| I have always wanted to work for a newspaper or a | | | | career you can point to, perhaps you can highlight the |
| magazine. It has been my goal for as long as I can | | | | positives that you have. Did you have any famed or |
| remember. I have a degree in graphic design and have | | | | acclaimed professors? When I was starting out, I liked |
| wanted to do layout design. I have had trouble finding | | | | mentioning that I had a magazine editing class with |
| my first job, as few people would considering hiring | | | | Willie Morris (former Harper's Bazaar editor and |
| someone with no experience. Do you know how | | | | novelist) at the University of Mississippi. I also had kind |
| someone like me could break into the field of | | | | of a low GPA, thanks to poor focus on my studies my |
| publishing? | | | | freshman year, but I was able to say that, for the |
| You're right -- getting started is tough. My first job out | | | | classes in my major, I had a 3.9 average. |
| of college, with a four-year degree in journalism, was | | | | I didn't have internships to point to, but I did submit |
| as a clerk at JCPenney. Two years later, I finally got a | | | | some of my stories from various journalism classes to |
| newspaper job. (Took that long because I didn't have | | | | area newspapers and I had those for clips. Perhaps |
| much time to job-hunt.) So I know how frustrating this | | | | you have done something similar you could point to? |
| after-college time period can be. But you just need to | | | | Be sure to point out that, in addition to your skills, you |
| hope for the best and keep trying to find that one job | | | | have a strong work ethic, you bring the job in on time, |
| that will get you into the journalism world. | | | | and you work well in a team environment. Employers |
| What you need to do is plump up your resume and | | | | consider not only your skills, but also how well you will |
| your clips. Have you considered doing some volunteer | | | | fit into the workflow of their existing office. Be sure to |
| work for your church, a charity, a youth group, a local | | | | highlight your overall professionalism as part of the total |
| school, or other organization that puts out occasional | | | | package you bring to an employer. |
| publications? Or you could see if your local newspaper | | | | One other idea: Look for "trade magazines." I worked |
| has a special section they put out annually (a fashion | | | | for a small publishing house, who put out 3-4 national |
| section, bridal section, back-to-school section, etc.) | | | | magazines that are geared to the professional |
| where you could design the cover for them or do any | | | | interests of people in various trades -- nightclub and |
| or all of the section's layout for them. | | | | bar management, liquor store ownership and marketing, |
| It's something the editorial staff has to do in addition to | | | | restaurant management, etc. (They also host several |
| their regular duties, so so they might really appreciate | | | | major national tradeshows for those professional |
| the help, especially if you offer to do it just for clips and | | | | groups, too -- which requires a graphic artist's skills for |
| the experience. You might also ask the newspaper's | | | | ads, etc.) They rely heavily on the expertise of their |
| advertising manager if he would consider letting you | | | | graphic artists to design ads, design magazine covers, |
| design a few ads for him, just for the experience. That | | | | and do the editorial page layouts. |
| would give you some more examples of your work to | | | | I'm not sure how you find such publishing companies, |
| show to prospective employers, and it also increases | | | | since a lot of them are not in the Writer's Digest |
| the pool of people who have seen your creative | | | | guidebooks; you might try asking your local chamber of |
| abilities and your work ethics. It never hurts to increase | | | | commerce of any publishing companies or |
| your contacts. A lot of journalism jobs get passed | | | | "tradeshow" companies in the area, or you could do |
| along via "word of mouth." | | | | some online searches for "trade magazines." |
| Is there a large store in your area that sponsors | | | | Or search the websites for Editor & Publisher and |
| special events for charities or just as promotional | | | | other professional mags. One source of new |
| events? Maybe you could talk to the store's manager | | | | magazine -- the website of a journalism professor and |
| and offer to design their ads, posters, or their hand-out | | | | magazine publishing consultant who is internationally |
| fliers for them, just for the experience. You might also | | | | renowned for his expertise and acumen in picking the |
| try offering your services at a small, local newspaper | | | | best of the year's new magazines. Some of those |
| -- such as a shopper (the freebie newspapers they | | | | magazines, which are just starting out, might have an |
| give out at the grocery store, etc.) or your community's | | | | opening for a hungry new professional such as |
| weekly or daily newspaper. They may not have an | | | | yourself. It can't hurt to skim his website, find the |
| opportunity right away, but they could keep your | | | | magazines that intrigue you, and write to them. |
| information on file. | | | | I would also search online for jobs that would let you |
| Another option might be to look up the address of | | | | freelance a bit to add to your portfolio. It dosen't |
| your state press association (or whatever your region | | | | matter that what kind of a job that you get while you |
| calls its professional association for journalists and | | | | are waiting for something that you really want to do. |
| editors). If they don't have a job listing, they may know | | | | What ever job you do get you could even ask them if |
| of someone who's hiring. It can't hurt to ask -- or even | | | | they need some help to promote there company or |
| to ask if you can send them your resume. While you're | | | | something that they are putting out and would like to |
| at it, ask if they have a website where their members | | | | get people to look at it. That my even start you off in |
| are listed (or a printed directory they could send you). | | | | the field that you would like to be in. Just keep your |
| You can blanket your area with your resume and | | | | hopes up and your mind open to most things and you |
| samples of your work. | | | | will get the job that you want sooner or later. Don't |
| Since you don't have a large body of work or a long | | | | loose all hope. |