SAF's Networking Contact Directory is designed to help students and alumni find alums that can help with advice, job leads, resume critiques, etc. The guide is also great to help you keep in touch with other former Scrippsters. The directory includes information for alumni living and working in key cities in the United States and abroad. Each entry describes the alum's current job, areas of expertise and willingness to speak with students.
Please consider being listed in the guide. It is a great way to stay connected to Scripps and share your expertise with people who need it. Please contact Sharon at s_metzung@yahoo.com to be listed in the guide.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Freelancing for Fun and Profit
I graduated from Scripps as a newspaper reporter. I now work as a magazine editor and do about three freelance stories or projects a month for various outlets. I stumbled my way into a steady freelance business, and here's what I learned along the way.
Magazines pay the best; newspapers pay worse. It's easiest to pitch things that are local, and weird. I write regularly for Cleveland Magazine, and occasionally for Columbus Monthly. They each have a front-of-the-book department called something like City Life or City Notes — 500- to 600-word stories about interesting characters in and around their coverage area. Examples include: a hobo gathering, State Rep. Bill Batchelder, a webcomic called indexed.com and a guy in Eastlake building a jet-powered motorcycle.
The key is knowing where in the magazine your story would work, and writing a great pitch. These editors (like all editors) are busy, and have constant, looming deadlines. So if you can say, "I've got a great story about X that I think would work well for your March issue. Here's how it relates to your readers, and why it's interesting."
Also, photo ideas help.
Bottom line: The easier you can make it for this editor to say, "Gee, that would be a good story -- and one less thing I'd have to worry about. Great idea!" the better. You want to make their jobs easier, not harder. Also, consumer magazines have lead times of about two to three months, so keep that in mind if you have a timely idea.
Newspaper freelancing is tough. Nobody's making the money they used to with these rags, and so it's harder for us to get a little piece of it. But the same rules apply: newsy, timely, interesting-y features will get published.
Finding an editor is important, because they're your in. Once an editor likes your stuff, you have almost an open door to get published again and again because 1. They know you can write; 2. They know they won't have to spend 6 hours reworking your story once you send it in, and 3. They can trust you to write the truth and don't have to worry about finding someone else.
A lot of the same sites you and I use to find jobs (journalismjobs.com, mediabistro, etc.) have freelance sections, as does Craigslist.
But the best way to do it is to go buy the magazine you think you want to write for, check out the sections, and then contact the editors of those sections. Send in your resume and a few story ideas. The more you do it, the easier it gets, and the better you'll be at pitching certain publications.
Then, the whole thing snowballs. I started pitching Cleveland Magazine about two years ago, and now they (and some other books in the Great Lakes Publishing portfolio) come to me with stories to do. These assignments aren't enough to make me quit my day job — that's another post — but they're fun to do.
As for pay: Each place is different. As a freelancer off the street, you don't really have any bargaining power. Some places pay by the word; some pay by the piece. It just depends on the book and their rates.
And, if you do nothing else: Be polite. I send hand-written thank-you notes to editors after I do my first assignment for them. So much of this business is about relationships, and anything you can do to make an editor think about you (favorably) for an assignment first will help you get more (and better) work. So, that's my Guide to Freelancing for Fun and Profit. I hope it helps. If you have any questions, send me an e-mail. Good luck!
-- Chuck Bowen, a 2005 Scripps grad, can be reached by e-mail at chuck.749@gmail.com and his blog is http://749.tumblr.com/.Monday, November 10, 2008
Time Management Tips
Here are some time management tips from the experts at the Mayo Clinic:
Time management: Tips to reduce stress and improve productivity
Effective time management is a primary means to a less stressful life. These practices can help you reduce your stress and reclaim your personal life.
Do you find yourself overwhelmed by the number and complexity of projects you have that need to be completed at work each day? Do you often feel the day flies by without your devoting the necessary attention to each assignment because other tasks keep landing on your desk, co-workers interrupt you with questions or you can't get it all organized?
You probably know that effective time management will help you get more done each day. It has important health benefits, too. By managing your time more wisely, you can minimize stress and improve your quality of life.
But how do you get back on track when organizational skills don't come naturally? To get started, choose one of these strategies, try it for two to four weeks and see if it helps. If it does, consider adding another one. If not, try a different one.
Plan each day. Planning your day can help you accomplish more and feel more in control of your life. Write a to-do list, putting the most important tasks at the top. Keep a schedule of your daily activities to minimize conflicts and last-minute rushes.
Prioritize your tasks. Time-consuming but relatively unimportant tasks can consume a lot of your day. Prioritizing tasks will ensure that you spend your time and energy on those that are truly important to you.
