Resume Writing for Journalists in Transition: What to Leave Out

Journalists transitioning into new fields already know that a resume alone isn’t the only vehicle you’ll use to get a new job. The essential information you’ll use when you’re writing a resume should also be part of what appears on your LinkedIn profile and on other career-networking sites. Resume information also makes up the backstory you’ll offer when you’re networking. Ten years ago, career counselors would have recommended a specific font (I’ve heard Garamond both recommended and sneered; strong opinions exist on serif or sans serif, but I think as long as you avoid Comic sans you’re probably OK.) and a nice paper stock, but fonts and thick paper are no longer relevant. The summary of your life’s work is now collected in a hiring database.

I’m no expert, but I’ve navigated a couple of job searches in my post-newspaper life and in my current role I’ve hired a fair number of former journalists and recent college graduates who majored in journalism. I know the value a wordsmith brings to any company. The key, in my opinion, is highlighting the skills you have that translate to any job. Leave out the frippery and skills that employers assume any candidate will already have.

I’d like to crowdsource this topic because it’s a rich one. I’ll start my three top recommendations in hopes that others will help fill in the rest.

• Circulation numbers for your previous newspaper employers: A newspaper’s circulation number used to tell a lot more about the size of a newspaper when online views weren’t part of the equation. And because circulation numbers have changed so much in recent years, there’s little chance your former newspaper employer’s circulation number is the same as it was when you worked there. I’d go so far as to say that circulation numbers can be left off your resume for your current newspaper employer, too. This statistic isn’t important on your resume. Detailing your individual contribution is.

• Typing WPM and other throwback statistics: Typing skills, Excel and Word basics and other basic office skills are assumed. Telling an employer your average words-per-minute typed puts your resume at risk of looking dated. However, specialized software and programming skills are worth noting. In most cases, the job posting will list the software skills required. Offering links to websites you’ve created or maintained or sending a URL with examples of your design skills is a better way of showcasing your skills than simply listing your software and coding skills, too.
• Fanciness: Your resume will likely be entered into a candidate database even if you learned about the job through a friend or networking connection. Resumes are scanned, so fonts and photos are irrelevant. Even if you’re talking to a very small company or you’re delivering a paper resume in person, the substance of the resume is what matters. Don’t exaggerate or oversell, but resist the journalist’s urge to be too sparing in details about yourself. Look for resources on resume wording so that you’re sure you hitting the right tone. Also, I’d love to see an academic study of the strategy of giving one’s name in all caps. It’s a turn-off for me, but I suspect I wouldn’t see it so much if it hadn’t worked for someone somewhere.

Please comment on your suggestions on resumes. What’s the opinion on awards? Most career guides suggest listing awards, but what if the award isn’t really relevant to a person’s job? What about self-published books? Side jobs? Let’s discuss.

Newspaper People in Transition Guest Blogger: Ebony Reed of AP New England

Ebony Reed, assistant chief of bureau, AP New England

Ebony Reed and I shared a cubicle and a beat (we covered the Cleveland schools together) in the newsroom of The Plain Dealer in the mid-2000s. Looking back, I remember we were wary of each other at first, but covering the Cleveland schools is as good a bonding experience as any for two ambitious reporters. We had some nice journalistic victories and we’re still friends. Ebony left newspapers a couple of years ago, but she definitely didn’t leave the news industry. Now based in Boston as assistant chief of bureau for the AP in New England, she has a firsthand view of changes in the industry. I was thrilled when she accepted my invitation to write something for my fledgling little blog, and she was even game for Q&A at the end. Read on for Ebony’s insights into the evolving state of the news industry, her advice for those in career transition and learn what’s on her iPad.

Transitions, from the point of view of a former newspaper journalist – Ebony Reed

Life is all about transitions, and if we stay in the same place forever we aren’t really moving. Many people in my dad’s generation had the same employer their whole lives. A lifetime at one job seems rare in most fields today, and newspaper journalists definitely know how insecure their jobs are. Newspapers continue to switch business models, decrease publication and circulation days and the move toward a more mobile and tablet market will create more industry change.

