Cover Letters - Clark University: Fill & Download for Free

10 ways young journalists can make themselves more marketableWhile many recent changes in journalism have led to budget cuts and layoffs, others have created new opportunities — to tell stories in nontraditional ways, develop different skills, and guide the industry in promising directions.Now more than ever, young journalists need to show how they can help newsrooms navigate the changes they’re undergoing. Below, I’ve listed 10 steps you can take to make yourself more marketable as a young journalist. They’re based on a recent talk I gave at my alma mater, Providence College.Start making contactsTrack down journalists who graduated from your university and reach out to them. If you’re not sure where to start, ask professors and Career Services for help. When I was a junior in college, I contacted Poynter’s Roy Peter Clark (who also graduated from Providence College) and kept in touch with him. When I began my job search, Clark put in a good word for me and helped me land a fellowship (which led to a job) at Poynter.Identify journalists whose work you admire. Send them an email and let them know that you like their work and would be grateful for any job-related tips they can give you. Chances are, they’ll want to help.Get as much practical experience as you canApply for internships that will give you practical experience to put on your resume. Cast a wide net by applying for internships at small and large organizations. If the internship is unpaid, consider whether it’s worth applying for.If you missed an application deadline or don’t get an internship, look for freelance gigs. After applying for an internship at the Boston Globe two years in a row and not getting it, I emailed an editor I had met while visiting the newsroom for an informational interview a few months earlier. I asked him to let me know if he needed any help during the summer. Soon after, he asked if I could help out by writing a few stories a week. I agreed and got the experience I wanted and needed.Apply for a position on the college newspaper. This is one of the best ways to get practical experience. Being on the student newspaper teaches you how to find and pitch ideas, work with others, meet deadlines and more. If you’re already part of the newspaper staff, try moving up into leadership/editing positions.Develop new skillsLook for opportunities to develop journalism skills, including:WritingEditingPhotographyVideo editingDelivering news on mobile devicesDesignEntrepreneurial journalismProgrammingSocial mediaIf you’re a reporter, try learning how to shoot video. If you’re a photographer, try your hand at writing. If you have some programming experience, brainstorm news apps you could create. Developing new skills will make you more versatile and a greater asset to a newsroom. And it’ll help you gain a greater appreciation for journalists who regularly do this work.Be active on social networking sitesNews organizations are looking for young journalists who can share their knowledge of social media with other staffers. If you haven’t already, sign up for these sites:LinkedInTwitterFacebookPinterestInstagramStorifyRebelMouse (This is a new tool that news organizations have begun experimenting with; if the news organization you want to work for hasn’t started using it, explain how it could in your application.)Of course, it’s not enough to just sign up for social networking sites; you have to use them to get a better sense of how they work. It’s also smart to familiarize yourself with the sites’ terms of service, especially if you’re a photographer. Stay active on the sites and keep the content clean. Remember, employers will be looking at your social media profiles to see what you’ve posted. Think twice before complaining or being crass; you never know where your social media posts might end up.Build an online portfolioWhen applying for jobs, it’s helpful to have an online portfolio that you can share with editors.Your online portfolio should include:A bio that highlights your professional interests, a brief recap of experiences, and something fun that shows you’re well-roundedA resumeLinks to your work (articles, photos, videos, interactives, etc.)Links to your social networking accountsContact informationA blog (optional)Here are some sites for creating online portfolios:WordPressPressoliosCuttings.meClippings.meFlavors.meAbout.meKeep your online portfolio up to date, and be sure to proofread it.Start your job search earlyIt’s never too early to look at journalism job postings; start looking at them as an underclassman so you can get a better sense of the skills and experiences newsrooms are seeking. NPR’s Matt Thompson offered sound advice in a recent Poynter.org piece: