Job search: Resume tips, interview strategies, and where to look

SAVE THE DATE: The third annual Career Day at the National Press Club is March 20, 2026. Details to follow.

Layoffs are a difficult reality in an industry facing economic uncertainty. As more newsrooms continue to make reductions, journalists around the country are feeling the pressure.

The National Press Club Journalism Institute is here to support you. Whether you are recently out of work, worried about your current job, or considering a new career path, here are tips to get started with your job search.

Places to look for a journalism/media or communications job now:

The National Press Club job board
Journalismjobs.com
Inside the Newsroom and MediaBistro
Virginia Press Association’s job board
Idealist.org, which posts jobs with nonprofit organizations
Journalism Jobs (And a photo of my dog), a curated jobs and industry newsletter by Mandy Hofmockel
Calling All Journalists initiative, including a monthly roundup of job openings curated by veteran journalist Rebecca Aguilar

3 tips to update your resume:

“One size does NOT fit all when it comes to resumes,” said Rhema Thompson Bland, deputy director of news talent acquisition & development at McClatchy, on LinkedIn. “Try this: Update your resume to match the job description.” (Follow Bland on LinkedIn, where she regularly posts tips for journalism job seekers.
Avoid buzzwords like “Team Player,” “People Person,” “Good Communicator,” “Hard Worker,” or “Fast Learner,” said Shannon Donnelly on JournalismJobs.com.
Check out JobHero: Media & Journalism for resume examples and templates. You can also find great advice on the Resources for Journalists website.

3 tips to nail your job interview:

Bring questions. “If you’ve done your basic research on the company, you should have at least three questions, such as: Will my role expand beyond this job description? or Will there be opportunities for me to work collaboratively?” said writer Tim Sohn on JournalismJobs.com. “Asking questions shows the employer you’re really interested and thinking long-term.”
Have anecdotes of teamwork, leadership, or mediation in hand — particularly those in challenging or high-pressured situations. It shows you collaborate and work well with a team, said Daniel McLaughlin, a podcast editor with the Manchester Evening News and the Liverpool Echo.
“When asked to share your personal strengths and weaknesses, share a strength that matches criteria listed in the job description,” said Joel Schwartzberg, professional presentation coach and author, in Harvard Business Review. “For a weakness, reimagine the word as challenge. Replace the word weakness with the word challenge in your answer.”

3 tips to manage stress in your job search:

Discover tips for fighting anxiety. “You are not alone. Do the best that you can to not silo yourself away from the journalists and from the people who can care for you out of the burnout and the stress that you may be feeling,” said Samantha Ragland, vice President, journalism programs at American Press Institute, at an Institute program on preventing burnout and stress in the newsroom.
Find your community. Check out the Society for Professional Journalists’s page “We are In This Together,” the LinkedIn page Journalists Helping Journalists,” and the Journalists Community Aid Network . The National Press Club offers numerous events and activities to connect its members.
“Journalists are often forced to divide their attention between tasks. But multitasking can decrease productivity and increase anxiety,” said Carolina Campos Ruiz Baldin, graduate student at Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, in Poynter. “[Try] mindfulness habits like starting the day with a morning intention, checking emails only at specific times, and turning off notifications.”