As always many thanks once to the NABJ student representative for diligently answering my question back in 2001 (by way of Dr. Louise Ritchie) and to Bob Butler, president of the Bay Area Association of Black Journalists, for his recent additions to the list.
Sherlon Christie
Sports Reporter
Asbury Park Press (N.J.)
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Pasted below is an email Dr. Louise Ritchie, former SEED chair for
NABJ sent to the NABJforum listserve when asked about
convention do's and don'ts. These tips are very valuable and they should help
you, Sherlon, to get the most out of the convention.
DO:
1. Have a positive attitude. You never know if the person to whom
you're complaining about the lousy food is not only the NABJ member
who spent hours of free time helping to plan the convention, but also is
a recruiter on the lookout for an entry-level hire or intern.
2. Be gregarious. Some good conversation openers include saying
things such as "Have you been to other NABJ conventions? (A good
follow-up to a "yes" could be to ask the person's advice about how you can get
the most out of this one. Another good follow-up would be to ask what
other conventions the person has attended, and what s/he enjoyed about
them.)
3. Dress in a way that you stand out in a positive way. Wearing a
bright color as a colorful scarf, tie or blouse can help people
remember meeting you. Just don't carry it to extremes such as deciding to wear
a red and orange checkered suit!
4. Attend the workshops and when you go, sit up front and ask some
questions. When you ask questions, stand up and say your name and
your school. Students have been known to get job offers and
internship offers by asking questions or making thoughtful comments at workshops.
5. Talk to everyone. This includes talking to attendees who may be
several decades older than you. Instead of clustering with your
classmates at meals, make a point of sitting with people whom you don't know. When
you select the table, after getting a seat, walk around the table, shake
everyone's hand, and introduce yourself to them.
Also know that many people -- including veteran journalists -- are shy (It's amazing how many journalists are tigers when they're pursuing stories, but in their personal lives they are quiet and shy!), so are very happy when you take time to reach out to them. Some people who especially
may be appreciative are families of attendees and recruiters who are not black and who may not have had previous experience attending a gathering in which they are the racial minority. You also can get some valuable tips and information from such people, including members' families, who often have lots of inside knowledge about the field and may even have journalism
experience, too.
6. Understand that the type of attention you want to attract is attention based on your looking professional. Deep cleavage, skirts that virtually expose your underwear, T-shirts celebrating booze, sex or drugs etc., definitely will attract attention, but unless you're at the convention looking for quick sex or a reputation as a pushover or sleaze, leave that attire at home. Don't even wear such attire to the convention parties. Also remember that even parties at conventions are professional situations. Have fun, but have fun without telling the intimate
secrets of your life or without becoming an intimate secret in someone else's life!
7. Seek out opportunities to get feedback, and then listen when you get the feedback. Ask recruiters and veterans to critique your work. When they do so, do not get into an argument with them. If you don't agree with their assessment, then you don't have to follow their advice. But if you start arguing with them, you will get a reputation as a person who is
not interested in learning, and that can prevent your obtaining an entry level job or internship. People who are hired as entry level employees and interns are expected to grow and learn as part of the job. For that reason, many employers will choose a student who is eager to learn over a more experienced student who is a know it all.
8. Be up on your current events. This includes having read the day's newspaper (which typically will be available at the convention). Another good tip is to listen to the local National Public Radio station news in the morning when you wake up as virtually all professional journalists
(and many professionals in other fields) start their day listening to Morning Edition, which is widely regarded as the best broadcast news available.
Also, before the convention, read the trade publications such as American Journalism Review and Editor and Publisher. The more familiar you are with current events and challenges facing the field, the more you'll be able to join in with conversations with professionals.
9. In interviews, make sure that you highlight the excellent things you've done in journalism. Explain how you got the reticient source to talk. Describe how you did a tough story on a tight deadline while you also were editing copy. Don't wait for the interviewer to directly ask
you about these things. The recruiter cannot read your mind. In addition, an interview is not a modesty test. You easily can highlight your strengths by, when you are showing your clips, also telling the story behind your clips. "When my editor assign me this story, he said that he chose
me because I handled deadlines better than did the other interns. I got the story
at 7 and by 9, my editor had this story. "
10. Prepare packets of your resume, cover letter and clips. Put them in separate envelopes to give to recruiters. That way, when the recruiter packs the stacks of resumes and clips s/he has received and piles them into a suitcase, yours won't become wrinkled.
11. Send follow-up notes. These should be impeccable in terms of
spelling and grammar. They also should contain additional info about
you that you may not have had time to discuss during your interview.
DON'T
1. Huddle with your classmates like a sheep. Among the no-nos are sitting only with other students or your friends from school or waiting for your roommate to get up the morning so that you can go to the convention together.
2. Get up and leave if you realize that you've sat at a table with veterans or recruiters. Often such people are very happy to meet aspiring young journalists, and are really insulted if you jump up and abandon them. This particularly may be true with recruiters who literally are there to connect with potential hires such as yourself.
3. Be on the prowl for a date.
4. Avoid the workshops.
5. Sit in the back of the room at workshops. The days of back of the
bus are long over.
6. Go on the prowl for free drinks and free meals.
7. Spend your time telling recruiters what they can do for you. Spend
your time telling and showing recruiters what you can do for them.
8. Tell a recruiter that you have no clips because the people in your
student media were mean or cliquish. Recruiters know that if you
couldn't make it at your campus media, you definitely aren't ready
for the outside world. While the recruiter may nod his or head
sympathetically, that person is mentally crossing you off their list of good candidates.
9. Decide that the job fair is a waste of time because recruiters say
they have no open jobs now or they have no internships available for
this summer. Typically, summers are when there is turnover on jobs, so
recruiters now are taking applications for openings that are expected
later. If you blow off the interview or stop interviewing, what can happen is
that when the jobs open up, your name isn't in the pool. Even if you're
looking for an internship this summer, it can be important to interview
because while most internships already have been filled, often there are last
minute openings, and the students whom the recruiters know are available are
the ones contacted.
10. Run around loudly telling your friends and associates how "mean"
certain recruiters were. This is a small business. The new friend
whom you're sharing this information with may end up being the recruiter's spouse
or best friend.
--Louise Ritchie
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"Butler, Bob"
Sherlon
This is excellent information. As one news director told me, "I can
shake a tree and 12 reporters and anchors will fall out. But a good
producer is as hard to find."
Some other tips: Bring PLENTY of resumes and business cards, if you
have them. Make sure your resume is ONE PAGE. The employee doesn't need to
know all the details of every job you've had. If it's not related to journalism
just put down what it was. Example: Taco Bell, June 2002 to September
2003.
Oh, and make sure your name is in LARGE TYPE AND BOLD FACE. When I'm
trying to find your resume, I may not look too hard. So make it easy for me
to find you.
Bob Butler
BABJA President
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