If you see a skill listed twice in a job description, pay attention. Chances are, that skill is really important to the news organization and to the person hiring for the position.Here are some journalism-related job sites to check:careers.poynter.orgwritingjobs.orgjournalismjobs.comjournalismnext.commediabistro.com/joblistingsResearch news organizations you want to work forIf you’re interested in working for a particular news organization, familiarize yourself with its website, social media presence and overall coverage. If you see coverage gaps, write them down and determine how you could help fill them. If there’s an opportune time, mention them during your interview (and make sure to note what the news organization does well, too).Consider the location of the news organization and whether you would be willing to relocate if you did get a job there. Additionally, take the time to read up on the recent changes and challenges the news organization has faced. These changes could include downsizing, paywalls, reduced print schedules, and moving to an online-only schedule.Researching the news organization will make you appear knowledgeable during interviews and, more importantly, it’ll give you a better sense of whether it’s a place you want to work.Make your application stand out from the restCreate a resume that highlights your experiences, and try to keep it to one page. Hierarchy is important; put the most important information — your journalism-related experiences — up high. Write a cover letter that reflects curiosity, intellectual playfulness, creativity, an openness to experimentation, a desire to learn from — and teach — others.Use active verbs in both your resume and your cover letter. If you’re submitting the same cover letter to multiple news organizations, make sure you send the right cover letter to the right editor. The last thing you want to do is send a cover letter to the San Francisco Chronicle explaining why you want to write for the Los Angeles Times.Get the most out of your interviewWhen you do land an interview, treat it as a conversation. NPR’s Thompson elaborates on this in the aforementioned Poynter - Poynter piece:“Interviews often start out as interrogations — a back-and-forth series of questions and answers. But great interviews don’t tend to end that way. With the interview, I’m not merely trying to unlock the bits of knowledge in your head, and I’m certainly not trying to see how well you anticipate the answers locked in my head. I am trying to assess how you think, what you’re passionate about, how we gel as colleagues.”Be sure to think of some questions to ask the editor(s) interviewing you. Doing so will show them that you’re curious and inquisitive — two traits that all journalists should embody.As you talk with editors, try to get a sense of what you could learn from them if you did end up working for them. Interviews aren’t just meant for editors to get to know you; they’re a chance for you to get to know them.Show that you’re a hard worker (and that you like to have fun)When you do get a job, work hard. Set daily, weekly and/or monthly goals for yourself that will keep you motivated and give you something to work toward. If you’re naturally hard-working, it’s easy for work to become all-consuming. Don’t let it.As the late Jim Naughton used to say, we need to make time for fun in the newsroom, no matter how hard the work day gets. He used to play elaborate pranks on his colleagues in the newsroom as a reminder of the need for laughter and fun.No matter how secure you think your job is, or how much you like it, always keep a Plan B in mind. During times of change, it’s best to be prepared.

The chances of anyone getting hired at FB, Google, etc is tough. But you can do a few things to raise the odds.Practice interviewing. There’s a book called “cracking the coding interview” that’s supposed to be Amazing. You can find it on Amazon.Get really active on github and create some impressive projects. show them you have that “hacker” mentality and you’re building things on your own, not just going to school and studyingSend a great cover letter and job application to get their attention. Hell, create a YouTube video for why you want to work for them as well. Go all out. and if you know anyone in the company, talk to them and see if they can make an introduction. (edit: Creating a video on YouTube might be unwise for a Facebook interview since they’re competitors. You get the point though… I actually read about a guy who talked about “Googling” something in a Yahoo interview. Not good)