Say no to nonessential tasks. Consider your goals and schedule before agreeing to take on additional work.
Delegate. Take a look at your to-do list and consider what you can pass on to someone else.
Take the time you need to do a quality job. Doing work right the first time may take more time upfront, but errors usually result in time spent making corrections, which takes more time overall.
Break large, time-consuming tasks into smaller tasks. Work on them a few minutes at a time until you get them all done.
Practice the 10-minute rule. Work on a dreaded task for 10 minutes each day. Once you get started, you may find you can finish it.
Evaluate how you're spending your time. Keep a diary of everything you do for three days to determine how you're spending your time. Look for time that can be used more wisely. For example, could you take a bus or train to work and use the commute to catch up on reading? If so, you could free up some time to exercise or spend with family or friends.
Limit distractions. Block out time on your calendar for big projects. During that time, close your door and turn off your phone, pager and e-mail.
Get plenty of sleep, have a healthy diet and exercise regularly. A healthy lifestyle can improve your focus and concentration, which will help improve your efficiency so that you can complete your work in less time.
Take a time management course. If your employer offers continuing education, take a time management class. If your workplace doesn't have one, find out if a local community college, university or community education program does.
Take a break when needed. Too much stress can derail your attempts at getting organized. When you need a break, take one. Take a walk. Do some quick stretches at your workstation. Take a day of vacation to rest and re-energize.
For other healthy tips from the Mayo Clinic, visit www.mayoclinic.com.
Time management: Tips to reduce stress and improve productivity
Effective time management is a primary means to a less stressful life. These practices can help you reduce your stress and reclaim your personal life.
Do you find yourself overwhelmed by the number and complexity of projects you have that need to be completed at work each day? Do you often feel the day flies by without your devoting the necessary attention to each assignment because other tasks keep landing on your desk, co-workers interrupt you with questions or you can't get it all organized?
You probably know that effective time management will help you get more done each day. It has important health benefits, too. By managing your time more wisely, you can minimize stress and improve your quality of life.
But how do you get back on track when organizational skills don't come naturally? To get started, choose one of these strategies, try it for two to four weeks and see if it helps. If it does, consider adding another one. If not, try a different one.
Plan each day. Planning your day can help you accomplish more and feel more in control of your life. Write a to-do list, putting the most important tasks at the top. Keep a schedule of your daily activities to minimize conflicts and last-minute rushes.
Prioritize your tasks. Time-consuming but relatively unimportant tasks can consume a lot of your day. Prioritizing tasks will ensure that you spend your time and energy on those that are truly important to you.
Say no to nonessential tasks. Consider your goals and schedule before agreeing to take on additional work.
Delegate. Take a look at your to-do list and consider what you can pass on to someone else.
Take the time you need to do a quality job. Doing work right the first time may take more time upfront, but errors usually result in time spent making corrections, which takes more time overall.
Break large, time-consuming tasks into smaller tasks. Work on them a few minutes at a time until you get them all done.
Practice the 10-minute rule. Work on a dreaded task for 10 minutes each day. Once you get started, you may find you can finish it.
Evaluate how you're spending your time. Keep a diary of everything you do for three days to determine how you're spending your time. Look for time that can be used more wisely. For example, could you take a bus or train to work and use the commute to catch up on reading? If so, you could free up some time to exercise or spend with family or friends.
Limit distractions. Block out time on your calendar for big projects. During that time, close your door and turn off your phone, pager and e-mail.
Get plenty of sleep, have a healthy diet and exercise regularly. A healthy lifestyle can improve your focus and concentration, which will help improve your efficiency so that you can complete your work in less time.
Take a time management course. If your employer offers continuing education, take a time management class. If your workplace doesn't have one, find out if a local community college, university or community education program does.
Take a break when needed. Too much stress can derail your attempts at getting organized. When you need a break, take one. Take a walk. Do some quick stretches at your workstation. Take a day of vacation to rest and re-energize.
For other healthy tips from the Mayo Clinic, visit www.mayoclinic.com.
Save the Date! Scripps Senior Saturday to be held Jan. 31
The annual Scripps Senior Saturday will be held from 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2009, in Scripps Hall. While details are still being finalized, seniors are encouraged to mark the date on their calendars. Sponsored by the Scripps Society of Alumni & Friends, this free event is held each year to help prepare graduating journalism students for their job searches. Seniors receive resume critiques and advice on their portfolios, cover letters, job hunting strategies, and more. Last year’s event drew 109 graduating seniors, the most ever!
