I graduated over a year ago with a bachelor’s in Journalism. I still don’t have a job! I exhausted all my resources except one: Networking. I have absolutely NO ONE TO NETWORK WITH. One of my family members is a managing editor but she refuses to help anyone because she hates to help people in any way, shape, or form. Now, I have no friends that can help me, no family members willing to give me a chance, so what is the best way for an introvert like me to network my way to a job with absolutely no friends or connections whatsoever?
Ed2010™
Are you in NYC?
Go to networking events. Ed2010 has them, the SPJ NYC Chapter has them (my roommate & I went to one once, there were mag ppl there as well as other types of journalists), Gawker has a media party once a month. I know it’s hard as a shy person, but in this industry you really just have to put yourself out there and go up and talk to people if you want to make connections to get you that job. (Maybe a drink first will help you loosen up!)
I agree with the person who said check out your alumni. My school has a database where you can search for people by current city, major, etc. Most people are happy to help fellow alums.
Sorry to hear your family member sucks, but don’t give up hope. Best of luck!
Seriously, the internet is
Seriously, the internet is your friend! I’m still a college student but I’ve gotten a lot of help from people I’ve just cold e-mailed or Facebooked. Hey, a lot don’t respond, but a few do and that makes it worth it. :)
Have you checked the alumni
Have you checked the alumni database of your college and/or high school? If they keep records like this, a lot of times alums will be willing to speak to you or give you an informational interview. This can turn into a job later down the line, and it wouldn’t involve going behind your family member’s back. Also, check with friends. They might have parents who have acquaintances in the industry who can give you an informational interview as well. Building up smaller connections like these will really help you down the line, even if it doesn’t land you a job right away.
I hear ya
I am in the exact same boat as you. Graduated in May 07, still no job. But I think you should talk to that family member; there is no reason that she shouldn’t help you. If not, call up the publication she works on, introduce youself to any of the other editors, say you’re related to her, and ask if you can send over your resume so they can have it on file incase something comes up. Once you make yourself known to people out there, things should come around. Hey if you want to commiserate with anyone, shoot me an IM. Same screenname as my name on here. Good luck!
I completely understand
I completely understand where you are coming from… it’s tough enough to get your foot in the door when you are an extrovert! That being said, I do not recommend calling the publication and using the name of your relative. This might really backfire and even cause undue tension and a falling-out within the family. I’m not sure how you approached her in past but maybe she would be willing to sit down and just talk about the best way to start talking to other people. But really— in my humble opinion I think it’s a bad idea to just start using her name without her permission or, in this case, explicitly without her permission.
Well I just don’t
Well I just don’t understand why any relative would be so unwilling to help. Is she respected in her career? If she’s a bitch, maybe mentioning her name wouldn’t be a good idea. But she really should help out; anyone who doesn’t is undeserving of the success they find if they don’t help others with it. But that’s my opinion.
Sometimes you come across
Sometimes you come across people in this industry that are just tired of constantly being badgered for help with jobs. Without knowing anything about the poster’s merits or her family dynamic, there’s no way to know if its based on anything or if the woman is just really unhelpful. That said, definitely don’t use her name without asking her, but do ask her to sit down, go over your resume, help you with your clip book, something related to your work, and then gently broach the topic of a job with her company. Not, “Auntie Em, can I be the new editorial assistant at your magazine,” but “Auntie Em, could you possibly submit my resume to HR at your company? it’s just really hard to get them to take a look at it unless it’s walked in the door by an employee.” If she won’t even do that, don’t dwell on it, see if she’ll put you in touch with anyone anywhere else and start emailing other editors.
Working in magazines takes a lot of persistence; being an introvert isn’t going to help you very much in your professional career. Even once you have a job, you’re going to need to cold-call a lot of people, deal with PR reps, interview people, and lots of other things that require intense interaction. Work on yourself the same way you work on your resume and cover letter—you’re still you, but when it counts, you’re the best you that you can possibly be.