TODAY'S SCHEDULE
SATURDAY, AUG. 23
Breakfast
9:30AM-10:45AM
Breakout Sessions
9:30AM-10:45AM
Breakout Sessions
11:00AM-12:15AM
Lunch Plenary
12:30PM-2:00PM
Breakout Sessions
2:15PM-3:30PM
Closing Session
3:45PM-5:15PM
Authors' Café
3:45PM-5:45PM
Not-So-Silent Auction
6:45PM-8:45PM
View the full schedule here
TODAY'S WEATHER
WHAT IS NLGJA?
Find out more about NLGJA at the official website.
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MENTORS
A big thanks to our mentors:Brett Zongker
The Associated Press
Caroline K. Hauser
The Washington Post
Mark S. Luckie
Entertainment Weekly
Larry M. Shaw
ABC
Dennis M. Powell
ABC
Doug Mitchell
NPR
Panel provides layoff comfort
by David Reinbold
Tom Musbach, managing editor for Yahoo! HotJobs, and three panelists had a message for those anxious, tense and uneasy about their current or future employment prospects: It's OK.
"Life After Layoff: Your Job Is History, but You're Not" gathered panelists who had felt the impact of unemployment to share their experiences and offer advice.
Joining Musbach were Robin Phillips, night home page editor of azcentral.com; Randol White, founder/managing partner of Journalism Junction and Mara Lee, freelance writer.
"This is a reality that we all have to face," Musbach said. "It's common in our industry."
About two years ago, Musbach was laid off from PlanetOut after being there for 11 years. He said he buried his emotions from the layoff for several days before having an anxiety attack while working out at the gym.
"Something that I tell people now is that when it happens, it's going to hurt," he said. "Let yourself grieve because then you can move on afterwards."
Phillips equated her layoff from BusinessWeek online, where she worked as the small business editor, to a relationship ending.
"It's very much like a breakup. I was like, 'Oh, gosh, I'll be different, I'll do better next time,'" she said. "But it's not you, and you have to get past that pretty quickly."
The panelists agreed: Layoffs aren't often about your talent.
To prepare audience members for a better financial future if they are laid off, Lee posed questions.
"How many of you are carrying credit card debt? How many of you know how much you spend every month? How many of you have enough money in cash where you can pay off your expenses in six months?" she said.
Lee said a cash cushion is a must for anybody.
"It's a waste of mental energy to try and decide, 'Am I going to be the one to get laid off?'" she said. But what should someone do when receiving a pink slip?
"If you're being laid off and receiving some sort of severance package, know that everything is negotiable," Phillips said. "It might be difficult, but get the best package possible."
Consider requesting access to office equipment to update portfolios, résumés or video clips.
"From my experience, I would advise everyone to be real clear about what their needs are," Phillips said.
The hunt for that new job might seem daunting, but the panelists pointed out ways to help spot a job and land an interview. Friends in the industry are a readily available resource that could help hunt down that next job.
"It's really important to get the word out," Phillips said. "Be in everyone's mind."
"If people don't know you're looking for a job, who is going to come to you and say, 'Hey, do you want to work for...?'" White said. "Also, never burn a bridge. At work, you never know where everyone is going to move to. They may be deciding if they're going to hire you some day."
The panelists made it clear that networking and communication are paramount and suggested networking sites like LinkedIn, Journalist Junction and Yahoo! HotJobs to aid in the search.
However, don't just rely on the Internet.
"The last three contract jobs that I've had in the last year and a half I got through networking," Lee said.
The panelists also gave notes on negotiating salary and other compensation.
"Put it off as long as possible," Lee said. "You don't want to have yourself ruled out or leave money on the table."
Lee recently started a contract job where her employer made an offer of about $25 per hour. She countered the offer and said that she made $30 per hour at her previous job.
"They came back and decided to pay me $30 per hour," she said. "I just got 20 percent more money because I didn't let them scare me."
"When you're getting a new job, it is like you're buying a used car," White said. "It's a constant struggle to get what's acceptable."
Today's employers are looking for the biggest bang for their buck. To help diversify skills in media on a budget, the panelists suggested blogging.
"All you need is a computer," Musbach said. "You can do writing, multimedia on your blog. You can be pretty resourceful and diversify your skills all on your own."
To remain competitive and desirable to future employers, Tom Musbach, managing editor of Yahoo! HotJobs, recommends his five-point RINSR cycle: Resume, Interview, Network, Salary and Research.
Resume
Update your resume frequently, perhaps once a quarter to keep your accomplishments fresh.
• Think billboard, not encyclopedia! Summarize your accomplishments, not all of your job descriptions. Leave the reader wanting more.
• Forget fancy formats - make sure your resume is easily transferable to text format (for e-mailing or uploading online).
• Tailor your resume and cover letter to the job description.
Interview
• Study the job description thoroughly. Prepare brief stories that illustrate your accomplishments and tailor them to the job description.
• Focus on the value you bring. Make sure you have an answer to the question "Why should I hire you?"
• Bring plenty of questions with you. You are also interviewing to see if this company is the right fit for you.
Network
• Tell everyone you know about your job search; your friends or associates may have suggestions for you.
• Attend professional events (like NLGJA functions!).
• Consider using social networking sites like LinkedIn or Facebook to connect with former coworkers, etc.
Salary
• Use an online salary calculator (like the one at Yahoo! HotJobs) to get a good sense of target salaries for your desired job in your area.
