Lynn Walsh

A story written for the Society of Professional Journalists:

10 Tips for Building Better Resumes

Exams are almost over, and now is the time to start working on developing your resume. The Society of Professional Journalists wants to help maximize and jump-start your career with these great tips for building better resumes:

Like some news stories, a resume seems to be something that is never perfect and that you are never done writing.

The good news is that a resume should be a “working document” that needs to be tweaked and changed from time to time. Here are 10 tips to help you create or improve your resume.

1. Use updated contact information. Will you be moving back home after graduation? Make sure all contact information will be current for at least six months after sending out a resume. Do not include a school address you will not be living at after graduation or a school e-mail address that may not be active six months after graduation. Also make sure all the contact information for your references is up-to-date and be sure to give all references a heads-up before adding them to your resume.

2. Experience means experience. Whether it was an internship or job, whether you got paid or you did not, if you gained experience that will help you in a future job, it should be included. This includes a website or podcast you do as a side project or the Pulliam/Kilgore FOI Internship.

3. Awards and honors are more than statues. It is important to include examples of when your work was recognized. Most of the time this includes awards like the SPJ Mark of Excellence Awards, but do not forget other honors like scholarships or a training/conference you were selected to attend.

4. Chronological order may not always be the best. Just because it is the most recent position does not mean it should always go first. Lead with what will show a potential employer why you are the most qualified for the job you are applying for. If your last position was as a copy editor, but you are applying for a reporter position and have four years of reporting experience, lead with the reporting experience.

5. Don’t hide the lead. Potential employers know what interns do so leave the boring details for the end or completely off. Were you put in charge of all the news interns at a station? Did something you wrote get published? Did you win an award while working for the publication? Say you are an award-winning journalist, say you were in charge. Always lead with what sets you apart from other candidates. Leave the transcribing details for the very end or off the page.

6. Make sure skills are skills. A section dedicated to the skills you have can be valuable if utilized correctly. Lead with what sets you apart. Do you know HTML? Flash? Make sure those skills are at the top and leave Microsoft Word and Windows toward the end of the list.

7. Cater your resume. It is a great idea to have a basic resume ready at all times. But, when applying for jobs, you should not be sending the same resume to two difference places. If you are applying for an online position you will want to showcase your online experience; if you are applying for a producing position, showcase your producing experience, etc.

8. Don’t get lost in titles. Whether it is an award or a publication you worked for, if it is not easily recognizable, come up with an alternative way of saying it on first reference. Names of publications and news stations may ring-a-bell in that particular city, but across the country or the world they will probably not mean much. Use call letters instead of station names. Describe the scholarship as a journalism scholarship from your school then follow with the title.

9. Presentation is everything. First, your resume should always be one page. I know we all have done a lot, but at this point in your career it needs to be only one page. Second, make sure the font is legible and not too small. A few other things: make sure the paper you are using is not distracting, do not be afraid to use boxes to separate some accomplishments and do not be afraid to bold or italicize key words.

10. List and use social media. If you use Twitter professionally, make sure you include your username prominently on the resume. On a paper resume I would leave off Facebook and LinkedIn URLs because they are too long – but ALWAYS include them electronically and mention you are on them. Send people to your personal website or blog and make sure it is updated. If your accounts are not professional, do not link to them and it is probably a good idea to clean them up before applying for jobs.

Lynn Walsh is an investigative video journalist with Texas Watchdog and chairwoman of the SPJ Generation J Committee.

Written for and published by the Society of Professional Journalists: The Quill:

Generation J Toolbox
Polish your paper and online portfolios
By Lynn Walsh

It’s the end of yet another year, and as the holiday season begins to consume our lives and singers of the past attempt to entertain (or haunt) us with holiday music downloads, “best of” and “worst of” lists are taking over the radio, television and Internet.

From Top 40 song countdown lists to the “Best of (fill in the blank) in 2010” on VH1, everyone and everything is getting ranked, including journalists and news stories. As award season in the journalism world is in high gear, now is the time to make sure you land on the top of lists and not near the bottom.

Whether you are applying for a fellowship, a graduate program or a prestigious award, make sure you, your work and your online identity are polished and ready to be dissected under the microscope of judges and admission counselors.

Thanks to the Internet, information is more readily available now than ever before. A quick Internet search can turn up various types of information about a person in mere minutes. And because most fellowships, awards or job applications will involve more than a written component, it is important to make sure you are putting your best lead and montage forward online, on paper and in person.

Online:

● Search yourself. Don’t worry about what a co-worker would say (they most likely do it themselves). I was once told you want the first page of search results to either be links you “own” or control or nothing related to you at all.

● Update all social media profiles. Take a day and go through the steps to make your profile 100 percent complete on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc. Actually use the “find connections on Twitter/Facebook” tools. Get recommended on LinkedIn. These profiles, if used correctly, can serve as a longer, more-detailed resume.

● Create or increase your personal Web page. Whether it is a blog on Blogspot, a website or a Tumblr page, create it and use it. How can you apply for an online media position, fellowship or award if you don’t have a Web presence?

● Make sure what is online is what you want your professional contacts, future and past, to know about you. If a friend’s post on your Facebook page makes you uneasy, delete it! Real friends will understand.

On Paper:

● Update your resume. You do not want to be scrambling the night before an application deadline to fix the header and footer on your resume. Take a night or a Sunday afternoon and get it in order; making it a regular habit helps.

● Make sure your references are recent and make sure they are aware they are your references. Need new ones? Join professional groups and organizations to develop new relationships.

● Write a cover letter. Every cover letter should not be the same, and sometimes writing one when you really don’t need it can produce better results.

