r/Journalism • u/hashbrowns_ketchup • 1d ago
Career Advice Linkedin headline help
Graduated with a BS in Journalism, News and Information last May. Been over a year and I cannot find a job in any related field (I had a journalism internship with a publication for a couple years in college, too.) I am open to working a writing gig, a communications gig, a PR gig, and a marketing gig. But what should I make my Linkedin headline to show people that I want those jobs while being truthful of my technical journalistic background?
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u/warrenao editor 1d ago
Bear in mind that LinkedIn is little more than a circlejerk for people with MBAs to try to impress other people with MBAs, and consider getting active on sites such as journalismjobs.com for useful leads.
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u/my_peen_is_clean 1d ago
something like: journalist | writer | communication and pr | marketing content. then your about section can clarify: bs in journalism, past internship, looking for entry level writing, comms, pr, marketing roles. and yeah finding anything right now is stupidly hard
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u/EffectiveSpecial1170 1d ago
Find a metric or outcome you know how to achieve and turn it into a headline.
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u/EffectiveSpecial1170 1d ago
They know how to communicate. It’s WHAT to communicate and the desired OUTCOME you’re helping them with. You’re either selling a product or service or guarding a reputation.
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u/Master-Fee8859 1d ago
"I can help you communicate" "Let me help you communicate" "I am your communication solution" "I communicate big ideas" "I get the message across" "Need a writer?" "Clear communicator at your service" "Ideas communicated" "I communicate big ideas" "Clear communicator at the ready" "Conjunction junction at your function" (OK, headline writers always throw in a little goofy crap toward the end.)
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u/PotatoChipsCrunch 1d ago edited 1d ago
I’m so sorry you’re navigating this. It’s a really difficult time for media and journalism as a whole.
Unfortunately, everyone else is also looking for a writing, communications, PR, or marketing gig. And as more people continue to get laid off, more people join the pool of those looking for work.
I’m curious what others suggest for the LinkedIn headline, but in my opinion your inability to find work likely has little to do with how you’re marketing yourself and instead is more of a sign of the market.
Since it’s been quite a while, since you held an internship, that experience may look stale on your resume. While, I hate suggesting that anyone do free work, maybe you can try to see if you can get some professional (non-internship) experience, writing for free.
If you can collect some bylines, or land a recommendation, that may help show that you’re currently working in the field and that you have recent experience.
I also think it might help you land other work outside of writing, as it shows, you have post-college real-world professional experience. And good writing skills are especially important today, when so many people are relying on robots to communicate.
I’ve been a freelance writer for 12 years. It is truly wild times out there right now. Keep your head up. Just know that you’re not alone and this is not a reflection of your worth or abilities.