So what are newspaper people supposed to do? Evolve. Take a self-assessment of your skills and examine the fields that are most aligned with those skills. Talk to peers who have transitioned into other fields, areas of the business or stayed put and been successful. Use that data to make decisions about your personal situation. And grow, grow, grow your network base to a global scale, which is easy to do with social media. The more people we know, the more opportunities we know about. All of that might sound harsh and scary, but it’s really simple. Our transitions will be different based on our skill sets, appetite for risk and change and ability to stretch. My transition started in summer 2010. I moved from a traditional news-editing job to one that requires more analytical skills, forecasting, market research, sales and business skills.

So, what have I learned?  It’s not nearly as scary to do something new as we tend to think. And when we assume success will be the end result, we have a better shot at reaching it.

What was the hardest part of a career transition? Seeing my identity as more than someone who wrote and/or edited stories was the first step. That was hard. I had been part of traditional journalism, both in print and online, for a decade and studied it in college, but I wanted to keep evolving. So I had to make an identity shift again (the first time was when I moved from reporting to editing). I began to see myself as more of a brand, a person who can do many things and still hold on to my core skills and beliefs.

The transition’s easiest part? Connecting with people. I always loved to chat, meet people and discover new things. That’s one of the reasons I became a journalist. My parents say I rarely ever met someone who wasn’t my friend; a saying demonstrating my friendly nature. In my new job, I’d find that the ability to connect was still there, even though I was doing different work.

What was my skills transition like? I began reading more business and technology publications, blogs and news. As a former newspaper journalist, I already had research, organization, people skills and creativity under my belt. This job would force me to look at numbers, financials, analytics, negotiation and problem solving more.

What’s next? Constant learning and growing will continue for me professionally because my current position provides a lot of challenges. I’ve learned my life as a newspaper journalist helped set me up to do almost anything in media or outside.

Q&A with Ebony Reed

Q: When you meet people, how do you explain your job? What question are you most frequently asked about your job by non-AP people?

A: I explain my job as a mix of various executive functions for AP in New England. Mainly, I spend my time looking for digital, print and corporate organizations that could result in a mutually beneficial relationship with AP. AP has lots of content and I’m looking for organizations in New England who need it and can benefit from a relationship with AP, which has text, audio, video and photos among other services.  I’m also doing market research, looking at the media needs of the region and communicating that back within AP while working closely with my boss, the region’s chief.

Q: Favorite form of social media, for professional and personal use?

A: Ha. There are so many. But my favorite is Linkedin. I tweet every now and then, but not too often. I love Linkedin. I love the search function, which helps me find people at specific organizations. I think I’m closing in on 800-plus connections. I’m a Linkedin addict. For personal, I use Facebook and only let my co-workers and really close friends in on that platform with me because I’m talking personal things and showing photos of my family.

Q: The MLA (Modern Languages Association) just announced an official style rule for referencing tweets in academic writing. At what point did you think of tweets as attributable pieces of information? (Or are you still unsure? haha)

A: For me personally, that’s still an evolving area. I know several people who have had their Twitter accounts hacked. But what people are saying on Twitter is relevant, so I do think it’s worthy of reporting.

Q: Book that inspired you recently:

A: I have several books on my iPad. I’m probably the last woman to read “Fifty Shades of Grey” in America. And I’m still far from being finished. Lol. So, I can’t say if that book will inspire me. Lol.  However, I was really touched two years ago after reading “NewsLady“, Carole Simpson’s story. I have it in print and on my iPad and I go back to it frequently. I have used it as required text in an online class on the history of the black press. I’ve not met Ms. Simpson in person yet, although we are both in the Boston area. I absolutely adore Ms. Simpson and remember watching her anchor the news on ABC when I was in high school. Her personal journey inspires me on days when I need to get pushed back on my path. And on the days I feel like I’m solidly on my path, her story just makes me proud. It really resonates on so many levels with me.

