This is actually a slightly revised version of an essay I sent for an
internship last year. But, I figure it got me that job, so it should be good enough for you.
It's dry, yes, but I have to admit.....I'm too lazy to write something original.
And, although it does not mention it here, I have spent the last year in
that same job, writing and editing reviews for the Dow Jones Business Directory.
I have also created a separate professional site, called Journalism Resources, which contains
reference material for journalists as well as my resume and some writing examples.

 

I am a 23-year-old graduate of the State University of New York College at Buffalo.
I exceeded the requirements, however, in taking courses beyond the required curriculum.
I have taken classes such as Feature and Magazine Article Writing, Public Relations and
Advertising, Desktop Publishing and Minority Voices in the Media. I also completed Great
Writing and Reporting of American Journalism, Web Publishing and Rhetorical Criticism in
the coming semesters. I also have various political science courses under my belt, which has
helped me gain a greater knowledge of government and its inner functions. I hope to cover a
government beat for a large metropolitan newspaper in the future.

I had also been working for the student newspaper, The Record, for my last three
semesters. I spent two semesters working as the news editor and all three as a staff
writer. Involvement in the newspaper is completely voluntary as the communication
department is not actively involved in overseeing its production. As news editor I was
responsible for assigning stories, editing copy, developing story ideas, staffing the office,
recruiting new writers and laying out the news pages.

In my second-to-last semester, I took on a desktop publishing project. I was
hired to see the nutrition, hospitality and fashion department's newsletter through
completion. I saw this as a wonderful opportunity to broaden the scope of my skills and
increase the possibility of gaining a good job. Taking on this responsibility forced me to
abandon my editor's post at The Record because, like most students, I have to work a
part-time job in addition to carrying a full course load.

During my last semester as news editor, I also was enrolled in a writing-intensive
reporting class known as Bengal News Service. Bengal News Service is a sort of wire
service for The Record; the class is required for completion of the journalism major.
Since I was already an editor for The Record, it seemed to me to be a conflict of interest
to write news for the class, so I covered both the sports and entertainment beats. As a
staff writer, however, I have covered news almost exclusively.

My experience as both a reporter and an editor has given me a firm understanding
of how a newspaper works. Having experience in news, entertainment and sports has
shown me how important balance is to a newspaper. My experience as an editor has
given me the ability to sort through large amounts of information and determine what is
relevant to a specific community such as the Buffalo State College campus and its
surrounding area.