There are also panels for the different sequences (i.e. public relations, magazine, news writing, advertising), for students to connect with professionals and alumni in their fields. We are currently looking for panelists. The event organizers are also looking for a keynoter to cover basic information on resumes, cover letters, interviewing and negotiating that would be applicable across sequences. If you would be willing to be a panelist or keynoter, or would like more information on this event, please contact Stephanie Pavol at spavol@lesiccamper.com or (614) 220-8659.
More information to follow...
The annual Scripps Senior Saturday will be held from 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2009, in Scripps Hall. While details are still being finalized, seniors are encouraged to mark the date on their calendars. Sponsored by the Scripps Society of Alumni & Friends, this free event is held each year to help prepare graduating journalism students for their job searches. Seniors receive resume critiques and advice on their portfolios, cover letters, job hunting strategies, and more. Last year’s event drew 109 graduating seniors, the most ever!
There are also panels for the different sequences (i.e. public relations, magazine, news writing, advertising), for students to connect with professionals and alumni in their fields. We are currently looking for panelists. The event organizers are also looking for a keynoter to cover basic information on resumes, cover letters, interviewing and negotiating that would be applicable across sequences. If you would be willing to be a panelist or keynoter, or would like more information on this event, please contact Stephanie Pavol at spavol@lesiccamper.com or (614) 220-8659.
More information to follow...
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Lessons for Everyone from the PRSA Conference
I recently attended the 2008 Public Relations Society of American (PRSA) International Conference, where 3,000 PRSA and PRSSA members learned about the industry, networked with collegues and of course had some fun!
The thing about the PR profession is that everyone is really in the industry because we all do PR for ourselves - we all have our own personal brand, right? And we all want to portray that brand in the most positive light. How do you do that? There are plenty of sources out there that provide tips on personal branding. I recently started skimming the blog of Dan Schwaebel (a personal branding blogger). Penelope Trunk, author of the book and blog Brazen Careerist, has some good insight, too. Which brings me back to the PRSA conference.
Penelope Trunk was the keynote speaker at one of the luncheons during the conference and she shook things up! Penelope writes and gives career advice to the new generation of workers and gives such advice as job hop, take breaks in your career and have more sex. A summary of her speech is on the PRSA Web site. As I was sitting there - a 25 year-old who loved her laid back presentation style and resonated with her advice - surrounded by PR professionals, who many have 30+ years of "real world" experience, and I just took a look around and many were shivering in their seats. At that time, we all saw the generational differences of thinking at work. Even later, I attended the PRSA New Professionals dinner and we were discussing her speech, more postively than that of one of my collegeues who attended a dinner of those more seasoned PR professionals.
I write this because it is important for us new professionals to understand that it is OK for us to think differently than the baby boomers before us, but also because it is important for us to understand how those baby boomers think because right now, they are our bosses and will be for a few years and we should always respect and learn from them.
Take a look at Penelope's other tips (she gave 8) and I'd love to hear what others think!
At the conference we also heard from Craig Newmark (founder of Craigslist), Bob Lutz (a GM executive), Mitch Album (talk show host and author of "Tuesdays with Morrie" and "The Five People You Meet in Heaven"), and many others.
The thing about the PR profession is that everyone is really in the industry because we all do PR for ourselves - we all have our own personal brand, right? And we all want to portray that brand in the most positive light. How do you do that? There are plenty of sources out there that provide tips on personal branding. I recently started skimming the blog of Dan Schwaebel (a personal branding blogger). Penelope Trunk, author of the book and blog Brazen Careerist, has some good insight, too. Which brings me back to the PRSA conference.
Penelope Trunk was the keynote speaker at one of the luncheons during the conference and she shook things up! Penelope writes and gives career advice to the new generation of workers and gives such advice as job hop, take breaks in your career and have more sex. A summary of her speech is on the PRSA Web site. As I was sitting there - a 25 year-old who loved her laid back presentation style and resonated with her advice - surrounded by PR professionals, who many have 30+ years of "real world" experience, and I just took a look around and many were shivering in their seats. At that time, we all saw the generational differences of thinking at work. Even later, I attended the PRSA New Professionals dinner and we were discussing her speech, more postively than that of one of my collegeues who attended a dinner of those more seasoned PR professionals.
I write this because it is important for us new professionals to understand that it is OK for us to think differently than the baby boomers before us, but also because it is important for us to understand how those baby boomers think because right now, they are our bosses and will be for a few years and we should always respect and learn from them.
Take a look at Penelope's other tips (she gave 8) and I'd love to hear what others think!
At the conference we also heard from Craig Newmark (founder of Craigslist), Bob Lutz (a GM executive), Mitch Album (talk show host and author of "Tuesdays with Morrie" and "The Five People You Meet in Heaven"), and many others.
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