I was looking at a couple of recent job postings at our newspapers and it occurs to me that the baseline skill set has quietly shifted. Students and veterans alike should take notice:
Be prepared to work in multiple media, simultaneously. We're digital-first, but we still print.
Be prepared to blog and interact with the public. As a writer, this means you need to develop a distinct voice, and know when and how to use it. Not everybody gets a blog at first, but you should want one -- and know why you want one.
Be prepared to shoot video and still images with a smartphone. In our case, we expect you to come equipped and we provide a subsidy. Extra points if you can help coach your co-workers.
Be prepared to use social networking to further your job goals. This includes listening, engaging and promoting your work.
Be prepared to gather data for databases. You don't have to be a programmer. Know how to use simple tools like Caspio to put data sets online and make them searchable. Know how to get access to data, including how to use state freedom-of-information laws.
A year or so ago I went to a recruiting fair at a university, hoping to find a smart, technologically oriented journalism student who could join our team as an entry-level software developer and site builder. What I got instead was a parade of earnest young would-be magazine writers. I suppose some of them are employed somewhere, but the future demands a different kind of journalism graduate than we might have needed in the 1970s.
Comments
evolving skill sets
Baseline skills
It's over for the "average" worker
Don't cast stones, Mike
Casting Stones and Dancing on Graves