Teresa Buckley is the executive city editor for the Times Union.  James Odato writes a blog about politics for the Times Union.   He also joined the Capitol Bureau in 2008.  Recently they came in to journalism class to talk about journalism and what is important when looking for a job.

It was unfortunate that I attended every journalism class all year but missed out on such a great oppurtunity because I was home throwing up.  Once I found out I missed such a beneficial meeting I decided to look up what is important in your resume if you want to get hired in the journalism world. 

James Odato of the Times Union came to class last Wednesday. Photo courtesy of the Times Union.

The first thing that I learned that I had no idea was how important it was to have a cover letter.  Employers have to go through a great deal of applications sometimes and having a nice cover letter is a great way to have your application stick out from everyone elses.

It is vital that your resume has absolutely no mistakes especially because you are applying for a journalism job.  When it comes to the interview make sure you are familiar with the newspaper you are applying for.  Nothing would look worse than not being aware of the type of newspaper it is.

One other thing interviewers want to know about is if you are familiar with the Press Complaints Commission’s Code of Pracitce.  It would be helpful to know the code by heart.

I also learned how it is extremely important to have experience to put on your resume when you are applying.  It doesn’t matter if it is an internship or working for the school newspaper.  Employers want to see examples of the work you are writing.

I wish I went to the class because I feel like it would be extremely beneficial.  I do feel like after reading through some articles online I have a better feel for what employers are looking for.  I hope someday I will be able to say I got the job.