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THE COLLEGIATE JOURNALIST - - Fall 2006, Volume 36, Issue 1

Widening Your Job Search in Your Target Market
By Frank Barnas, Valdosta State University

A fundamental problem arises with collegiate journalists as graduation looms. The job market is uncertain, fickle, and more daunting than imagined during the start of college. Students run the gamut of emotions, even sometimes second-guessing why they ever wanted to become journalists.

Reality check: this problem is not reserved just for journalism graduates. True, this career is more public than most, thus the pressure feels magnified. But no one gets into journalism for bedrock guarantees. There are only two options for those craving permanent job offers – nursing and trucking. Everything else is a crapshoot. If in doubt, go ask the guy with the sociology degree.

But the demand for journalists is increasing. The Bureau of Labor Statistics www.bls.gov predicts a double digit increase in jobs for writers and photographers with smaller gains forecast for television and radio reporters. Those with computer skills and the ability to interface their news onto the internet are especially well-prepared for the current job market.

As your job search approaches, cover the basics first – resume’, cover letter, samples of your work, and job references should all be in hand before you hit the job market. Your career placement office or counseling center on campus can provide invaluable advice on any of the above, as well as potential job leads.

Finding employment starts with the obvious and often ends with the hidden, but one tactic is to first consider your geography.

Are you bound to your hometown of Nixa, Missouri, or are you emotionally and financially prepared to leave the nest? If the world is yours for the taking, adopt a global view and search accordingly. If you are Nixa-born and will weather your mortal days there, don’t bother looking at Channel 8 on Guam (which, by the way, is hiring at www.kuam.com).

Once you define your geography, attack it as if your life and career depend on it, since they do. Conduct a web search of your target area and find the media markets. Broadcasting and Cable lists the broadcasters and media markets, while Advertising Age spans both newspapers and magazines. Next, if you are in mass media, track down that state’s broadcasting association (Rhode Island is the sole state without one) and the state’s film commission (they’re everywhere except Arkansas and Massachusetts). The film industry may not be your endgame, but it can provide related employment as a stopgap measure.

Other options can be found through the chamber of commerce. Many large businesses, hospitals, school systems, and local governments employ in-house media practitioners for writing news releases, creating training videos, and disseminating news and announcements. Some of these jobs may skew more towards public relations than journalism, but your college training has amply trained you for the position.

The greatest mistake is adopting a hyperfocus on a singular position. It’s important to not let your world crumble if you don’t secure a certain weekend reporting gig, a researching assistant post, or a midday announcing job. If a related field appears and it helps to grow your career, apply. This is how contacts are made. This is how experience is gained.

More importantly, this is how careers are born.

Frank Barnas is an Associate Professor of Mass Media at Valdosta State University, where he serves as the Mass Media Area Chair. He has taught classes in all emphases of the Area although he specializes in Broadcast Journalism, International Media, and Senior Seminar.