Top 4 Professional Resources for College Students in Journalism and Publishing

Whether you are looking for internships or part-time or full-time work, there are plenty of resources for the young college student navigating the job market. These four professional resources will help you find career opportunities, enhance your job applications, and guide you to your perfect career. 

Journalism Jobs and a Photo of my Dog

Former Penn State student Mandy Hofmockel, a journalist specializing in local news and audience engagement, created a website called Journalism Jobs and a Photo of my Dog to post current job openings in journalism, application tips, tips for choosing media clips and, of course, pictures of her dog Maggie. 

Some of her recent publications are “Update: Tools to find, track and level-up job applications,” “6 tips for choosing clips, work examples to include in job applications” and “Here are several news outlets hiring for multiple roles right now.” 

Her articles are meant to fill the gap between what prospective journalists know about navigating the professional landscape and what they need to know to succeed. And she shares the pictures of Maggie that make her smile. 

Hofmockel launched the newsletter in January of 2018 because she sympathized with the plight of young journalists.

“I had a tough time landing my first full-time role,” Hofmockel says. “This newsletter includes the tools I wish I had when I was first starting out.”

You can subscribe for $40 a year (or $8 a month) to get full access to the newsletter and the complete archive, or use the free version of the newsletter via the website. 

JournalismJobs.com

A classic site for searching internships and career opportunities in journalism is JournalismJobs.com. 

After users make a profile highlighting themselves, educational experiences and career goals, the search tool allows them to find jobs based on location, job title or company. There are also advertised “featured jobs” at prominent publications all over the country. 

Like the aforementioned site, JournalismJobs also publishes articles sporting career advice for young journalists. It is completely free to access, and there is no subscription fee.

Some of the newer articles cover topics like “5 Alternative Jobs You Can Do With a Journalism Degree” and “Buzzwords That Could Doom Your Resume” to educate students going through the job search. 

There’s even a feature where users can sign up for job alerts under specific qualifications if there is a specific aspect of journalism you are looking to get into. Their opportunities range from traditional journalism sectors like telecom, digital journalism, magazines, newsletters and publishing to non-profit, public relations, trade publications, finance, academia and technology positions within the field. 

Bookjobs.com

For college students looking for an internship or career opportunity in literary publishing, take a hard look at bookjobs.com.

Bookjobs.com is sponsored by the Association of American Publishers and posts jobs from over 300 different publishing companies, ranging from large corporations to small businesses. 

Through bookjobs.com, students can search jobs, internships, publisher profiles, programs and organizations and post their resumes and profiles for companies to view. 

The types of publishing internships vary as well. You could be involved in children’s books, nonfiction novels, novellas or whatever aspect of publishing interests you the most. The site compiles opportunities from all over the world. 

For career opportunities, this site can suggest careers in advertising, art and design, audio, editorial, education, finance, human resources, legal, information technologies, operations, sales and subsidiary rights and permissions within the publishing industry. You can always select your desired location as well. 

The publishing industry is based on the diverse experiences and backgrounds of the people involved. If you’re interested in the world of literary publishing, in any aspect, make sure to check out bookjobs.com.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a classic way to network and connect with journalism and publishing professionals if you know how to use it correctly. 

When you set your LinkedIn profile to the “open to work” setting, the site allows the user to set their job preferences, including job titles, location preferences, start date and employment type (internships, full-time, part-time). This information is only visible to LinkedIn recruiters. 

Turn on email notifications to be notified about new and existing job postings that align with your specified job requirements. 

There are ways to optimize your LinkedIn profile beyond the traditional steps to make it more appealing to recruiters as well. Try adding writing samples and your professional resume to the LinkedIn page feature section as additional material for companies to review. 

Anytime someone offers you their contact information, take it, especially LinkedIn contacts. 

Whether you are attending a job fair, meeting with career professionals through a professional development event, or even connecting with PSU alumni, make sure to connect with the professionals and organizations you are interested in to keep in touch.

Entering the job market is intimidating, no matter how many resources you have at your disposal. But guess what? You’re never alone in the process. 

By learning about the tools and benefits of journalism and publishing specific professional resources, you can turn that uncertainty into opportunity.

You cannot wait for opportunities to fall into your lap. Take advantage of the resources that are just one click away. Every article you read, every skill you gain and every lesson you learn is fuel in fighting for the career you deserve.

• college
• journalism
• professional
• publishing
• resources