Advice for Star Tribune job applications from Matt DeLong
'Put the time and thought into your application, cover letter and work samples'
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A big thank you goes out to Matt DeLong, Digital Projects Editor at the Star Tribune, for his thoughtful answers to a few questions about what it’s like to work at the major metro newspaper.
What advice would you share with those who aspire to work for the Star Tribune?
Right now we’re really trying to beef up our audience team, and also instill more of an audience focus in the broader newsroom. This can take a lot of forms, but if you can demonstrate an ability to not just produce solid work but also to listen to what readers are telling you and use that to inform your work — how you pick your targets, how you choose sources, how you frame and present your work, etc. — those are skills that we value.
We’re always interested in finding people who can use data to tell stories. We have a very talented team of data journalists who are eager to collaborate.
The Star Tribune, like many news organizations, is currently undergoing a much needed reexamination of its hiring and retention practices with an authentic eye toward Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The newsroom is working to better reflect its diverse community, and wants incoming candidates to share those same DEI values.
How can candidates make their applications stand out?
First and foremost, really put the time and thought into your application, cover letter and work samples, and make a strong case for why we should want you to join our team. You’d be surprised how many applications we receive that are just resumes. If you can’t deliver a compelling pitch for yourself, your application probably isn’t going to be considered.
We do make an effort to be inclusive of people with non-traditional journalism backgrounds, but in those cases the cover letter needs to be clear about how your experiences would be a benefit and/or translate well to the newsroom. We want to get a sense of your personality, but we also expect you to be responsive to the specific elements in our job postings, so be sure your application shows us why you will be a good fit.
What is it like to work at the Star Tribune?
To be perfectly honest, our transition from a print-centric operation to a digitally focused, 21st Century newsroom hasn’t moved as quickly as many of us would like, but it is definitely improving, slowly but surely. In recent years, we’ve made a number of great hires of creative, digitally minded journalists and we have a great core to build around. We have a lot of freedom to experiment with new forms of storytelling, new tools or ideas we see working elsewhere.
The Star Tribune is very fortunate to have a discerning and highly engaged audience. The newspaper really is a valued institution in the Twin Cities and Minnesota, and people here are eager to support us and interact with us through a number of channels. If they like something, they let us know. If they don’t, they’re not shy about telling us that either. But it does make you feel like your work is important to the community. For better or worse, we’ve had the opportunity to cover some of the biggest stories in the country in recent years, right in our backyard.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Sometimes we hear from applicants who are apprehensive about moving to Minnesota because of the climate. It’s really not as bad as you think, and the culture here has developed ways to not just adapt to the cold winters, but celebrate them. When it’s pleasant here, it’s really pleasant. The cost of living is a lot lower than in many cities on the coasts, and we have equally vibrant arts, food, arts, beer and sports scenes. It’s a great place to live. If any of our jobs sound interesting, you really should apply.
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