A 'real' day in the life of an investigative researcher...

So, I feel like all I have been talking about is passing along advice about internships, cover letters, and resumes. It's time to talk about what it is I do.

Investigative Researcher...

That title explains it all...I research different elements for stories that we are working on. I make phone calls, set up interviews, and make sure things run smoothly.

Part of my responsibility is fielding incoming calls from viewers and determining which ones would make good story ideas. --When we have interns, I don't have to answer the phones as much :)

I work with the creative elements to a story as well; sometimes I have to do pre-tape or create the chyrons (supers) for a story.

Last Thursday...

Lu Ann asked me to set up a story for her out in NY where a police department uses these guns called "pistolcams," guns with a video and audio recorder attached to the barrel.

Another reporter from our affiliate statin in NY had previously done a story on these guns so I was able to search for this story in our archives and find a lot of the information I needed. --We have this source called Oasis where we can search for stories our affiliate stations have done and watch the packages.

Our affiliate station reported which police department in NY had these pistolcams...This made my research a lot easier...All I had to do was search for the police department on google.com, get their phone number, and call them up. Simple, right?...Not so much.

The first time I spoke with someone from the police department, they told me they knew nothing about these guns and that they had no involvement with the story that was previously done...Okay, I was confused by this.

The reporters script from WNBC in NY said that this police department wanted to bring these guns into their workforce. So, since the police department was being shady...I called the reporter myself; she gave me the contact numbers I needed.

I called the people she refered me to and set everything up!

Sometimes, it's a b*tch...

People hate talking to the media! Not all people, some people try to use the media as a way to shine light on themselves.

The minute I tell someone I'm calling from NBC10, I hear silence on the other end of the line. Many corporations have their own Public Relations department or Media department to deal with people like me...Well, you know what I think about that?...The "big dawgs" of these companie don't know what to say themselves so they hire "professionals" to make something up for them.

That might be a bit harsh but sometimes us journalists are treated as if we're monsters, it's like we carry this negative connotation with us....We can't be calling for a good reason, especially not from the Investigators Unit.

Digital Content Producer...

I produce the web content for the Investigators web page...Check us out: Investigators

Since it's only my first month at this job, I haven't been able to change the layout of our web page yet. I think the layout we have right now sucks! People can't find a damn thing on our site and I don't blame them. It's all bunched together.

What I would like to do is make more sections and spread things out. I've been talking to the webmaster of nbc10.com about ordering a new layout so hopefully that will be happening soon.

But for now, I come up with all the creative elements that go along with the stories we are doing and put them on the web. We might put up extended video or a slideshow or a feedback question...Or, maybe we'll put them all up at once!

Working with the web has taught me a lot. And, it's really cool to look on nbc10.com, click on the Investigators and see my own work posted.

The almighty resume...

We all know how important a well structured, strong resume is...I mean, that's what we basically work our butts off in school for.

...We join our school TV or radio station...We become Admissions Ambassadors, giving tours to prospective students, tutors, or mentors...We apply for different honor societies and even join clubs related to our majors...All because we want to put those experiences on our resume...All because we want to look more desirable to employers...(If you're not doing these things, you should start!)...

One thing I've learned is that leadership skills are one of the most important things employers look for in a potential hire.

Prospective Investigative Interns...

My supervisor, Producer Ed Dress, is in charge of interviewing all potential interns and making all the hiring decisions. Now that I work beside him, I also must help make decisions regarding who would be best for our department. Just so you know, it is a HUGE turnoff when an interviewee is TOO enthusiastic...We had one girl practically begging us to hire her for the internship. Needless to say, she wasn't hired.

Let your resume sell yourself. Ed will ask questions based off of the different experiences he sees down on paper. Then, he will ask you how you might handle certain situations that might occur in the office. Now don't get me wrong, be enthusiastic...And, smile! But, don't overdue it. Fakeness is easy to pick-up on.

The length of an interview varies, that's why a strong resume will help the hiree remember you. Your interview may only last for 15 minutes. Especially since the journalism industry is unpredictable and journalists are always on deadline.

A journalist might think the day is going really slow. Then, all of a sudden, they're paged and being sent down to City Hall to chase after Andy Reid's sons...That's the way it is...

So anyway, even if your resume lasts 15 minutes...You can be remembered! A strong resume helps the hiree, in the investigators case Ed, remember your face. It's has that, "Oh yeah, I liked him/her," effect.

Resume Tips...

• Revise, revise, revise! Just like your cover letter, you don't want any misspellings or typos!

• Your resume should be short and to the point. I've always been told to keep my resume to 1 page. Being a young, undergraduate student it's not necessary to have more then 1 page. If you are an older adult, with more experience you may need more than 1 page. (That's what the lady in my Career and Academic Planning Center told me at Rowan...I followed her advice and I seem to be doing well).

