April 25th, 2012
Guest Post: Students advised to keep SPJ membership after graduation
By Holly Edgell
Lynn Walsh is the Investigative Producer for WPTV, the NBC affiliate in West Palm Beach, Florida. She is also the Chairwoman for SPJ’s Generation J Committee. You can get in touch with Lynn on Twitter @LWalsh and Lynn.K.Walsh@gmail.com.
It’s that magical moment in the life of the budding journalist: graduation and–soon after–one’s dream job. Well, perhaps not the dream job right away. That’s part of the reason behind this guest post. While many college journalists find it worthwhile to join SPJ on campus, they often may not realize how membership can help them in the real world. Thanks to Lynn for this timely contribution!
Graduation is right around the corner for many of you. That means you probably are not thinking about anything except for jobs, jobs, jobs. Some of you may have one, others may not.
When I was graduating I fell into the still-seeking category. Unless what you were talking about had to do with employment, I wasn’t interested. I was lucky and did find a part-time job and then a full-time position pretty soon after graduation. Still, looking back on my search I remember one thing that a mentor told me: be sure to join SPJ.
I was a member during my early years in college but then let the membership lapse. After hearing similar advice a few times and seeing the discounted rate for recent graduates ($37.50 a year for three years after graduation or three years for just $75) I decided to take their advice; it is definitely one of the better decisions I have made.
Why SPJ?
Well, I could start with the amazing contacts I have made or even all of the great story ideas and writing and investigating tips. I could mention help my many job searches or the recommendations written for me by SPJ members as I was trying to get back into the TV news business. I could also discuss the journalists who have become more than professional contacts over the years and have turned into mentors and friends.
I can genuinely say that SPJ has helped me obtain two of my post-college journalism positions. Events sponsored by SPJ have put me in contact with amazing training opportunities that have taught me more in 45-minute sessions than I learned in some 10-week college courses.
SPJ offers me a breath of fresh air every time I open my mailbox to find my Quill magazine filled with “Toolbox” articles. By the time I am done, it’s not much of a magazine because I have pulled almost all of the pages out to find more information about a topic and use the tools and resources mentioned.
Welcome to the real world
I have truly gotten more out of SPJ as a professional member than I did as a college member. That said, campus chapters offers a lot at the college level; maybe I probably was just not taking advantage of it at the time. Now that I am taking advantage of it, it is worth every penny.
Important tip! Once you graduate, keep SPJ posted on how to get in touch with you. You can update your SPJ profile OR email Linda Hall at headquarters: lindah@hq.spj.org
And there’s more!
- Find your nearest chapter
- Start a chapter
- Check out the SPJ Blogroll
- Join a committee
- Training
- Freelancer Resources
- Generation J
Tags: employment, graduation, jobs, mentor, SPJ, training
April 26th, 2012 at 10:19 am
Lynn,
Great post! Just felt like I should weigh in as one of those postgrad SPJ-lovers.
For four years, I poured much of my college life into leading my campus chapter and to connecting on a regional and national level. I always thought SPJ was going to be something consistent in my life, that wherever this calling took me, I would always have an SPJ family to go to. That is true if you live in places like NY and DC, but I don’t. There is no active pro chapter in my area of the country so, as much as I believe in and love this organization, it’s hard to stay connected and involved. Young journalists like me need that covering and mentorship of a pro chapter more than ever in our careers, but may not feel ready (or have the local connections) to start and lead a chapter right out of college yet.
This isn’t to point fingers or be critical in anyway, but rather is a call to older journalists who may be considering starting a chapter in your area. Please do it. Even if it’s not going to win “chapter of the year,” even if there are no big name speakers or fancy programs, we post-grad “Gen-J” journalists just want to learn from you, spend time with you and get to know you. We are looking for someone to tell us how to make it for the long-haul and invest in us.
Lest this sound selfish, know that we are willing to give right back… we just don’t have it in us to lead again so soon after leaving everything we knew and loved in college, including our own campus chapters that we poured so much of ourselves into as officers. Maybe our passion can remind you, older journalists, about why you got into this. Maybe our ambitions can give you hope for the future. Maybe we can all learn from each other and grow together.
But for many postgrads like me, that won’t happen without pro chapters to connect with in our new cities. SPJ has so much to offer, but national conventions can only do so much. Even many regional conventions (like mine) are primarily about and for students. We love students (after all, we too needed that training a year ago and wouldn’t be where we are without it) but there is a hole for us where the “how to get a job” training no longer applies but we don’t have the experience or knowledge enough to make the transition to teach others.
Yes, post grads need to stay in SPJ, but without pro chapters, the benefits are much harder to see, even for those attached, involved, passionate, Code of Ethics poster-child, former campus SPJ officers like me. We love SPJ and want to stay, we just need local relationships to keep us connected, to feel like we really “belong” to something worth investing our time and money in. Local pro chapters: the next generation needs you.
Jenna
April 26th, 2012 at 3:10 pm
Jenna,
Thanks for writing and I understand the frustration and like you hope that more Pro chapters can be active and plan any events, even if it is just a networking event or two. Sometimes the best thing is to just talk with other journalists and that is something that can be done anywhere.
I would suggest reaching out to SPJ headquarters and starting or rejuvenating the local chapter there. You do not have to be a seasoned journalist to do that! It will take time but you could start out with small events and go from there. Send me an e-mail and I will put you in touch with some people that may be able to help: Lynn.K.Walsh@gmail.com.
Lynn
April 27th, 2012 at 6:09 am
Jenna–
Your heartfelt comment is appreciated. I would echo Lynn’s sentiments above.
(By the way, what state do you live in)?
I’ll add that I’ve found being involved in committees to be a great way to be involved with SPJ, build bridges for possible mentorship, and networking.
http://www.spj.org/committees.asp
I served on the Diversity Committee and now I’m chair of the Membership Committee, and there are many more! I am also looking to add to the Membership Committee, so I’d welcome your involvement.
Generation J offers a mentorship matching program, which could also be a great way to connect–even if your potential mentor is not in your own town. http://www.spj.org/genj.asp
SPJ also takes training on the road and partners with other organizations around the country, so that’s another great option.
Regarding the student focus of your regional conferences, this could be a great opportunity for you to get involved–by offering to plan a regional panel or other type of session that would serve professionals!
As a member of SPJ since 2002, I’ve never lived in either New York or DC–most of our members don’t–and I’ve seen my membership grow in value, even as I’ve lived in areas with no pro chapter. (This blog post taps into some of the resources we’ve added http://bit.ly/Inmgyx)
I can totally understand your feeling of being left out in the cold–journalistically speaking–and appreciate your feedback. The good news is that even where there is no pro chapter, there are ways to be involved with SPJ and reap the benefits!
Please let me know if I can help you in any way: me@hollyedgell.com
Best, Holly