How to send out a resume/portfolio that works?

[Pherdinand]

never applied for such a work but from my experience in other fields, i'd say taylor everything as much as possible to make it fit with the selected magazine/institute/whatever. Especially your work.
OTOH, i don't think there is need for printable large photos. You should add to the cover letter maybe that you can send these on request. They will not print shots of every applicant just for the sake of selecting first-round applicants, i think.

Wish you all the best.

 

[bmattock]

Your name, address, phone number, e-mail (plus a few samples of your work) & your age.

I agree with all you have said except the age bit. I'd recommend leaving that off. Age discrimination lawsuits abound, so I ignore resumes that list age - if I interview one that lists their age and later don't hire them, they could always say it was because of their age. I know it sounds dumb, but one has to avoid even the appearence of discrimination in all things these days.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[sf]

Thanks for all the input, people. I appreciate it. I have, upon consideration of this advice, changed my strategy and will print up a few tailored applications. Just a quickie resume/cover letter, 4 or 5 pics on smallish cards (4x5 maybe), and some samples of my writing work.

Starting with some wedding studios might be best for my style, then some newspapers/magazines. I'll send paper kits to these people and follow up with phone calls - see if I can't come in for personal contact.

 

[bob cole]

more on the subject:

I notice you're in Washington State...There are plenty of good markets there but the really big market is New York City...If you can spring for a few hundred dollars -- and want to make the effort -- take a trip to New York and find a cheap room in New Jersey , only 10 miles or so away, for as long as you can afford to do it...Then you can take a bus to New York City every day, with your pre-prepared info in hand...Subways are fairly cheap and food can be cheap...

It will be very time consuming and you may not land a permanent job but you may get assignments...If you go, watch your camera equipment very, very carefully...

Two other points: you might want to include a photo of yourself in your package and you might also want to mention which camera (s) you use...


Another thing: some news people like to say something like, "Don't tell me about your labor pains, just show me the baby..." I hated it when they told me that but that's the mindset you have to know about....regards, bob

 

[bmattock]

Two other points: you might want to include a photo of yourself in your package and you might also want to mention which camera (s) you use...

Bob, I hate to disagree, but in my line of work, if I get a photo of the applicant, I disregard the resume immediately. Again, it's a discrimination thing. Photos reveal approximate age, sex, race - all no-no's when it comes to discrimination. If you 'know' that about a person and choose not to hire them, they can claim discrimination based on those things. If you have a standard policy - "If I get a photo, I toss that resume out" then you're as safe as it gets these days.

If you think about it - what does a photo of yourself do for you? What if you're fat, ugly, old(er)? And if you're hoping to impress based on NOT being old, ugly, or fat, how uncool is that? Do they care what you look like, or what kind of job you can do? Does your self-photo communicate your competence?

I don't mean this as an attack - just one guy's opinion. I don't hire anyone, but I do help recruit, analyze resumes, recommend and help interview them.

Just some 2 cents here and there. I may be up to a buck and change now.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[Uncle Bill]

Shutterflower,

Good luck with the job hunt. I am in a similar situation as I am looking for that first Public Relations/Communications gig. I am doing largely the same thing with one difference as I have an online portfolio of writing samles. It will be tough slog but you will make it there. I would go to New York if you want to make it in magazine photography.


Bill

 

[bob cole]

ok, forget the age and forget the photo of yourself...no point in asking for trouble... regards, bob

 

[bob cole]

Shutterflower,

Good luck with the job hunt. I am in a similar situation as I am looking for that first Public Relations/Communications gig. I am doing largely the same thing with one difference as I have an online portfolio of writing samles. It will be tough slog but you will make it there. I would go to New York if you want to make it in magazine photography.


Bill

________________________________________________________________
Uncle Bill, assuming you may not know, there at two major categories of Pr people -- those who write pr stuff and those who place pr stuff...The writer does well but not as well as the ones who can get stuff into print and may not be able to write their way out of a paper bag...

All it takes is a bunch of contacts. For example, if you're working for, say, Exxon-Mobil, you have to be able to get whatever Exxon-Mobil is peddling into the hands of someone who will use it...whether it's Exxon-Mobil's take on why gasoline prices are rising or the marriage of an Exxon-Mobil executive's daughter. Regards, bob