Getting a job is so much harder than actually having one. Not because you have to continually subject yourself to inevitable rejections or because you're going head-to-head with about 20 other (laid-off and prolly overqualified) people, but because there's so much freaking prep involved. With the average company there's cleaning up your online profile (Rum and Coke? Tweet. Delete. Tweet. Delete.), researching the company (You have to wear WHAT to work at Outback?!?), and think of interesting, informed things to say at an actual interview (I'm pro health care. Like, do you offer insurance or whatever?).
But applying for a journalism job is so much worse. First there's the actual e-mail package -- Which of my stories fit this particular publication and position? Do I go all casual in my e-mail (the new cover letter) or do they want a hard ass? Should my resume be chronological? By subject? Divided into staff positions and freelance?
Then there's priming yourself for the job. Applying for this City Editor position, for instance, requires that I read AT LEAST the last three issues of the publication, have a general understanding of the city's political make-up (Strong mayor? Community break down? Advisory councils?). And then I should probably be able to speak intelligently on a handful of the biggest issues currently percolating and have an idea or two of how they should be covered in the next few weeks. Pitching a wholly new story isn't a bad idea either.
All of this should be done IMMEDIATELY before they hire a recent grad that will accept way less money. Sigh. All this shit just stresses me out. And stress just makes me want to crawl under the covers and watch all those Netflix piling up on top of my TV.
Think I'm over-thinking this? Just a little?
Good thing I requested info on a back-up plan last night...
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