Graduating soon with a BA from a Canadian Uni. Job search help please. I have two years writing experience.

January 3, 2013 12:46 PM

Graduating in June with a BA Philosophy. I have two years journalism experience. I'm currently searching for jobs through my network and linkedin. Help please!

The jobs are: PR, Technical Writing, Communications and Journalism. Is there an easier way to undergo my job search? The economy is great where I live (Praries) but the jobs I'm looking for aren't usually advertised on job boards.

posted by GiveUpNed to Work & Money (5 answers total)

Not exactly in your field (medical writing), but these are ways that I've found projects (and some people start the conversation asking if I would be willing to be an employee, so it should work for jobs, too):

• Linkedin. Not looking for jobs or for contacts, but list a detailed resume and include specialized projects that you have done. If you have a web page with your work, you can put a link in your LinkedIn profile. Also provide contact info. Consider joining the specialized groups in LinkdIn, too, and participating (I don't do that but know a few freelancers who get work by doing this additional step).People that need those skills will find you, even if you are not connected. Headhunters in particular will find you in LinkedIn.

• Where do you want to work? Don't wait to find a job, but send an email or letter to each company that you would like to work at - I've gotten projects this way, too. Send a brief letter of introduction, with contact info, and offer to send a resume/samples if they would like more info.You can google for these lists, go to a business library, do a search at linkedin....but the goal is to present yourself to a company before they need someone so that your CV/resume/cover letter is presented in the best way possible for those potential employers. I'm a coward, but I've had a few outgoing friends find jobs by calling instead ...they also select the companies that they would like to work for and they get fast results this way.

• Info interviews were useful for me to get a job. Not for the "get a job" approach with the contacts, but having people in the field sharing ....other search terms for jobs, other places to look, ...and also looking over your CV and pointing out the trends/hot trends that their colleagues and supervisors are looking for People have shared their contacts or people likely to hire,but I never needed to use those resources.

• People will roll their eyes at this, but I did get a job a few years ago by throwing my CV on monster. My philosophy was to use every tool available and there was no cost for throwing it on there.
posted by Wolfster at 1:15 PM on January 3, 2013 [3 favorites]

If you are in Canada and want a journalism job, I would start off by contacting by email and by telephone every managing editor of every newspaper at Black Press. This is the bush league where you get your foot in the door.

For PR, generally speaking, government communications shops are a good place to look. In this case, contact the directors of communications shops at different ministries, by email and by phone.

For corporate comms it's sort of the same thing, but more competitive. PR in the private sector is undergoing a transformation in the age of social media as well. We're an online agency, and we our headcount was for a time larger than the main traditional ad/pr agency in this town... until it went out of business. Print advertising does not pay any more.

For technical writing, you really have to target a company that is big enough to hire technical writers, since writing is the last thing anyone wants to spend money on. You need to look for companies that are consumer-facing, since mfg companies that provide specialized products for specialized markets are often writing for an engineering audience or a technical audience.

Personally, I would not start out my career with the goal of being a "writer". Anyone can write, and anyone thinks they can write.

Try to figure out a career path where you add value (writing is not really perceived as adding value) such as conversion optimization, product management, performance marketing. Writing is just the core skillset, but is not in the job title.
posted by KokuRyu at 1:28 PM on January 3, 2013 [1 favorite]

Communications work with a provincial or municipal government? Those jobs are (by law) advertised on government job sites. (I'd usually say federal, too, and just warn about how ridiculously long they take to staff but with Deficit Reduction Action Plan happening right now, it's not very likely.)
posted by Kurichina at 2:47 PM on January 3, 2013 [1 favorite]

The Hastings Center for Bioethics is hiring recent undergrads for 2 year fellowships. I would think that a background in philosophy and journalism would make you a pretty good candidate.
posted by kestrel251 at 7:06 AM on January 4, 2013

You should also connect with your local chapter of the CPRS
posted by KokuRyu at 10:48 PM on January 4, 2013