Sunday 28 February 2010

Sign of the times part 3

A recent job ad, once again missing the bleedin' point by about a country mile............

We are a specialist HR publishing company with both online and paper publications. We are looking for an Editor who can do the following:

Most importantly - write features and articles, cover stories, columns, news and the leading letter. (do all the work then)

Then, in no particular order of importance! (the irrelevant exclamation mark is possibly trying to make all the next pile of mind numbingly boring menial tasks sound slightly interesting)

•manage interns & in-house reporters and generate and plan feature/column ideas across all printed products (for in-house reporters read unpaid workies, we like to call them interns cos it makes them sound like they have a fucking clue)

•flat-plan editorial in all publications research background information for articles and fact-check (so back to writing stories again)

•search the internet and other medium for new ideas for features/articles/news etc (steal shit off other people, rewrite the intro and bang your byline on it. Come on, you have 50 pages of edit to fill about a subject so shit even those in the industry don't want to read it)

•sort through press releases (and bin them? or just copy and paste them on a page)

•establish and maintain contacts within the HR/recruitment industry (unlucky)

•set up meetings/interviews (with anyone in particular or just in general)

•interview (both face to face and on the telephone) (as opposed to using smoke signals or a psychic medium)

•track other publications/assess competition (there's competition!!!!!)

•ensure every word is proof-read on time and that all authors' amendments are implemented correctly (authors' amendments! So you need copy approval, oh dear)

•proof-read and edit all publications (after you have written them all I presume)

•sign off all materials and take full responsibility for corrections, mistakes etc. (fall on your sword you blaggard there's an errant apostrophe )

Your character should be - Flexible, hard working, driven and a self starter. (and barmy)

Most of all we are looking for someone who is passionate about writing and will just fit into our team. (not passionate about editing then)



Welcome to journalism 2010 you can be the boss - as long as you realise you are the boss of yourself.

No mention of any money. No mention of online skills.

Oh, and they missed off making the fucking teas.

4 comments:

  1. Milk and one please.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hahaha.

    "search the internet and other medium for new ideas for features/articles/news etc (steal shit off other people, rewrite the intro and bang your byline on it. Come on, you have 50 pages of edit to fill about a subject so shit even those in the industry don't want to read it)"

    Love it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. and dont forget the "we will only contact you if you get an interview. we will not even bother to send out a stock standard rejection letter. if we do, it will be roughly 2 months after. most likely, we will ignore any follow up emails regarding the position."

    awesome

    ReplyDelete
  4. Here's another of those 'Editor' jobs. This time it's for a Magazine Editor in London, paying £22.5K:
    Are you an experienced magazine editor or ambitious assistant editor with a passion for sport and fitness? This professional fitness magazine blends sports science, personalities and personal training with insider info from the heart of the fitness industry. This Publisher, based in London, is the world's largest association of fitness professionals, with a raft of print and online media, and we're looking for someone who can jump into the driving seat of this bi-monthly magazine and push it up a gear. You're happiest at the helm of a print title, can turn out great copy, know instinctively what works on the page and have tonnes of ideas, inspirations and contacts relevant to an established title aimed at personal trainers and trainers. Key skills: *Experience in managing copy flow for print titles *Has played a key role in developing a print title *Writing and editing copy for a range of audiences in both print and online publications across news features and research articles (b2b and/or consumer) *Demonstrable involvement and interest in the sport, leisure and fitness industry *Existing contacts across relevant industries and the confidence to expand these *Worked with designers to create high-quality page layouts and to source appropriate pictures *Impeccable editorial and proofreading skills; a good eye for detail *A flair for spotting and developing good writing in others *Able to work flexibly and under pressure to meet copy deadlines *Able to build and manage fruitful relationships with contributors and colleagues *Skilled at writing a variety of article types, ranging from news releases to full-length features *Creative with a strong fund of ideas, initiative, energy and vision If this is the role for you, an ambitious editor who is looking for a challenge then please apply.

    ReplyDelete