The J-school's director of career services, Jay Eubank, stopped by CAFME last week to talk about resumes and internships with us! Keep reading to see the great tips he gave us on how to make our resumes stand out!
Key points Jay shared with us:
1. The resume is still useful in the electronic age.
2. A resume is a strategic document. You should not list everything you have ever done on a resume; instead, pick and choose your most important and relative experience depending on the internship you're applying for.
3. Try to limit your resume to one page.
4. Be professional!
-Not only should your resume look and sound professional, but you should list a professional email address (not an email like, "iluvsoccer98@gmail.com").
-Your voicemail should also be professional in case a potential employer has to leave a message.
-Make sure the names of companies are spelled correctly on your resume!
5. Important information to include on your resume:
-Say "The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill"
-Put down the name of the J-school because it's a brand
-Include your specialization and expected graduation date
6. What not to include on your resume:
-High school accomplishments
-GPA
7. The meat of your resume: Experience
-Emphasize your relevant journalism experience in this section
-Under each experience, list (with bullet points) what you learned/accomplished and why it's relevant to the position you're applying for. Be as specific as you can.
-Start each bullet point with an action verb.
-List the start and end date of each experience.
-Don't be afraid to use jargon in this section.
8. Include an activities section (clubs, etc.) and a skills section on your resume
-Under the skills section, you can include such things as Twitter, Blogger, Wordpress, InDesign and InCopy.
-Don't include Word, Excel or PowerPoint because most people know how to use these.
9. Design
-When designing your resume, try to think of something unique that's easy to read and not over-the-top
-Think about your audience when designing your resume (i.e. Are you applying for a design internship? A photo internship? Editorial?)
-Don't worry about having your resume on fancy paper.
10. Cover Letters (should be single-spaced with a double space between paragraphs)
-Cover letters are an extension of your writing ability, so it needs to be good.
-Jay says to write a cover letter as you would write a feature; write like you're telling a feature story about your experience.
-Use a hook or possibly an anecdote to start your cover letter and interest the reader.
-Take the details from your resume and include them in your cover letter, but don't just copy them; reword them and elaborate.
-Say why you're interested in the publication you're applying to. This will require that you do a lot of research about the publication.
*If you would like a great worksheet on resumes and networking, go visit Jay in his office at 162 Carroll.
Questions
Q: What kind of contact information should we have on our resume?
A: Include your phone number and email address. You can also put down your home address, but it isn't necessary.
Q: Should we have a portfolio?
A: A portfolio is great but isn't necessary. If you have a portfolio, list the online link under the contacts section on your resume or put it in its own section. Jay says Wordpress is a good and easy place to create a resume. As usual, make sure your portfolio is professional.
Q: Should we have a references section?
A: It would be good to have a references section. However, do not include this on your one-page resume. Instead, if you have a references list, have it on a separate sheet of paper.
Q: Does a reference have to be related to the job we're applying for?
A: It would be better if a reference is somehow related to the job you're applying for, Jay says. Keep in mind that professors can also be good references.
Q: How can I network?
A: Jay says to "sell yourself" when networking. Network through students and connect with people who can give you good advice and speak well of you. When making an initial contact with someone, you should start the conversation by saying something like, "I'd love to reach out and learn from you." After you contact someone, look for ways to follow up with this person. The more back and forth, the better, Jays says. Also, after having been in contact for a while, ask the people you have networked with if they can suggest other contacts. Jays says to be politely persistent.
If you haven't checked out the J-school's alumni database, this is a great way to network.
When you have made some connections, Jay suggests making a spreadsheet to sort your contacts by name, company, dates you have been in contact, and advice they have given you.
Q: Should I be keeping up with changes in the industry?
A: Yes! Jay says to read as much as you can about what's happening in the industry. Such websites as Gawker, MediaBistro, MediaJobsDaily, and The Poynter Institute are good places to start your research.
Q: What should I keep in mind during the internship search?
A: Keep an open mind when looking for internships. Even though you may want a paid internship (and there are some out there), magazine internships are mostly unpaid. Also, do not rule out newspapers. Even if you want to work in the magazine industry, newspaper internships give you good editing and writing experience. Your overall goal is to get better as a journalist, so when you're applying for internships, think bigger about all of the different outlets that have written content and need interns.
Q: What will help me to stand out during the internship search?
A: Jay says it helps to be multifaceted. If you can write quickly, as well as write blogs and long-form pieces, that's great. It's really important to have well-written, well-reported, interesting stories that show your ability.
Q: Where can I get help with my internship search and resume?
A: There are a lot of places where you can get help. First of all, you can go see Jay! Either schedule an appointment or go see him during walk-in hours at Career Services in 162 Carroll. You can also follow Career Services on Twitter @UNCJCareers for information about interviews and as a way to connect with people. As mentioned earlier, you can also use the J-school's alumni database to network with alumni.
Thanks to those of you who came to the meeting, and thanks so much, Jay, for coming to speak to us!
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