Universities That don't Require SAT/ACT ExamsPlanning your undergraduate abroad? Are you prepared for SAT/ ACT exams?If not then don’t worry! You can still achieve your goals, plan your education abroad for 2021 and maybe even get into your dream university. Just research well. And to help you with that research, we are always here for you.Many of us are not good at taking exams. Some just mess up on ‘the day’ even after a lot of preparation and end up with unsatisfactory scores. So what is the solution now? Repeat SAT/ ACT? Well it is the basic eligibility criteria in order to study overseas especially in the US, isn’t it? That is what is assumed by everyone. But in reality, it is not. There are universities that do not require sat/act scores. In fact, there are some colleges that say an absolute NO to SATs/ ACTs. One such college is Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. Therefore, if you are worried about how you can study abroad without SAT/ ACT and get into your desired university in Spring/Fall'21 then there is only one answer to it - TEST OPTIONAL COLLEGES.What is Test-Optional College?Universities that do not require SAT or ACT from international students and granting you an admission are known as Test-Optional colleges. So if you have not given SAT/ ACT, then these colleges are for you. However, if you are already done with taking these exams and have scored poorly then you can just avoid sending your bad test scores to the college during application. Even if you submit your SAT and ACT scores, your application will be evaluated based on your academic profile. Therefore, you really need to have a good GPA throughout your academic life. In case, if you think that GPA is the only thing that the college will be considering while evaluating your profile then you are wrong. There are many other factors which play a vital role in your admission process. Those factors are -Letter Of Recommendation: Having LORs from your High School teachers, Seniors, or the internships (if any) highly proves to be beneficial that makes your application stand out from the rest. Know more about "How to Draft Letters of Recommendation (LoR)"?Statement of Purpose: SOP is #thefactor that can help you to make it or break it into a college. It is the only thing where you don’t have to depend on others to represent yourself to the admission council. Even if you have a low GPA, you can still get into your dream college through a good SOP. The Statement of Purpose generally defines why do you want to attend that college and course, why are you capable enough, and what are you strong zones of interest. So write your SOP such that it gives the admission council insight into who you are and what your passion is. In order to help you write better SOPs, you can check - SOP: Statement Of PurposeEssay Prompts: Besides SOP, essay prompts are another factor that can help your profile more interesting than other applicants. It is a way for the college to evaluate an applicant’s experimental thinking and proficiency. This is where you can portray the essence of ‘You’, things that other parts of the application DON’T cover.Extracurricular Activities: Getting involved in various extracurricular activities can help you earn some extra brownie points. It definitely adds value to your application especially when you have not applied for SAT/ ACT.Projects/ Internships: Being a part of few good projects or having some experience in the field for which you are applying for i.e. your Undergrad major is the cherry on the top. Internships - not many students, especially in India, prefer to do it during their High School. So an internship certificate, if you happen to have one then be assured that your application is already way too attractive to the admission council.So this was all about the other factors to be considered while applying to a college. Hence, it depends on you how you represent yourself to the year 2021 admission council of a particular college.Universities that don't require SAT/ ACT examsfor Spring/Fall 2021 -Bryn Mawr College PAUniversity of Chicago ILAgnes Scott College GAMuhlenberg College PAAmerican University DCNational University CAArizona State University AZNew England College NHAugsburg College MNNew York Institute of Technology NYAugustana College ILNew York University NYAzusa Pacific University CANorth Carolina State University NCBard College NYNortheastern University MABarry University FLNorthern Arizona University AZBates College MENorthern Kentucky University KYBeloit College WIOakland University MIBenedict College SCOakwood University ALBenedictine College KSOklahoma City University OKBennett College NCOld Dominion University VABennington College VTPace University, New York City NYBerklee College of Music MAPace University, Westchester Campus NYBoise State University IDPacific Union College CABowdoin College MEPeirce College PABryant University RIPitzer College CABurlington College VTPratt