[blueangel]

I'm often in the position to hire people, so I can give you some general tips from my point of view. I'm involved in broadcast journalism, so some is career specific.. but hopefully most will be of help to everyone reading this.

Broadcast journalism is an extremely competitive field, so the extra touches will win you favor.

1. I prefer candidates to snail mail me a resume with a cover letter. It's classier, and I feel it makes a more polished and professional impression. It tells me that you're serious about the position, and that you took the time to print it out, address an envelope, put a stamp on it, and walk it to the mail box. That takes a lot more effort than mass e-mailing.

The cover letter should be short and tell me in about three sentences why you're qualified for the job... and what you can do for me.

2. Take the time to find out my name. A "Dear Sir/Madam" tells me you were too lazy to research. I don't want lazy journalists! I want journalists who can dig!

3. Less is More. I'm one of those "keep it to one page" fanatics. Why? A cluttered resume sends the message that:

- You're trying to overcompensate with quantity rather than quality

- You don't regard my time. I want to be able to scan through each resume quickly and be able to get right to the point. My resume could easily fill five pages because I've been in the business more than 20 years. I leave out the small market radio and TV gigs, and only list the most important jobs that are eye catching.

I have no objection to a second page which lists "Awards" if they're pertaining to your career, and fairly impressive. Journalists tend to have a lot of these-- State and National Emmy nominations, Writing awards, etc.

4. BE HONEST! If you lie, we'll catch you. My company does background checks.. most do.

5. Contrary to what some said here.. I don't care what your GPA or SAT score was. Peter Jennings never even went to college. Leave those things off.

I want to see where you worked and what you did. If you're applying for your first job in broadcasting, then tell me what you did on the school paper, and on the school TV station. Where did you intern and what did you do? I don't care that you were a stock boy at Walmart. That just makes you look silly.

6. Hobbies can work for you IF they're memorable...but it could go either way, so use your judgement. It's a great way to start an interview. "So Mary, I see you're the state champion in kick boxing...." It's a good icebreaker, and it helps the interviewer remember you. Of course, make sure it's not "too out-there"-- you might not want to list that you make balloon animals and ride a unicycle!

A follow up phone call is fine, but, I'm often crashing on news stories. Before you say anything, please say, "Is this a good time to talk?" I appreciate that!

7. If you come in for an interview... please dress appropriately. Years ago, a man named John Malloy wrote a book called "Dress for Success" and "A Woman's Guide to Dress for Success." Although some of the material is outdated, it's still worth looking at.

Be neat and clean. Dress for the interview not for a night out in a bar. Men-- a conservative suit and tie-- well pressed in navy blue with a matching tie.

Women-- you can't go wrong with a conservative skirted suit and nice blouse.
Keep the jewelry to the minimum-- nothing that clanks or dangles. Pearls are always appropriate, or a nice gold chain. If you're going for a PR job or something in the art field (or are going for a job at MTV)-- of course, you'd want to dress more trendy.

I always brought a black leather portfolio case with me-- not a purse. It looks more professional and can hold everything you might need (extra resumes, etc).

Broadcast journalist candidates should bring a resume tape and writing samples. If your profession involves art or design, by all means, bring your portfolio with you! Everyone should bring at least two extra copies of their resume to the interview because you may be interviewing with more than one person.

Don't chew gum... please TURN OFF THAT BLASTED CELL PHONE BEFORE you walk in the building.

Smile and shake hands firmly.

Watch your language. Don't use words like "Dude" "Awesome".. etc. That makes you look very immature and unprofessional.

Be positive in your interview. Don't EVER say anything bad about a past employer-- even if he was the devil himself.

Be confident about yourself. Tell what you can bring to the company and why you should be hired.

Don't bring up money first. Wait until you're offered the job.

NOTE TO WOMEN! For some reason, women tend to shy away when it comes to talking money. If you're asked, "How much do you require?" You should already have done your homework and know the salary range. Ask for the top of the range. Wait and see the reaction. If it's "No way"-- then slip in, "But I'm negotiable." If you don't value yourself, why should we value you? I am more impressed by someone who asks for a lot of money right off, then someone who says, "Oh, whatever you're paying." Ask high, and be willing to negotiate down a little.

Be sure to have lots of questions to ask during the interview. Not, "What are the health benefits?" but, "So, I see your station moved from number two in the market to number one. How did you change your news strategy to win over more viewers?" This tells me you have researched the company and are interested to be on a winning team!

As soon as you get home, write a thank you note. Once again, snail mail it. That means so much more.

If you get the job, write another thank you note. If you didn't, write a note saying how much you enjoyed the interview and that you'd like to be kept in mind for the next opening. And of course, be sure to keep in touch from time to time if you don't get the job offer. You may be right for something else down the road. A little secret... it's not always the most qualified person who gets the job, it's the person who walks in first when there's an opening! So DO keep in touch-- but not to the point of being a pain or looking desperate.

And.... read some books on cover letters, interviewing, and negotiating.

I hope that helps!