Advice from newsroom hiring managers to job hunters

Nearly 300 hiring managers and job-seekers came together for Career Day at the National Press Club on Friday, March 22. 

At a panel discussion organized by the National Press Club Journalism Institute, attendees learned what jobs are open at four organizations and what would make candidates stand out in a crowded job market. The managers also shared mistakes to avoid and provided career advice for journalists in both the early and later stages of their careers. 

Speakers included:

• Sarah Babbage, deputy news team lead, Bloomberg Industry Group
• Ben Dobson, news director, NextStar Media Group’s WDCW
• Anna Johnson, Washington bureau chief, Associated Press
• Vandana Sinha, regional editor, American City Business Journals

Here is what they shared: 

• Research the news organization, either through LinkedIn or your network, before the interview to find out if you are a good fit and to learn what the organization expects from its employees. 

• During the interview, demonstrate curiosity, enthusiasm, and the ability to ask hard questions. Have a few story ideas that you would pursue. For television, show that you are a team player “who can get along with other people. … .The industry…requires an awful lot of cooperation. So right off the bat, I am looking for social cues,” said Dobson.

• Hiring managers said the most common mistake they see is when an applicant hasn’t spent the time researching the organization. Spend time looking at the organization’s news coverage. Think about what you like and don’t like about the coverage — you might be asked about it. Be prepared to consider how you’d handle a conflict with an editor or another reporter to demonstrate how you work with others. “If you show that level of preparation, enthusiasm, ability to do research, ability to conceptualize story ideas, and a plan for executing, that's extremely impressive,” said Sarah Babbage, deputy news lead at Bloomberg Industry Group.

• Don’t opt out of applying for a job just because you may not have all the qualifications listed in the job description. Your lived experiences may make you a good candidate for a job. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anyone who checked every single bullet point on a job listing. You might bring something valuable to us that wasn’t in the job description,” said Dobson. 

For more advice and to learn about job openings, watch the replay of “What hiring managers want you to know:”