● Practice answering the usual questions. Practice makes perfect, right? So why not take time to answer typical application questions about yourself once in a while?

In Person:

● Keep updated business cards on hand at all times. You never know who you are going to run into.

● Know your elevator speech. What are your strengths? What sets you apart from other journalists? What does your job description really mean? Know the answers to these questions and be able to share with someone in plain English in about 15 seconds.

● Use new technologies to sell yourself. Consider using QR codes that link to your website, your best work, a video or contact information. Bookmark videos or pages of your best work on your smart phone (if you have one) so they can be quickly accessible. Download mobile apps that allow for you to instantly share contact information. Of course, make sure your contact information is up to date!

If you are having a hard time, bring in outside help. I’m not talking about a consultant, and it does not have to be someone in the business. Get an outside perspective; have a parent or non-journalism friend take a look. Sometimes an “outsider” can provide insight or a new perspective on how to highlight your strengths.

Updating resumes and social media profiles can be overwhelming and tedious, so try to space it out and do it regularly. Set aside time once a month or so to focus on putting your best foot forward online, in person and on paper.

Lynn Walsh is chairwoman of the SPJ Generation J Committee; she works as an investigative video journalist for Texas Watchdog in Houston. Contact her on Twitter @LWalsh or at Lynn.K.Walsh@gmail.com.

A story written for Texas Watchdog:

Students at five HISD high schools to access online college prep tools as part of $1.5m state program
Thu May 13 14:01:00 2010 CST
By Lynn Walsh

Five area high schools will be participating in a new online college preparation program this year, an HISD administrator said Wednesday.

Austin, Davis, Jones, Sterling and Wheatley high schools have decided to participate in the Online College Preparation Assistance Pilot Program, said Martha Salazar-Zamora, assistant superintendent for school support services.

The program, which will cost $1.5 million statewide, should make the process of applying to college easier for students, the Texas Education Agency said. The technology should simplify the college search, application and selection process.

The Houston Independent School District “will not need to spend any additional money for staff or administrators at these schools. (The vendor) will provide technical support and collect all the data,” Salazar said.

The college readiness program is a partnership between the TEA, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the program vendor ConnectEDU.

Contact Lynn Walsh at 713-228-2850 or lynn@texaswatchdog.org.

A story written for Texas Watchdog:

Video: Texas Watchdog and the Center for Public Integrity examine ‘undetected rapists’ on college campuses
Fri Feb 26 13:29:18 2010 CST
By Trent Seibert

Texas Watchdog’s latest investigative report is online this morning — published by the Center for Public Integrity, who we partnered with for the story.

The case of a former Texas A&M student who was accused in court testimony of sexually assaulting five women — four of them fellow A&M undergraduates — is the subject of the latest installment in the Center’s year-long investigation into rape on college campuses. Texas Watchdog is proud to have been a part of this newest batch of stories.

Watch our video of Jennifer Peebles, the Texas Watchdog reporter behind the investigation, as she discusses the story behind the story.

A story written for Ohio Watchdog:

County Democratic Party Chair Indicted in $5 Vote Scandal
Posted by Lynn Walsh on December 1, 2009

Athens County Democratic Party Chair Susan Gwinn is facing two charges of election-related bribery. The charges stem from her alleged involvement in a plan to pay students at Ohio University $5 for every voter they brought out in November’s election.

It all began with an e-mail sent out by the Vice President of Ohio University’s College Democrats that encouraged fellow members to “march to the polls.” The e-mail not only encouraged voting but promised that if they brought a “friend from 4th ward they are more than a friend, they’re 5 bucks!” The fourth ward was the only contested Athens City Council race between Republican Randy Morris and Democrat Christine Fahl.

According to special prosecutor Dave Yost the OU College Democrats will not face any charges at this time. Yost is the special prosecutor in charge of the case and says the group has been cooperating with the investigation.

While no criminal charges are being filed against the student group Ohio University Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and
Dean of Students Ryan Lombardi said the incident is currently being reviewed by the University through the judicial process. Members of the student organization will have an opportunity to share their story with a hearing board before a sanction is issued. “Sanctions for organizations who violate either the code of conduct or the state law range from reprimand to removal from the university,” Lombardi said. Due to winter intercession at the University the judicial process will not continue until after the new year.

OU College Democrats have denied from the beginning that any payments were ever distributed to voters or members. “No member of our organization has ever paid a voter to vote. No member has ever accepted money for his or her own vote,” Communications Director Chris Mullen said in a response.

Gwinn has declined to comment on the new charges she is facing citing a gag order. Gwinn is already facing charges of falsification, money laundering, theft in office, and unauthorized use of property for allegedly mishandling political campaign funds.

Reality Bites with Lynn Walsh – Social Networking

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* Reality Bites is hosted by the Lynn Walsh. She is educated, entertaining, a real live wire but has a question. What do you do with your life after college? Like… what is next? Is there a crash course on growing up, friends, money, careers, and men? The list can go on and on. Where are the answers? Lynn will interview friends, people, and research places to find the answers. Some viewers say to be in our twenties again, others say only if I knew then what I know now, would I have made different choices? Watch and Follow Lynn on her many life learning experiences.

Reality Bites with Lynn Walsh – Is Four Years Worth It?

Listen Here.

* She is educated, entertaining, a real live wire but has a question. What do you do with your life after college? Like… what is next? Is there a crash course on growing up, friends, money, careers, and men? The list can go on and on. Where are the answers? Lynn will interview friends, people, and research places to find the answers. Some viewers say to be in our twenties again, others say only if I knew then what I know now, would I have made different choices? Watch and Follow Lynn on her many life learning experiences.