“I always wanted to work in the creative industries but wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do. I graduated in 2000 with a media degree and worked in new media, administration and construction to earn a living.
In February 2006, the same month as I was married and became a dad, I enrolled on a course run by the National Council for the Training of Journalists.”
Part 3: The CV and covering letter
Your CV is important: I now have by far the best CV I have ever written, which has been aided by the fact that I know exactly what I want to do. Writing a CV when you have no career focus is nigh on impossible.
It’s about positioning what you want to do and the relevant experience you have in that field.
I started with a brief paragraph explaining where I am at and where I want to go. I then listed my journalism experience and qualifications followed by related skills. I then briefly outlined my previous career history post-university and listed my interests.
Keep it simple and keep it to one page. Though your previous experience in unrelated fields is useful and interesting, it is something that can be expanded upon in an interview. State succinctly what you were doing. For example I wrote:
This tells an employer what I did, where I did it and when I did it. There is no need to detail what a landscaper does, your potential employer is going to have some idea and if they want more information about this they will ask in the interview.
I left out whom I worked for. Maybe you agree, maybe you don’t. Again this was because it has no real relevance to journalism. When I listed my work experience on my CV I said which paper it was for. This is important, but is the editor and producer of 20+ regional titles in Kent keen to know the name of the chap that I worked for in west Dorset, or the name of the landscape construction firm I worked for in Vancouver? Probably not, and again this something that can be discussed if you get an interview.
Your cover letter offers you the chance to expand on your CV. It should again be kept brief and avoid simply repeating your CV. You are after all a journalist/wanting to be a journalist. The point of your trade is to get across the necessary information in as few words as possible.
The cover letter is you explaining why you want the job and what you can offer the employer. An employer is not interested in what they can do for you. Expand on the experience in your CV and link any unrelated experience to journalism.
Avoid being vague and saying lines such as: “I am young and idealistic”. Phrases like this translate at best as nothing, and at worst as making you sound like a troublemaker! What you are probably trying to say is that you are focused and have some good ideas.
It is wise not to mention all your ideas, especially if they have not been turned into a concrete piece. This is because you cannot copyright ideas whereas you can if you have acted on the idea and written the feature or whatever it may be. Mention that you have an ideas portfolio/portfolio of work that you would be happy to bring along and discuss – this further highlights your determination.
Tomorrow: My interview.
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