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Ask the Recruiter
Joe Grimm of the Detroit Free Press tackles journalism's toughest recruiting questions.

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Wednesday, September 19, 2007


How Stringent are Application Rules?
Q. First off, I really love the column. It usually answers my questions before I even have the chance.

ASK JOE A QUESTION

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I'm just finishing up an internship at a major metropolitan daily, and I'm getting my clip-file ready. One of my colleagues recently said that even if an application asks for six clips, it's all right to turn in four if I feel like I only have four stellar ones. He said to only turn in the best of the best.

This colleague said that including a couple average clips could water down a recruiter's image of me, but I'm not sure what to do. I have four or five clips that I'm amazingly proud of, and then a number of other ones that I think are quite good, but aren't big centerpieces. I like some of those clips, though, because they show different aspects of my writing.

Thanks,

Confused about clips

A. Six work samples is a minimal request. Meet it.

Joe Grimm
Joe Grimm
No two editors are exactly alike, so shorting them will strike them in different ways. You are close enough to having the required number, though, so I would try to meet it. Quality counts, but it also comes in many different forms: writing, reporting, hustling on deadline.

I would hate to see your application get tossed by an editor who grumps that you don't know how to follow instructions.
Coming Thursday: He is seeing signs of trouble in his newspaper and wonders if it is time to bail.


 


Posted by Joe Grimm 12:00:00 AM
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