Part-time jobs, internships offer JMC experience in Abilene

Here's one more item for your "to do" list before leaving campus for the holidays: secure a part-time job or internship for the spring semester that will enhance your resume. 

Final exams and plans for the Christmas break may be dominating your thoughts right now but here are a couple of opportunities worth checking out before you pack the car, turn out the lights and hit the road:

• Abilene Christian University Press is looking for a part-time student worker (10-15 hours per week) who can perform a variety of public relations, marketing and administrative tasks.  Dr. Larry Fitzgerald, director of marketing, said he prefers someone who can work in December and January during the break and possibly next summer.  For the right student, this position may qualify for a JMC internship.  You can learn more about ACU Press (and Leafwood Publishers) by visiting their Web site.  You may reach Dr. Fitzgerald at lxf07a@acu.edu or by calling 325-674-2870. 
  
• West Texas Rehabilitation Center is seeking a part-time (20 hours per week) administrative assistant for their marketing department.  While this position is primarily administrative, it is a chance to gain experience in one of the city's busiest and most successful nonprofit marketing departments.  Applicants must be proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel, have an outgoing personality and a good work ethic.  This is a year-round position, not just for the school year, so the applicant must live in the Abilene area and be available during the summer and school holidays.  To apply, contact Deonna Galbraith, marketing director, at dgalbraith@wtrc.com or call 325-793-3525.

While we have no specific requests, keep in mind that Abilene's media outlets are often looking for part-time help or interns.  This includes TV stations, radio stations and the Abilene Reporter-News newspaper. 

Best wishes to everyone on final exams and your plans for the Christmas holiday. 

Apply now for summer 2010 journalism internships

Journalism majors seeking internships at major news organization need to put their search into high gear, since some of the best programs have deadlines in the next two to six weeks.  Here's a sampling, but also check the Web sites of journalism professional organizations (see list in the left-hand column of this blog) and major media companies for more opportunities.

• The Associated Press offers a paid summer internship for photographers and photo editors.  The application deadline is Nov. 13.  This annual program runs 12 weeks and is open to juniors and seniors.  The AP will select at least photo interns for next summer.  For more information, visit www.ap.org and look in the "careers" tab. 
• The Texas Associated Press Managing Editors Association (Texas APME) is seeking applicants for its annual Buster Haas Minority Internship Program.  The winning student will receive a 10-week internship at a Texas newspaper of 30,000 or less circulation, plus a $3,000 stipend and $1,000 for living expenses.  For more information, visit http://www.txapme.com/scholarships/.
• The American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) offers an annual, 10-week internship program each summer for students interested in careers with magazines.  The internships are at magazines in either New York City or Washington, D.C.  Since starting this program 44 years ago, 1,766 students and more than 200 magazines have participated.  Applicants must have completed their junior year, be returning to school full time next fall and have at least a 3.0 GPA.  The deadline to apply is Dec. 1.  For an application, visit http://asme.magazine.org.
• Minority students interested in a career in broadcast television will want to check into the LIN Minority Scholarship and Training Program.  LIN Television selects one student per year, who receives a four-year contract that includes two years of summer internships followed by two years of full-time employment with LIN.  The company will pay for the winning student's tuition, books, room and board for the junior and senior years of college.  The deadline to enter is March 15, 2010.  For more information, visit http://www.lintv.com/contact/careers.html.
• The Oklahoman and NewsOK.com plan to hire seven full-time and four stipend interns for the summer of 2010.  Interns can work in a variety of departments, including news, sports, business, features, photography, video, online communities and niche publications.  Full-time interns are paid $450 per week, while stipend interns will receive a $500 allowance and may qualify to earn college credit.  Other perks include free access to the newspaper's fitness center.  For more information, visit http://www.newsok.com/interns. The deadline to apply is Dec. 4.   
• The Detroit News is seeking applicants for its 2010 summer internship program.  This 12-week program is open to juniors, seniors and recent graduates.  Opportunities are available for reporters, copy editors, photographers, graphic artists/page designers and within the newspaper's online news operations.  Preference is given to students who have completed at least one prior newspaper internship and have worked on a campus publication.  Interns are paid $524.93 per week.  The deadline to enter is Nov. 20.  For information, visit www.detnews.com and e-mail me for an application.  The deadline to apply is Nov. 20.
• The Institute for Human Studies at George Mason University is seeking spring semester journalism interns for newspapers, major media networks and state policy organizations.  The deadline to apply is Nov. 15.  For more information, visit www.TheIHS.org/journalism. 
  
• Not every internship counts for JMC credit, but the experience is still valuable and looks great on your resume.  For instance, the Christian Chronicle, a nationally circulated newspaper serving members of the Churches of Christ, is looking for "virtual" interns willing to report and write from home.  This would require a student who is a self-starter and has a dual interest in journalism and religion.  We don't count virtual internships toward your JMC internship requirement, but the clips you could receive from this assignment would be worthwhile.  
  

Please note that there are many more internship opportunities at newspapers, TV stations and magazines, so don't stop your search with this list.  Check the organizations in the left-hand column of this blog or see me for more recommendations.

