.
Even in good times, it is normal for people to move to smaller places than where they interned. And these are not good times.
But don't despair. What you need more than a big newspaper is a good one, and they come in all sizes. Drop your insistence on a top 10 newspaper and also aim for some high-quality smaller ones where you might find the same opportunities and high standards you're used to. They might even be safer.
You've done some good work and you're going to do more. The start of your career is no time to get hung up on the superficiality of circulation size.
Thanks to everyone who sent me good wishes on Friday's departure from my job as recruiter at the Detroit Free Press. I appreciate your kindness and look forward to staying involved with you and Poynter.Coming Tuesday: This newsroom veteran was laid off and is now trying to get a job teaching at the college level. People keep telling him he needs a Ph.D. Should he go back to school?
Joe's advice is bang on. After four mega internships and...
