Clips

When you apply for an internship or job, you should have work samples to show. If you’re a print student an editor will expect to see your clips—i.e., published articles. If you’re a broadcast student and have published any stories, include them when you send off your cover letter and resume. They’ll give you an edge. How do you get stuff published? Check out Freelance: Community Publications.

Include six to eight clips in your application, unless the job posting specifies otherwise. Keep them neat and simple: 8 ½-by-11 photocopies or website printouts, held together with a paper clip. Don’t put them in a fussy folder or binder. And never send your originals—you won’t get them back.

Put your best work on top, and strive to show a variety of pieces: feature, profile, spot news, analysis. Make sure each clip has the name and date of the publication where it appeared. If your article got special play—say, on the front page of a section—make a note of it or include a reduced photocopy that shows the entire front page. If you went to heroic lengths to report an article or have some other compelling back story to tell about it, attach a brief explanatory note.

Tapes

If you’re a broadcast student, you should have a resume tape ready to send out on request.

Keep it to about 10 minutes. Show your best work, and include a variety of pieces: hard news as well as lighter work. If you want to anchor, include a couple of minutes of anchors as well. If you want to show stand-ups and have three or four particularly good ones, montage them.

Consider providing a brief on-camera introduction to your tape, if you have the poise and personality to do it. Take 30 or 40 seconds to introduce yourself and outline what the reel contains ("Thanks for looking at my tape, and here’s what you’re going to see.").

Label the front of your tape to show exactly what’s on it ("Coverage of CUNY education demonstration, 1 minute 15 seconds").