Ariel Tung | Nov. 14, 2008
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| Photo by Ariel Tung |
| Director of Student Media Ron Johnson and Career Services Director Marcia Debnam led a resume workshop organized by the IU chapter of SPJ. |
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The IU chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists organized the session in the Ernie Pyle Auditorium.
An important thumb of rule in writing a resume, according to Johnson, is to present clear, focused and concise information about one’s experience in one page.
Johnson urged the students to stick to one-page resumes, even if they have significant experience, so that prospective employees can assess how well they edit and present condensed information. He also said that font point type should be 10, and no more than 11.
“If the type’s to big, it looks as if you’re stretching what little experience you have,” Johnson said. “If the type’s too small, the poor readability will annoy whoever’s reading your resume.”
Johnson advised the students to list three references in their resumes as prospective employers will prefer an applicant with references over another applicant without references, even as they have the same set of skills and experience.
As for cover letter writing, Johnson recommended using a journalistic style that is clear, focused and quick to read, and not to overwrite with long, hard-to-follow sentences. He also advised the students to double-check their grammar and style, especially those who are applying for copy editing positions.
Debnam joined Johnson on the discussion of cover letter writing. Using the analogy of courtship, she said that cover letter may be a job applicant’s only chance to get noticed by a prospective employer. She said that there’s room for an applicant to show his or her uniqueness and creativity in a cover letter. However, it is important to be relevant and specific, and to tailor one’s cover letter to the company he or she is applying to.
“It is important to do your research and find out about the company, such as its history, organization structure, who the top people are and their competitors,” Debnam said.
Emily Spitz, a senior journalism student, thought the workshop was timely for her as she will be graduating in spring 2009.
“This workshop is really helpful as I need to work on my resume and cover letter pretty soon,” Spitz said. “I would be applying for writing positions in newspapers and magazines.”
Erin Riley, IU chapter president of SPJ, said that she is collecting resumes and cover letters for three professors to review and critique. Interested students including those who did not attend the workshop are welcome to e-mail their cover letters and resumes to her at enriley@indiana.edu.
Riley also said that while certain workshops such as the resume and cover letter writing workshop are open to all students, there are exclusive benefits and privileges for SPJ members, such as overseas travel conferences and opportunities to network with editors and journalists. Students who are interested to join SPJ may e-mail Riley.
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