The piles of applications have been sorted and saved, having been considered by the various editors at the Daily Cal. We could only accept so many candidates, and it certainly isn’t fun to let fellow students know that they will not be working for the Daily Cal this semester. But the development editor’s position should not be to turn people away from working for the Daily Cal or away from the field of journalism.Instead, the development editor should help students produce the best application possible.Having looked through nearly half of the 200 applications received this semester and many of the 300 applications last semester, I would like to share a few impressions on what makes a strong, memorable application.

1. Write unique cover letters. If you have done something fun or unusual, if you have experienced something different from other people, include it! It does not matter if these experiences are directly related to journalism. Doing something out of the ordinary makes you a better journalist simply because you can relate to more people and have more to draw upon in your writing.
2. Include writing samples that reflect for which department you’d like to work. If you want to write about sports, submit a writing sample that shows how you can boil down an exciting, action-packed event into the most important details. If you want to write about news, include a writing sample that shows how you can clearly explain the who, what, when, where, why of something that is happening. These samples show that you understand what the job is all about.
3. Read the Daily Cal. You can impress your interviewer with how much you already know about the organization. If you want to work for the arts and entertainment section, read it often. If you want to see more jazz concert reviews, say so, and say why you are the best person to write them.

But above all, don’t give up. I look forward to reading your applications again.

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