Marvin Anderson, fresh out of Columbia University with his master’s degree in journalism, recently sent me a note to say thanks for a piece of advice I once gave him.
The advice was simple and obvious: Get a passport and keep it current throughout your career.
Too many times, a story of intense local interest would break overseas and I’d see editors look frantically for someone to send. The editors wanted to send their best reporters, but always settled for the reporters who had passports.
So, sometimes the way to get a good assignment is to be that person. It can take a long time to get a new passport. The U.S. Department of State advises you to follow its expedited process if you want one sooner than 10 weeks. Plus, you have to gather material like proof of citizenship and a photo. This is not going to work for most editors.
Passport fees are expensive — (they can run up to almost $100) — but an adult’s passport is good for 10 years. The U.S. Department of State advises people to start thinking about renewing their passports nine months before they expire.
Hearing what I said, Anderson went out and got his passport — even though he had no plans to go anywhere. I’ll let him tell you what happened as a result:
“I bought that passport and for years I never used it … until recently. I finished a spring internship with ABC News (20/20) and had the awesome opportunity to travel to Haiti for the earthquake coverage! Five minutes after I heard the earthquake hit, I grabbed my passport and bought a ticket.”
That’s just what editors like. Get the passport before you need it so that you’ll have it when you do.
Coming Friday: Find out why media job postings are up.
Have a career question? E-mail Joe for an answer.