Beware Phony PR Job Come Ons

Not every job ad is legit.  Job seekers need to exercise caution when viewing and responding to job leads.  The following story is a good example.  Ad/PR majors are the most likely of all our majors to run into this issue, so if you are interested in a career in advertising or public relations, be sure to take time to read the story below.  It is from Ron Culp, whose blog, Culpwrit, is an excellent one for students and young professionals.

Beware Phony PR Job Come Ons

LinkedIn a great site for job hunting, networking

If you've had me as a teacher, you know how passionate I am about networking as a way to find jobs and build your professional presence.  Networking is absolutely essential.

LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com) has emerged as the leading online site for professional networking.  LinkedIn is phenomenally popular, with 47 million users, including 5.1 million students.  Executives from every Fortune 500 company maintain profiles on the site.  If you plan to seek work after graduation and build a successful career, you need to join LinkedIn now.

You can think of LinkedIn as your online resume, but it's really much more.  LinkedIn lets you post your own profile, where you can list your education, work experience and skills, similar to a resume.  You can also include your photo and links to your blog, Web site or online portfolio.   Employers who are interested in hiring you can access your profile online. 

The real power of LinkedIn is the networking potential.  Similar to "friends" on Facebook, LinkedIn lets you "connect" with employers, peers and other contacts.  Hey, you can even connect with your college instructors.  Your networking can grow exponentially as you connect with groups, such as your college alumni organization or companies where you've interned or worked.   Venturing one step further, you can participate in professional discussion groups and begin to establish your interest or expertise on given issues. 

Similar to building a good resume, developing a highly professional profile on LinkedIn requires skill.  This isn't Facebook, so you want to be sure everything you post on LinkedIn is highly professional and career-focused.  A poorly executed profile on LinkedIn, just like a sloppy resume, can be a kiss of death with employers.

Lindsey Pollak, author of "Getting from College to Career" and a consultant to LinkedIn, offers these suggestions to students on building a successful LinkedIn profile:

1. Make sure your photo is professional and that it shows only you.  This isn't the place for that goofy photo of you and your roommate that you posted on Facebook (you know the one).
2. Think carefully about what to say in your headline.  It could focus on your area of study or your career ambition.  For instance, if you want to be an advertising account executive, say so in your headline or say you are an Ad/PR major.  Don't waste the headline by saying you wait tables at Chili's, unless, of course, your dream is a career in restaurant management. 
3. Use appropriate keywords in your profile.   What are the words or phrases that employers in your field typically list in job descriptions?  What software programs are important in your specialty?  Include keywords that will make employers stop and look at your profile.
4. It's OK to include internships, Study Abroad and volunteer experiences in your profile.  These activities reflect positively on you.  Don't limit yourself to only listing jobs.  
5. Don't neglect to include recommendations.  LinkedIn includes space for people who know you to write something nice about you and your professional skills.  Ask your internship supervisors, employers, college instructors and others who know your work well to submit recommendations for you. 
   

In today's job market, posting a profile on LinkedIn is almost as important as having a solid resume.  Take time now to visit LinkedIn and start your profile.  For more information, see "Ten Ways to Use LinkedIn to Find a Job" or visit LinkedIn's own site for college graduates at "Launch Your Career With LinkedIn."

Event-planning internship available at ACU

Ad/PR majors interested in a career in event planning may wish to apply for a part-time job and student internship available through ACU's Office of University Events.  This position will count for your official JMC internship.  If you need to complete your internship in Abilene, this is the best internship opportunity available in event planning. 

Keep in mind you need junior or senior status in order for this position to count as your official JMC internship.  Before accepting this or any other internship position for which you want ACU credit, also remember to e-mail me for advance approval and to review the necessary procedures and paperwork. 

For more details, click this link or e-mail me. 

Twitter series examines what employers look for and when to start job search

An enterprising recent series of questions on Twitter (see #PRStudChat on Twitter) provides good answers to questions JMC students need to know, such as "how soon to start a job search?" and "what do CEOs look for in new employees?"  Although the series focuses on public relations students, the results are applicable to all JMC majors.  Take a few minutes and read this blog series by Valerie Simon, a senior vice president at Burrelles Luce and a freelance writer.

What does a CEO look for in a PR hire?
http://tinyurl.com/n4wlvs

When should students start their search for a job?
http://tinyurl.com/mfk3tz

What are the best PR books and publications?
 http://tinyurl.com/ns3vty

 
 DH

Ag & Environmental Sciences offers part-time student job

The Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (A&E) Department at ACU is seeking a part-time student employee to help market the department and manage its Web site. This could be a good opportunity for any of our students but especially for electronic media or Ad/PR majors.

Requirements include:

• Students should have completed their core JMC courses; preference will be given to juniors and seniors
  
• Agricultural or environmental background is not required, but the student should be willing to learn some of the jargon and terms used in this field
  
• Self-motivated/initiative
• Work 10-15 hours a week
• Ability to "market" A&E by staying abreast of departmental stories and communicating through various means
• Current proficiency or willingness to learn Collage (ACU's Web site software) to keep the A&E Web site current and fresh
• Willing to interact with the Optimist and Creative/Marketing Services to keep our message in front of people

For more information, please e-mail me or call me at 674-2045.

Graduated but not employed: Strategies for what to do next

Graduated (or about to graduate) and still not employed? Read this story from the Public Relations Society of America for some helpful job-search tips.