Q: Last time your adrenaline really flowed at work:

A: The day of the Sandy Hook shooting in Connecticut was a big adrenaline rush. It was a very sad day for the community and very busy for the news staff. I was working to make sure AP members knew where AP posted video and working on member-related issues as it pertained to reporting in Connecticut. But I’ll add that almost every day is a unique challenge, so my adrenaline is flowing every day.

Do you have a question or a comment for Ebony or me? I’d love to hear more stories from the field.

Ye Olde AP Stylebook

Traveling for work this week and I’m going to spend quite a bit of time with content creators, as they’re known in the world I work in now. We’ve been narrowing down some style points lately at my company, and I’m bringing along my old-school AP Stylebook with the wire spiral just to prove to my co-workers how elderly I am. My Stylebook has a copyright of 1988, though I think I bought it in 1989 because I distinctly remember buying a used version at Long’s bookstore on High Street in Columbus, OH.

My print version of the AP Stylebook will always have a place on my bookshelf, but I use the online version when I have style questions now. It’s well worth the $15/year subscription because you always know that the terms are up to date. My print edition of the AP Stylebook now serves as a time capsule. (On page 220, I learned that VCR is acceptable on second reference for videocassette recorder.)

Style guides are ubiquitous and it’s cool to see the way language evolves. Hubspot has a nice guide that addresses online marketing writing. (Or is it marketing writers on the internet?) A co-worker tipped me off to the guide Yahoo keeps, and it’s helpful, too, in solving those arguments about the correct style of “email” (Not e-mail, if you’re following Yahoo!, and why wouldn’t you.)

One of the very few references I kept from college. I use the online version now, but I can’t let go of the print version.

I’ve seen job postings recently that tell writers AP Style is not preferred. The same goes for Chicago Style. I beg to differ. Companies should have their own style preferences and they should build on the style guides out there that reflect technology terms and other wording preferences that have evolved. But writers still need style and that’s not out of some nostalgia for AP or any other style. It’s because consistency is hugely important in the quality of writing that comes out of a newspaper or marketing company or graduate school. And it goes without saying that a standard dictionary must be chosen, especially in the wiki world in which we live. Merriam-Webster, you have my heart always.

Which style guide do you find most useful?

3 Tech Skills Even Low-Tech People Should Know

I didn’t know how to take a screen shot when I started working for a small start-up company, a blogging service, two years ago. I’m not proud of this fact, but it’s true. I’d never needed to take a screen shot in 18 years at daily newspapers and I don’t remember if my newsroom computer had the software, anyway. I feel secure enough in my post-newspaper employment to admit to this extremely minor gap in my skills, but I sure felt like a loser at the time.

Luckily, I wasn’t hired by the start-up company for my screen-shot prowess. I was hired to edit and build an editing staff and help out with the content part of a content-marketing business. (Don’t judge the term– it’s here and it’s a viable, profitable field.) Journalists transitioning to other fields offer superb attention to detail, excellent interpersonal skills and a mastery of language. But newspaper people also have a reputation for being slow to embrace technology. The stereotype isn’t always fair, but I can think of at least three tech skills I never used in daily journalism that make my life easier in the corporate world. The key to technology, of course, is to make your life easier, so suck it up and learn this stuff if you don’t know it already:

• Screen sharing/Videoconferencing: GoToMeeting, join.me, ClearSlide are some of the more well-known programs that allow people in one place to see the computer screens, presentations, etc., of people in other places. If you’ve ever used Skype, you can handle this. If you haven’t used Skype, it’s free and you can call someone you know to get used to the format. Google Hangouts are also free and a good way to test out what online viewers see when they see you (and the junk on the shelves behind your desk). When you’re on a screen share, be aware of what your computer desktop is saying about you. Take 10 seconds to hide the bookmarks at the top of your browser. Marketing consultant Michael Weiss has some great tips on how to prepare your computer when you have to be part of an online meeting or presentation.
• Online calendar: I don’t want to hear that the paper planner next to you is what you’ve always used and it suits you fine. I made this same argument for years, but I assure you that the online calendar is a time saver. If you work from home, as I do most days, or if you work with people in other locations, the online calendar is not optional. The ability to share your calendar with others and see the schedules of other people — avoiding confusion and schedule conflicts — is reason enough to keep your schedule online. (I can also see when it’s a good time to call my boss.) It’s easier to move appointments around, set recurring meetings and get reminders. Does your paper calendar harass you with pop-ups so that you don’t miss your 3 pm call? It does not. I recently discovered the task list on the side of Google calendar (Outlook has a similar tool) and it’s ridiculous how much I like entering in and checking off the little tasks when I finish them. And it keeps me from having 1,000 little slips of paper all over my desk with reminder notes that I just lose anyway.
• Excel: Yes, you read that correctly. It’s the million-year-old Microsoft product. You know, Excel. I’m aware that second graders use Excel now. Well, there are also people who live in New York City who don’t know how to drive cars. So let’s not get into things people should and shouldn’t know and instead get across the idea that Excel isn’t just something reserved for the computer-assisted reporting geeks who analyze thousands of traffic tickets and other newsworthy statistics. If you happened to have been, say, a book critic your entire career and never needed to use Excel, it’s not too late. But know that a decent understanding of Excel is assumed in most communications workplaces for everything from invoice forms to tracking production.

Having said all this, please don’t ever apologize to a new employer or co-worker for what you think are your failings in the tech arena. And never, ever, let the word “dinosaur” pass your lips. It’s self-defeating. So what if you don’t drop the phrases “crowd sourcing” and “sentiment analysis” into every conversation. You’ll get there (or you’ll choose not to be an annoying jargon-dropping tool). Find a friendly high-school student and get him or her to show you this stuff. Or find someone approachable at your new job to help you out. (That’s how I learned how to do a screen shot.) Use technology to build on your already considerable skills.

I never won the Pulitzer Prize

The job of newspaper reporter was the only job I ever thought I wanted. I’m a cliche that way.

Why people get into journalism isn’t a big mystery. Why they stay has to seem nuts to non-journalists, especially in 2012. But most reporters and editors don’t want to give up a profession that is truly a calling and a real public service. Some would rather put up with less than give up doing what they’ve always wanted to do. It’s a great gig, as even those who leave in despair will say.

For all the big and important reasons newspaper people often still do what they do, one other reason exists. The idea of leaving newspapers means admitting they’ve given up on the Pulitzer Prize.

I was never even close to a contender for a Pulitzer nomination when I worked in newspapers, let alone an actual prize nominee. Some of my cattier former colleagues would be the first to say I never had to worry about what to wear to the ceremony in New York. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have the daydream once in a while. I did some great work and covered some amazing stories. I was also cursed at, lied to and hassled on many occasions. High-school kids who would come to the newsroom to shadow reporters would often be bored by the mundane sitting around and making of phone calls that is the reality most days. But when the big story happens, all those hours spent sitting at school-board meetings or driving to small-town police departments seem worth it. Journalists may be cynical, but none of them turn down Pulitzers.

I mentioned my “no one wants to give up on the Pulitzer” theory to someone in sales recently as we discussed the disconnect between the huge number of displaced newspaper people and the content marketers who say they can’t find writers. He laughed because he didn’t think I was serious. But I was. High salaries would easily bring together newspaper people and companies with writing jobs to spare, I know, but that’s not the whole story.

That passion that went into breaking news stories and crafting beautiful non-fiction has to go somewhere. It’s genuinely hard for a lot of writers to decide where to go next because it’s humbling to step outside the newsroom. Like any displaced employee in any field, people want to maintain their dignity in transition.

I’m happy in my post-journalism career, despite the lack of annual awards. And I’m fascinated by the “life after” stories of former newspaper people. In future blog posts, I plan to share stories of those who have moved on and what they’ve found. I’d love to hear from readers, too.