Update: Tools to find, track and level-up job applications
Know where to look and get help networking
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Navigating the job application field can be tough, especially if you’re applying for multiple roles and trying to stand out in a crowded pool of candidates.
I’ve developed a few tools over the years for myself and others that can help make this process a little easier.
Track what you’re applying for
When I first started out, I applied to A LOT of jobs. Too many.
I wasn’t qualified for many of them, but over the years I learned a tremendous amount about the industry and became more self aware, applying to fewer roles that would better help me reach the next step in my career.
My strategy for applying has evolved, but one key tool I’ve kept is this spreadsheet. I’ve used it for every big application push (and even adapted it for things like housing hunts).
Make your own copy so you can track the positions you’re applying for, the people you’ve communicated with and the status of your applications.
Down the line, you may even revisit your sheets to find a contact that can help you (or a friend) land a job.
Know where to look
Because there’s no single repository for journalism jobs, locating the one that’s right for you can be tough, but there’s excellent resources out there if you know where to look.
That’s why I built this slide deck where I collected public-facing job boards, popular hashtags, social accounts, newsletters and rounded up dozens of employers’ pages where they list open positions so you can easily access them all in one place.
Over time you’ll come to know the boards or platforms with the roles that best fit your expertise and career interests.
Get help when you need it
If you get stuck networking or need help proofreading resumes and cover letters, there’s multiple mentor networks out there ready to help.
DigitalWomenLeaders.com hosts dozens of mentors available to help women and non-gender binary people with free 30-minute calls on all sorts of topics from creating a new position to leading innovative projects to being a new manager.
Students and early-career journalists can find help through the Media Mentors program from Adriana Lacy.
There’s also lots of Slack groups out there for journalists to request access to and network with others, including:
Gather, which describes itself as “a platform to support community-minded journalists”
News Nerdery, which describes itself as “an international meta organization to foster news nerd collaboration and knowledge sharing”
And more. Check alumni and other groups for Slack channels you can join.
😴 - Maggie
Send me your feedback and your job openings!
I’d love to hear from you with any questions, feedback or job openings you might have. Hit me up at mandy.hofmockel@gmail.com.
Awwww. I can see the doggie's tongue!
Thank you so much! I’m graduating and I have no idea sometimes how to tackle the job market; it seems so overwhelming. This made it a little less “whelming”—thank you again, sincerely.