Tips for keeping track of your
published clippings or putting together your
public relations portfolio.
Newspaper
clips open doors
Fancy doesn't
matter. Neatness and ease of reading is what counts.
The best way
to present clips is to do what you need to do to get the clips onto
8 1/2 x 11 paper and still be legible. If this requires multiple
pages for a single story, staple the pages together. Otherwise,
use a paper clip to hold the stack of clips. When a busy editor
is faced with dozens of applications, the first cut tends to be
harsh.
•When
it comes to clips, ease of reading is the important thing. The more
a busy editor has to manipulate your clips, the more likely she
is to become unfairly prejudiced against their content. (i.e. unfolding
easily tearable legs of newsprint, unfolding and refolding 11x17
paper that otherwise won't fit in a standard file folder, having
to pull clips out of those plastic sleeves because glare makes them
so hard to read - and then stuff them back.)
•Of secondary
importance with clips is neatness of presentation. This usually
only comes into play if an applicant has passed through all the
initial ditching. At that point, the employer begins to notice things
like how neatly the clips are presented. Are they dog-eared and
held to a sheet of typing paper by two stingy bits of tape that
let them curl up and tear? Are the pages covered with smudgy black
fingerprints, a clear sign that little attention was paid to the
mounting process? If a clip had to be cut apart and pieced to fit
on a single sheet, was it done neatly? Granted, this may not be
critical, but it does give a potential employer a good indication
of how professional you are, how much you value your own work, and
how serious you are about wanting the job.
Photocopies of your clips will work fine. It's a good idea to make
sure that the publication name and date are included with the clip.
Are too many
clips enough?
Most editors
agree that the number of clips is less important than the quality.
Send only your best work.
In general,
that means five to 10 stories. If possible, you should include a
variety of story types, but limit opinion pieces or reviews or anything
written in the first person. For entry-level jobs, editors rarely
care much about what you think about an issue. They want to see
how well you can report about what other people think and do.
Ideally, you
might include a sampling of hard news stories (a meeting, a speech,
an accident, a trial, an obit, other types of breaking news) and
news feature stories (a profile, a descriptive piece, an event such
as a county fair). Major investigative stories can be good as long
as they are not dull.
How to pick
your best clips
- Delayed
leads should sing. Hard leads should be concise and complete.
- No typos,
grammatical mistakes, AP style errors, or misspellings in the
stories.
- Good quotes
high in the story.
- An ending
that gives the reader a sense that the story has ended.
- Ask one
of your professors to help you choose your best.
Tips for PR
portfolios
Creating
a top-notch portfolio to complement your interviewing skills is
crucial in today's competitive job market. A resume and cover letter
may get you the initial interview, but you have to prove that you
are the right person for the job. A portfolio is a sampling of your
best writing, artwork, or projects to display your previous work
experience and to demonstrate your abilities with a variety of communication
tools.
Here are 10
ideas for creating a professional portfolio (many of the following
come from various Web sites such as Jobs.com):
• Create
separate sections for your work samples such as writing, design,
event planning, or project management.
• Create
title pages for each section to make them stand out and keep them
organized.
• Create
a portfolio that is unique to YOU. Use materials, colors, symbols,
or expressions that demonstrate your individuality.
• Label
each work sample with your job title, date and employer.
• Think
of your portfolio as an art gallery. Include the "painting" or work
sample, the description, and the rationale.
• Use
each piece as a "jumping off point" to tell a story about yourself.
If each work sample is labeled, it will be easier to remember key
tasks and responsibilities that were related to it.
•Think
"big-picture" when creating a portfolio. Ask, "Why would a potential
employer care about this piece?" and "What does it say about my
abilities?"
• Make
it easy for the interviewer to flip through.
•Use
the portfolio as a discussion piece rather than the focus of the
interview. Be interactive and demonstrate your best qualities.
•Have
work samples on hand to give to the interviewer. Bring photocopies
to leave behind.
