• It’s like shaking somebody’s hand.
• It should briefly (one page) explain who you are and what you want.

• you type the editor’s name and address on your envelope.
• you correctly spell name of editor, his or her title, news organization and address. If you make any mistake, your package will be tossed without reading.
• you have somebody read over the cover letter and resume before sending it.

• you try to stay within one page without small type; otherwise go to two.
• to start with your vitals at top: name, mailing address, phones (home, pager, cellular, work) and email address.
• you do NOT put in an Objective. That should be in sentence form within your cover letter.

• Start with journalism work and note the circulation and frequency of your publication and your responsibilities there. If you had many jobs at one newspaper, you can list name of newspaper, years there, and then describe experience with specific details.

• Include non-journalism experience (gas station attendant, waitressing, whatever, as it shows your ability to work with people and handle responsibility.)
• Experience does not have to be in chronological order. Put most important and relevant experience first.

• Include where you graduated and when. If you haven’t graduated, put down date to graduate. If you have a high GPA (3.8 or more), include it, otherwise not necessary.
• Include where you attended high school.

• Include Honors, Awards, Volunteer Work (i.e.: President, Society of Professional Journalists Student Chapter; Chair, Volunteer Committee, First Presbyterian Church; Overseas Press Club Scholarship; Pi Gamma Mu Honor Society.
• Note experience with specific computer programs/platforms, language fluency. Remember: the more you say, the more likely you alienate. No personal information (i.e.: hobbies, pets, interests).

References Section:

Give the names of two or three people, their home and business phones and email addresses, if available. Give the name of the person who knows your work the best, not necessarily the top editor with whom you had little contact.

• No more than 10 clips. All of them should be good and show a different facet of your reporting and writing ability or design skills. (Not 6 good; 4 okay).
• Clips should be photocopied onto 8 x 11 sheets of paper, one side only, with folio (date and page number where story appeared). Longer clips may go on legal size that is folded up to letter size.
• If important, attach a Post-It Note explanation to a clip that summarizes how the story was done (i.e.: within two hours on deadline or interviewed 45 people during six month period).
• Do not print out archive version from website as editors like to see how the story appeared in print. [Keep three clean copies of every clip you reported].
• Use Kinko’s to make clean photocopies of your clips; reducing larger stories. Old stories that hold up are okay. An entire page with a large story can be reduced to 8 x 11 or 8 x 14.

[Keep in mind in that editors will first look at the headline of the clip, then the lead, the next paragraph and maybe scan the rest to see if anyone was interviewed for the story. Pick stories where the lead grabs the editor’s attention.]

Copy Editor Applicants should include headlines you wrote. Use Post-It notes to summarize catches you made in a story, original and rewritten stories, and/or noting on Post-Its those places where you raised an essential question that you got answered before story appeared.

• Make sure your package of materials is easy to handle so it won’t fall apart.
• After package is mailed, do not call up to ask whether the editor got your stuff. He or she will call you. You may write another letter to the editor six months later; indicating that you are still interested in the position, with another clip attached.