Guest post by Alex Veeneman, community coordinator and chair of SPJ Digital

In this ever changing media environment, students need to do more to stand out, from work placements and student media opportunities, writing on the side, either on a freelance basis or with online or print publications. As students try to build their brand and get their foot in the door of journalism, SPJ can help, especially through participation in our communities.

An SPJ community is a unique way to get involved with SPJ and to make it your own. Inside an SPJ community, you can get insight on how to improve your craft, or get a new perspective on how to approach a subject. You might find new ways of doing things that will bring both personal and professional benefits in the long term. This can be invaluable for students, from networking to potential leads for employment after you graduate.

SPJ benefits too. You can lend your expertise on a particular subject and help make journalism better for you and your peers in the industry. You can also get involved regardless of if you are affiliated with a chapter. Important discussions can be conducted about issues in the industry, programming can be created, and resources can be made available that will bring significant benefits to journalism as a whole.

Recently, we unveiled our student community, dedicated to tackling issues concerning student journalists and student journalism. This community brings many benefits to the SPJ’s student membership, by tackling issues important to students and helping bring different student media perspectives to help students get ready for the ever changing world of journalism.

In addition to our student community, we have a digital community, a freelance community, an international community, and Generation J will be turning into a community. All of these communities rely on enthusiastic volunteers, collaboration and ideas, and can also help play a role in getting students ready to enter the industry.

Being involved in a community is an incredible opportunity. You can let your voice be heard and also make a significant difference in the future of your SPJ, and I want to make that opportunity possible for all SPJ members, especially students.

I implore you to get involved, and help build your career with your SPJ. You won’t regret it.

Alex Veeneman, a recent university graduate, is SPJ’s Community Coordinator and interim chair of SPJ Digital. Veeneman also serves as Deputy Editor and Media Editor for Kettle Magazine (www.kettlemag.co.uk), an online publication in the UK. He is based in Chicago.

To get involved with the communities, you can email (alex.veeneman01@gmail.com) or tweet Alex (@alex_veeneman) for more information.

Now in full swing since the summer, our SPJ Digital and Freelance Communities are ready to hold elections for community officers and leaders. Here’s how the elections will work:

1. Nominations for community leaders are open Dec. 1 – 31, 2014. Nominees must be SPJ members and members of the Freelance or Digital Community to be considered, but you can join at any time. To join SPJ, click here. To join the Freelance Community, click here. To join the Digital Community, click here. {Note: To join the communities, you need to be logged into your SPJ account.}

2. Nominations are free form, so be creative with your nomination. Tell us why you are passionate about SPJ and your favorite community. Show us your personality and tell us why you are the perfect fit for a leadership role. To nominate yourself for the Freelance Community, click here. To nominate yourself for the Digital Community, click here.

3. Each nominations page has a list of the open positions and the responsibilities that go along with them. If you have questions about the Freelance positions, contact Michael Fitzgerald, acting chair. If you have questions about the Digital positions, contact Alex Veeneman, acting chair.

4. Complete the required fields on the nominations form, upload any supporting files (e.g., videos, photos, documents) and click Upload Files.

5. After Dec. 31, we will confirm the membership status of the nominees and open the voting process by Jan. 7, 2015.

6. Members of each community will receive a voting link and will have two weeks to vote. Only community members are eligible to vote.

7. Results will be announced the week of Jan. 19.

8. Elected officers/leaders will begin their terms Feb. 1 and the term will extend through Sept. 20, the last day of EIJ15.

9. Future terms will be one year, and election cycles will run from convention to convention.

If you have any questions about this process, please contact me or our new community coordinator Alex Veeneman. If you have questions about your membership status in SPJ or the communities, contact Linda Hall.

These community roles are important to the success of the communities, and we need enthusiastic, proactive volunteers to lead the charge. If you are interested in nominating yourself or another SPJ member for a leadership role in one of our SPJ communities, submit your nomination by Dec. 31. Thank you!