• Like your cover letter, structure your resume so that it suits the position you are applying for. Your objective section, the discripter sentence that tells the employer what your goal is and why you'd be good at it, should be changed with every position you apply for so that it relates to that position.

• Include your part time job even if it doesn't relate to the journalism position you're applying for. It shows employers that you've had previous work experience. (Some people may tell you not to include these little part time jobs in your resume...I included my part time serving position at Famous Dave's in mine.)

• Use neutral color paper, normal margins (1inch on the top/bottom and 1.25inch on the sides), and allow some space between each section. Your resume should be easy on the eyes...The easier to read, the better.

• Don't write in first person using "I."

• Be consistent in your bolding, capitalization, bulleting, and italicizing.

• In order to save space, don't include jobs that you've had 10 or 15 years back.

Sample resumes...

JobStar Central is a great place to find sample resumes, not just cover letters. They offer tips as well.

Also, check out RemXfinancial.com. Liz Gangi, an alumni in my sorority at Rowan, Alpha Epsilon Phi, is a staffing manager at RemX and came to our Alumni Career Day last year. She gave us a whole packet with resume and interviewing tips.

Fisher, Holly. (April 2006). Strong cover letter, resume keys to getting noticed. Quill. 94, 45.

Gangi, Liz. (2007). Resume tips. RemX financial staffing. www.remxfinancial.com

The almighty "Cover Letter..."

I say "almighty" because most college students are afraid of writing their first cover letter, I was! But, don't be. Trust me, I know a cover letter is one of the most important things in standing out among all the other job seekers in the professional world, but be confident.

A cover letter is like a little introduction to your resume; it shows employers what they can expect. Therefore, you want to dig deep and pull out those great writing skills you have...Impress them, but don't try to overdue it, I'm sure they can sense exaggeration and "fakeness." Also, let the employer know what your goals are, short and long term. And, most of all, demonstrate a level of professionalism.

Things to keep in mind...

• Revise, revise, revise! You might need to read over your cover letter 50x before you can finally stock it into those envelopes and send it off. You don't want any typos or misspellings, that shows employers you're lazy and unprofessional.
  

My little rant...
When the Investigators receive emails from viewers who are asking for help, for the Investigators to "investigate" their situation...I expect a certain level of professionalism in their written pleas. I realize that these emails are not cover letters or resumes, but if you are sending an important message asking for help, you have to establish an initial feeling of credibility. And, when it looks like it took you 5 seconds to type the email, I'm kind of turned off. I feel like I shouldn't have to try and figure out what you're trying to tell me, if our help was important to you, you would sit down and take time to get the message across.

• 2. Adress your cover letter to the specific person you are sending it to. Make sure the name and title are spelled correctly!
  
  
• 3. Don't make your cover letter long....Like I said, it is a little introduction to your resume. You don't need to repeat things you have listed in your resume. Focus your cover letter so that it shows the employer why you would be a good fit for the position.
  
  
• 4. Every cover letter you send should not be the same. For every position you apply, customize what you write and what you focus on to suit that position. For example, you might want to change some of the experiences that you have when applying for a position as floor manager from when you are applying for a position in promotion.
  
  

My cover letter...

Here is the cover letter I used when I applied for the position of Investigative Researcher.

(Home address goes here)
August 31, 2007

Melissa Moroney
NBC10
10 Monument Rd.
Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004
Attention: Job # 620607

My strong social skills, along with diverse leadership experiences, make me a valuable candidate for the Investigative Researcher position. My leadership experience has prospered throughout my college years as I am currently Vice President of Recruitment for Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority as well as a leader in various chair positions. I worked as an Admissions Ambassador my junior year in which I conducted campus tours and completed various secretarial jobs in the Admissions office. I serve as a member on Rowan University’s Greek Judicial Board and hold an executive board position in Lambda Pi Eta communication’s honor society.

As a former intern at NBC10 in the investigative unit, I have had the opportunity to work under Emmy award winning investigative journalists and producers. Some of my responsibilities included identifying key stories for air, viewer correspondence, uploading video on the web, and working in the iNews program.

As a member of the Rowan Television Network, I have also gained experience in the many behind the scenes and technical aspects of television. I have had experience as Production Assistant, Floor Manager, Technical Director, Talent, Character Generator, and Director for a one time talk show.

My resume is enclosed for your evaluation. I hope you will consider me in high hopes of the Investigative Researcher position. Thank you for your time and feel free to contact me any time at (phone number) or (email address).

Sincerely,


(sign your name here after you pring your cover letter out)


Jaclyn R. Morlock


One last thing...

I'll try to find the different cover letters I wrote when applying to different places for an internship this past summer in order to show you how I tailored them to suit the internship I wanted.

Meanwhile...

Here is a link to JobStar Central where you can see examples of other people's cover letters as well as additional information on writing your cover letter.

Fisher, Holly. (April 2006). Strong cover letter, resume keys to getting noticed. Quill. 94, 45.