Company: Dolan Media/New Orleans CityBusiness
Position: REPORTERS - Don't bother reading this if you
have a cut-and-paste cover letter
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Job Status: Full-time
Salary: Not Specified
Ad Expires: August 9, 2012
Job ID: 1376679

Description:

As you can tell from the subject line, we're not going to waste our time with those of you who shotgun your resume and cover letter on a daily basis. Let's face it, many of us have jobs we want to leave, and we can smell desperation from a mile away (strangely, it's reminiscent of bacon). So take the time and write an original cover letter if you want to be considered a candidate for a job in our newsroom. Tell me specifically why you want to work with us and why we should consider you for the job.

A strong preference will be shown to those candidates with newsroom experience. If you're leaving behind an unsatisfactory career in one of the following — a) financial advisement; b) cosmetology; or c) rodeo clown — we're probably not your best choice. But if you're a rodeo clown with impeccable grooming skills who can offer sound financial advice, maybe we should talk.

For the rest of you, let's save us both time. If any of these descriptions fit or look similar to what's in your cover letter, DO NOT APPLY for this position:

• You've "always wanted to be a writer"

• Your best story came from covering a meeting

• You prefer conducting most of your interviews over the phone

• (INSERT CITY HERE) has always appealed to you as an interesting place to work and live

• You feel news releases are the best places to find story ideas

• College professors still make up the bulk of your references

• You prefer "flexible" deadlines

Are you still reading? Good. Nice to know you have a decent attention span, Zippy.