• Be prepared. Don't just throw out a dollar figure; you should be ready to justify the salary amount you are requesting based on the value you will bring to the firm.
• Be flexible. Salary negotiations are about more than dollars. You may find advantages with more vacation days or a flexible schedule, for example, that boost your overall compensation package.
Research
• Study the company's Web site and become very familiar with the business, products, etc. Your familiarity will help you in the application process!
• Canvas your network to see what your friends know about the employer.
• Search the news outlets for recent reports about company activity, financials, etc.
Tom Musbach, managing editor for Yahoo! HotJobs, and three panelists had a message for those anxious, tense and uneasy about their current or future employment prospects: It's OK.
"Life After Layoff: Your Job Is History, but You're Not" gathered panelists who had felt the impact of unemployment to share their experiences and offer advice.
Joining Musbach were Robin Phillips, night home page editor of azcentral.com; Randol White, founder/managing partner of Journalism Junction and Mara Lee, freelance writer.
"This is a reality that we all have to face," Musbach said. "It's common in our industry."
About two years ago, Musbach was laid off from PlanetOut after being there for 11 years. He said he buried his emotions from the layoff for several days before having an anxiety attack while working out at the gym.
"Something that I tell people now is that when it happens, it's going to hurt," he said. "Let yourself grieve because then you can move on afterwards."
Phillips equated her layoff from BusinessWeek online, where she worked as the small business editor, to a relationship ending.
"It's very much like a breakup. I was like, 'Oh, gosh, I'll be different, I'll do better next time,'" she said. "But it's not you, and you have to get past that pretty quickly."
The panelists agreed: Layoffs aren't often about your talent.
To prepare audience members for a better financial future if they are laid off, Lee posed questions.
"How many of you are carrying credit card debt? How many of you know how much you spend every month? How many of you have enough money in cash where you can pay off your expenses in six months?" she said.
Lee said a cash cushion is a must for anybody.
"It's a waste of mental energy to try and decide, 'Am I going to be the one to get laid off?'" she said. But what should someone do when receiving a pink slip?
"If you're being laid off and receiving some sort of severance package, know that everything is negotiable," Phillips said. "It might be difficult, but get the best package possible."
Consider requesting access to office equipment to update portfolios, résumés or video clips.
"From my experience, I would advise everyone to be real clear about what their needs are," Phillips said.
The hunt for that new job might seem daunting, but the panelists pointed out ways to help spot a job and land an interview. Friends in the industry are a readily available resource that could help hunt down that next job.
"It's really important to get the word out," Phillips said. "Be in everyone's mind."
"If people don't know you're looking for a job, who is going to come to you and say, 'Hey, do you want to work for...?'" White said. "Also, never burn a bridge. At work, you never know where everyone is going to move to. They may be deciding if they're going to hire you some day."
The panelists made it clear that networking and communication are paramount and suggested networking sites like LinkedIn, Journalist Junction and Yahoo! HotJobs to aid in the search.
However, don't just rely on the Internet.
"The last three contract jobs that I've had in the last year and a half I got through networking," Lee said.
The panelists also gave notes on negotiating salary and other compensation.
"Put it off as long as possible," Lee said. "You don't want to have yourself ruled out or leave money on the table."
Lee recently started a contract job where her employer made an offer of about $25 per hour. She countered the offer and said that she made $30 per hour at her previous job.
"They came back and decided to pay me $30 per hour," she said. "I just got 20 percent more money because I didn't let them scare me."
"When you're getting a new job, it is like you're buying a used car," White said. "It's a constant struggle to get what's acceptable."
Today's employers are looking for the biggest bang for their buck. To help diversify skills in media on a budget, the panelists suggested blogging.
"All you need is a computer," Musbach said. "You can do writing, multimedia on your blog. You can be pretty resourceful and diversify your skills all on your own."
TIPS FOR THAT NEXT JOB
To remain competitive and desirable to future employers, Tom Musbach, managing editor of Yahoo! HotJobs, recommends his five-point RINSR cycle: Resume, Interview, Network, Salary and Research.
Resume
Update your resume frequently, perhaps once a quarter to keep your accomplishments fresh.
• Think billboard, not encyclopedia! Summarize your accomplishments, not all of your job descriptions. Leave the reader wanting more.
• Forget fancy formats - make sure your resume is easily transferable to text format (for e-mailing or uploading online).
• Tailor your resume and cover letter to the job description.
Interview
• Study the job description thoroughly. Prepare brief stories that illustrate your accomplishments and tailor them to the job description.
• Focus on the value you bring. Make sure you have an answer to the question "Why should I hire you?"
• Bring plenty of questions with you. You are also interviewing to see if this company is the right fit for you.
Network
• Tell everyone you know about your job search; your friends or associates may have suggestions for you.
• Attend professional events (like NLGJA functions!).
• Consider using social networking sites like LinkedIn or Facebook to connect with former coworkers, etc.
Salary
• Use an online salary calculator (like the one at Yahoo! HotJobs) to get a good sense of target salaries for your desired job in your area.
• Be prepared. Don't just throw out a dollar figure; you should be ready to justify the salary amount you are requesting based on the value you will bring to the firm.
• Be flexible. Salary negotiations are about more than dollars. You may find advantages with more vacation days or a flexible schedule, for example, that boost your overall compensation package.
Research
• Study the company's Web site and become very familiar with the business, products, etc. Your familiarity will help you in the application process!
• Canvas your network to see what your friends know about the employer.
• Search the news outlets for recent reports about company activity, financials, etc.
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