Institute NYCalifornia College of the Arts (San Francisco) CAPrescott College AZCalifornia Institute of the Arts CAProvidence College RICambridge College MAQuinnipiac University CTCarroll University (Wisconsin) WIRingling College of Art and Design FLCazenovia College NYRocky Mountain College MTCentre College KYRoger Williams University RIChamplain College VTRollins College FLChristopher Newport University VARoosevelt University ILClark University MASaint Joseph's University PACollege of the Atlantic MESaint Leo University FLCollege of the Holy Cross MASaint Peter's University NJColorado College COSalisbury University MDColorado School of Mines COSalve Regina University RIColumbia College Chicago ILSarah Lawrence College NYConnecticut College CTSavannah College of Art and Design GACornell College IASchool of the Art Institute of Chicago ILCurry College MASeattle University WADenison University OHSeton Hill University PADePaul University ILSkidmore College NYDrew University NJSmith College MAEarlham College INSouthern Methodist University TXEmbry-Riddle- Daytona Beach FLSt. Cloud State University MNEmmanuel College MASt. Edward's University MDFairfield University CTSt. John's College MEFairleigh Dickinson University NJSt. John's College NMFashion Institute of Technology NYSt. John's University - Manhattan Campus NYFlagler College FLState Uni of New York - Stony Brook NYFlorida Institute of Technology FLState Uni of New York, "Alfred State" NYFranklin Pierce University NHState Uniof New York College, Plattsburgh NYFranklin University OHStonehill College MAFurman University SCSuffolk University MAGallaudet University DCSyracuse University NYGeorge Mason University VATrinity College CTGeorge Washington University DCTulane University LAGettysburg College PAUnion College NYGoshen College INUniversity at Buffalo, The State Un of NYGoucher College MDUniversity of Arizona AZGreen Mountain College VTUniversity of Cincinnati OHGuilford College NCUniversity of Colorado at Boulder COGustavus Adolphus College MNUniversity of Dallas TXHamilton College - NY NYUniversity of Denver COHampshire College MAUniversity of Findlay OHHartwick College NYUniversity of Houston TXHawaii Pacific University HIUniversity of Iowa IAHilbert College NYUniversity of Kansas KSHiram College OHUniversity of Miami FLHobart and William Smith Colleges NYUniversity of Michigan, Flint MIHofstra University NYUniversity of Montana, Missoula MTHumboldt State University CAUniversity of New Mexico NMIndiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis IN OptionalUniversity of New Orleans LAIowa State University IAUniversity of North Carolina at Greensboro NCIthaca College NYUniversity of Northern Iowa IAJames Madison University VAUniversity of Oregon ORJohnson & Wales University (Charlotte)NCUniversity of Portland ORJohnson & Wales University (Denver)COUniversity of Rhode Island RIJohnson & Wales University (North Miami)FLUniversity of Rochester NYJohnson & Wales University (Providence) RIUniversity of San Diego CAJuilliard School NYUniversity of Southern Mississippi MSKalamazoo College MIUniversity of St. Thomas MNKeuka College NYUniversity of the Pacific CAKnox College ILUniversity of the Southwest NMLa Sierra University CAUniversity of Toledo OHLake Erie College OHUniversity of Tulsa OKLamar University TXUniversity of Washington WALawrence University WIUniversity of Wisconsin, Superior WILebanon Valley College PAUniversity of Wisconsin, Whitewater WILewis & Clark College ORUrsinus College PALoyola University Chicago ILUtica College NYLoyola University Maryland MDWagner College NYLuther College IAWake Forest University NCLynn University FLWashington Adventist University MDMarist College NYWashington and Jefferson College PAMarlboro College VTWesleyan University CTMarquette University WIWestern New England University MAMarymount Manhattan College NYWestminster College MOMarywood University PAWheaton College IL ILMcDaniel College MDWheaton College MAMercyhurst University PAWhitworth University WAMerrimack College MAWidener University PAMessiah College PAWilberforce University OHMiami University OHWilmington University DEMichigan State University MIWilson College PAMiddlebury College VTWinona State University MNMiles College ALWittenberg University OHMills College CAWorcester Polytechnic Institute MAMinnesota State University, Mankato MNXavier University OHMount Holyoke College MAYork College NEUniversity of WashingtonYale UniversityHarvard CollegeCase Western Reserve UniversityVassar CollegePomona CollegeOregon State UniversityPrinceton UniversityUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of VirginiaDartmouth CollegeAmherst CollegeTufts UniversityBoston UniversityDavidson CollegeRhodes CollegeHaverford CollegeTrinity University