Experience and Education (Cover Letter)

My education from Monmouth College is unique in that it emphasized the ability to learn and think critically in all subjects, rather than just drill me into a specialty. I believe that a person wishing to convey a message in any media, be it print, pictures or film, needs to not only understand how a paragraph should flow or a photograph should be shot, but be inquisitive as to the nature of the product or program, how it functions, and how it benefits the customer. I believe the Monmouth education system has uniquely prepared me to meet these challenges.

Performing in my current role as a reporter for the Bourbonnais Herald, I work on multiple projects with hard deadlines, requiring me to remain organized and prioritize my activities. I am required to cover a multitude of topics such as government, schools, business, sports and a variety of local organizations both as one-shot and continual stories. As well as writing, I also take photographs, both still and motion for accompanying stories and promoting events. I am required to continually use current programs such as PhotoShop and Adobe InDesign to make my pictures and pages appear as appealing as possible.

Along with writing and photography, I am also in training with a local radio station to host the Saturday Morning Sports program as well as to lend my voice to on-air advertisements and other various projects. This training is familiarizing me with the various aspects of on-air media that one would not consider purely in the world of written projects. 

While I consider myself first and foremost a writer, my experience in photography with the Bourbonnais Herald as well as my internet-based personal projects give me a unique flexibility when it comes to understand various forms of media. Whether a project relies on written, video, vocal or photographic components, I have a professional understanding of the process required to get the quality material and present it in an appealing fashion.

I currently operate several online media outlets, notably a continual series of written and video reviews at geekasaurusmike.blogspot.com and a tumblr series called tall guy problems, which can be found at tallguyprobs.tumlr.com. These blogs give me places to continually practice my writing and video communication skills, and opportunities for me to experiment with advertising through social media, including Facebook, Youtube and Twitter. Working as an administrator to my own sites and social media outlets has provided me with important knowledge on how to handle potentially anonymous commenters that respond to content with malice. For example, it is important to recognize when a person is being malicious simply to illicit a response, and respond accordingly. I believe that understanding how to handle people who abuse anonymity is the most challenging aspect of any online presence, and I feel that I am qualified to handle it. The experience has also given me insight as to what kind of content will attract different demographics.