How to Break Into Publishing: Part 2

Evaluate your public profile. As journalism continues to mesh with new media and social networking, your online presence is as much a part of your application materials as your resume or cover letter. So make sure it's up to snuff. If you join a publication, you may be asked to use your Facebook, Twitter, Digg or LinkedIn to promote content and/or events, so go through it with a fine-toothed comb to ensure it skews more professional than personal. (Some people choose to set up two accounts, one personal and privacy-shielded, and the other professional and public; I personally don't trust privacy settings and therefore focus on making sure my one account meets professional standards.) Evaluate each post, picture and Tweet through the eyes of a potential boss and ask yourself: is this a person you'd want to hire?

If you're not already on social networks, I highly recommend you reconsider. Especially if the publication in question has online platforms, demonstrated savvy in these mediums can go a long way. But again, do it right; Twitter is not an excuse to tell the world what you had for breakfast or how much you looooove!!11!! Robert Pattinson in 140 characters. It's another opportunity to position yourself as a professional and an expert in a particular subject matter. Do your research on best practices before you jump in.

Consider J-school carefully. Another common question posed to me is, "What do you think of journalism grad school?" It's a tricky query, because the answer is certainly different for everyone. What I'll say (after offering a big disclaimer that this is just my personal take on the subject) is that before you send in a tuition check, ask yourself a few questions: "What specific knowledge or skills do I want to gain from J-school that I can't gain from real world experience? Has my research of the job market shown me that I'll be more employable when I exit grad school than I am now? How exactly will the program I've chosen help me advance in my learning and career goals? How will the courses help build on the knowledge I gained in undergrad and in other writing experiences?" If you don't have concrete answers to these questions, get some.

The bottom line. Looking over these notes, a common theme has emerged: Be proactive. Be respectful. Be genuine. Work hard, believe in yourself, be flexible in your expectations, constantly evaluate your approach and progress, and you will make strides in publishing.

And Good luck!

As always, follow me on Twitter at @CassandraGaddo.

Photo: ABC

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