preparing students for internships by chris lavelle and mike wong
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Chris Lavelle and Mike Wong present "Preparing Students for Internships" during Reynolds Business Journalism Week 2013. Reynolds Business Journalism Week is an all-expenses-paid seminar for journalists looking to enhance their business coverage, and professors looking to enhance or create business journalism courses. For more information about business journalism training, please visit businessjournalism.org.TRANSCRIPT
Title Slide Preparing students for jobs & working with local media
Jan. 3, 2013 Business Journalism Professors
Seminar
Wong Mike
• Director, Cronkite Career Services • Manage 600 internships per year • Teach career-‐preparaKon course for
seniors and graduate students • 16 years of professional experience as TV
news manager in Phoenix (NBC and PBS affiliates)
• 11 years of experience providing media training for internaKonal journalists from Bosnia, Bulgaria, Romania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Slovakia and Serbia.
Lavelle ChrisKne
• Business journalism, digital media management and strategy. • Guided two major Arizona news websites – The Arizona Republic’s azcentral.com and eastvalleytribune.com • Former business editor and digital media manager at The Phoenix GazeZe and The Arizona Republic.
Building for success Key role for professors - help students acquire work experience and publication in media outlets. • Prepare the students • Relationships with local media
Who are these students? From Deloitte Consulting
How do they talk? Produced by Ryan Jenkins
How do you reach them? Less is More. Or, Get Right to the Point Millennials are used to ge]ng info in short bursts (through texts, 140 characters for TwiZer, one-‐liners on FB, etc.)
How do you reach them? Video Presenta=on Consider: One of every five millennials has posted a video of themselves online. That’s three Kmes more than any other age group. Source: Pew Center
The building blocks 1. Experience & Skills 2. Resume 3. ReputaKon 4. Professional RelaKonships 5. Local media
1. Advise students to build experience and skills.
• Internships • Immersion programs • Campus media
Where should students search?
J-Jobs
2. Advise students to build resume, porHolio.
• Relevant experience • Resume (traditional and online) • Organizing a portfolio
3. Advise Students to prac=ce professionalism, build reputa=on • In EMAIL address [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] • VM greeKng “Hey, this is Stan, The Man. I can’t get to your call at the moment ‘cuz I’m out ballin’. Leave a message. Out.”
In wriMen communica=on to employers, faculty, staff • Avoid ALL CAPS • Avoid exclamaKon points and
Doubles and Triples-‐ !!! (see how bad it looks?)
• Write “Thank You” Notes
Maintain professionalism . . .
• In social media
According to a study by Reppler (a social media-‐monitoring service): 91% of recruiters use social-‐networking sites to screen prospecKve employees.
During the hiring process, which social networks do you use to screen prospects?
FB: 76%
TwiZer: 53% LinkedIn: 48%
Source: Reppler
During which phase of the hiring process, do you look at social-‐networking sites to screen prospecKve employees?
• Aoer receiving applicaKon: 47% • Aoer iniKal conversaKon with prospect: 27% • Aoer detailed conversaKon: 15% Source: Reppler
Have you ever rejected a candidate because of what you saw about him/her on a social-‐networking site?
• Yes: 69% • No: 26% • Don’t use those sites to screen candidates: 5% Source: Reppler
4. Advise students to build professional rela=onships.
• Use professors as resources and recommenders • Network at internships
• Get involved with career-‐related clubs • AZend professional development, seminars, mixers • Reach out to alumni • Find mentors
5. Work with local media. The professor’s relaKonship with local media and employers in your market is criKcal for your students’ success. TOP PRIORITY: get published, aired. Professional experience builds confidence and porrolios.
How? Who? • Internet sites, newspapers, radio, TV in your local market • NaKonal media
• WSJ, USA Today, LA Times, Reuters, Bloomberg, CNBC
• Trade publicaKons • Corporate media / investor relaKons . . . Think beyond tradi=onal media.
Your examples • Liu Lihua – local media and China Today • Sandra L. Combs – Arkansas State University – local media, campus media • Kathryn Jones Malone – Tarleton State University -‐ Texan News Service • Leonard Horton – Florida A&M University – CBS News, local media • James Nelson – MarqueZe University • Micheline Maynard – Central Michigan
Success stories at Cronkite • CareerBuilder /JOBS arKcles for The Arizona
Republic • Small-‐business features for The Phoenix Business
Journal • Entrepreneurs for The East Valley Tribune • TV packages, videos: Jerome marijuana, Luke AFB,
East Valley Business Expo. • Non-‐tradi=onal: U-‐Haul communicaKons, CSP
Magazine • Student media – Downtown Devil, State Press,
Cronkite News Service
Story ideas that work • Careers, jobs
• IdenKfy topics and assign to students. Use local resources – career advisers, HR experts
• Small-‐business features • Send students out to visit local businesses and find
an interesKng angle.
• Entrepreneurs • Talk to Chambers and other business organizaKons
in town to find out who is starKng businesses.
• Future of your town – economics, growth • Downtown – what’s happening? • ResidenKal development • Any manufacturing in your town? What?
Beyond tradi=onal media • WHAT? Industries in your markets
• Retail • Pets • Manufacturing • EducaKon • Entertainment, etc.
• What companies are in your market, and what industries do they represent? • Look for trade publicaKons, corporate media.
Bring the editors to the classroom. • Face-‐to-‐face with the students • Tell about their companies. • What do they value in their coverage? • What skills do they need most? • Describe the “ideal reporter candidate”? • How can students contribute best and get published?
Make your media partners happy. • Know the editors’ needs.
• Find niches for student work (Career pages, Spotlight on Local Business). • Ask for assignments – press releases. • If possible, pair students & reporters on local business coverage.
Make it ‘easy’ for the editor. This is another key to success …
Student work should be “ready to publish.” • Spend class Kme reviewing student work. • Get students involved. • Re-‐work, edit
Yes, it takes *me – but it’s the surest way to help students get those clips, por;olio they need.
Takeaway Do’s • Do challenge / require students to be published. • Do encourage students to seek their own outlets for their work. • Do ask editors for assignments. Meet with them before class begins to idenKfy needs, pain points. • Do engage the class in reviewing each others’ work. CriKque, revise. • Do reach out to corporate communicators.
Takeaway Don’ts • Don’t overlook non-‐tradiKonal outlets. • Don’t miss opportuniKes with companies, organizaKons and trade publicaKons. • Don’t underesKmate the Kme it takes to work with students on ediKng, revisions. • Don’t forget – it’s all about clips and porrolios that lead to internships and job.
And don’t forget ~ • Make it easy on the editors, and they will be your friends for many semesters.