Tips on clips, cover letters and resumés

Michigan State instructor (and former Detroit Free Press recruiter) Joe Grimm offers tips to internship applicants on his highly acclaimed JobsPage.

As you're putting together your portfolios, check out the site for helpful hints - or if you're in a hurry, here's some highlights Grimm offers:

Clips:

• Send the amount of clips an editor asks for - no more, no less
• Cull your clips with four things in mind:
  1. Recency: They should have been produced in the past year.
  2. Variety: They should reflect different subjects and story types.
  3. Grabby: They should grab attention immediately. The lead or a quick first impression may be all an editor will give you.
  4. Quality: More than error-free, they must be remarkable in some way.
• Present them cleanly and consistently and keep packaging simple.

Cover letters:

• Bare necessities: A good cover letter is just one page long, is dated, and it has all your particulars -- name, address, phone number, e-mail address -- in case it gets separated from the resume. The cover letter should be addressed to a particular person and should have that person's title. (It's always smart to make a phone call to make sure you have those correct.)
• Stand out: Be specific, write well and tease the editor into your clips or back to the resumé. ... The secret to a good cover letter is to seize on the most interesting work you've done or experiences you've had and to tell about them in a brief but compelling way. Give your cover letter a strong lead. Remember to use nouns that people can see and verbs that they can feel.
• No errors: Check spelling and grammar, and use appropriate newspaper style.

Resumés:

• No errors: Edit your work, proofread the final copy and then double-check everything. Twice.
• Order: The categories' chronological order is less important than relevance. However, follow chronological order within categories, most recent to oldest.
• Go beyond simple job titles: Describe your jobs. ... These accomplishments distinguish your resumé from others, tell the newspaper something about your interests and abilities and could open the door to an interview.
• Use a clean and simple design: Be bold if you can, but not flashy. ... Tricked-up resumés suggest you lack experience or sophistication and do not give you any advantage over other applicants. (More tips, here.)
• What else should I include? Second languages (but you better have more than the obligatory school minimum), awards, scholarships, extracurricular activities that highlight leadership and personal achievements -- if they demonstrate relevant qualities such as resourcefulness, tenacity or responsibility.

The advice doesn't stop here -- for more resources, check out the JobsPage Interns site.

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