Five NABJ students got their registration costs paid for the 2018 convention in Detroit by yours truly.

I’ve selected five winners and I’m happy to have helped them. Those five are getting their registrations paid, but I gained something from this process as well.

Let me share a few things I’ve learned.

First, there’s a ton of need out there among student journalists of color. A small part of me wishes I had struck the lottery and had the ability to pay all 42’s registration, but I can’t. I turned away some really talented students and I have no idea if they’re coming to the convention. I certainly hope they all can make it.

Second, something needs to be done about how rough these students’ resumes are looking. I’m not talking about the lack of professional experience because that’s to be expected. I’m talking about typos and misspellings, lazy design/layout, and confusing lines on the page. I’m worried because some of these rough resumes came from graduating seniors who may or may not have already sent that document to employers. There needs to be a concentrated effort at every journalism school (not just the elite ones) to fix student resumes.

Third, it was comforting to read these applications and see a common thread from all the freshmen, sophomores, and juniors and how what they hope to accomplish at the convention differed from what a senior was looking for. The freshmen and sophomores were like “I want to network and learn more and see people with the same passions and drive that I have.” Meanwhile, the seniors were like “I want to hit the job fair floor and get interviews and hand my resume to anyone with a pulse.”

And for those who are interested, here’s a numerical look at my little project.

Forty-two (42) people applied.

Of those 42, students who want careers in broadcast journalism dominated the applicant pool. About 24 students said they want a career in television news and another four said they want to get into radio. Only three students said they wanted a career in print. There were two people each from public relations, social media, and photo/videography.

Of those 42 who applied, 26 said they have never been to a NABJ convention and the remaining 16 have. Women dominated the applicant pool, 31 to 11. Another awesome stat: 30 of the 42 applicants said they are members of local chapters.

Michigan State University students sent me the most applications with seven, followed by Grambling State University with four and the University of Maryland College Park at three. Oddly enough, even though the convention is in Detroit this year, the Midwest did not bring me the majority of my applicants. Students from the South gave me 12 applicants. Midwesterners gave me 11 and students from the Northeast gave me seven.

I’m very happy I gifted registration to the winning five students. And for those who didn’t win, I’m terribly sorry. I’m working on doing something similar for the 2019 convention in Miami, so stay tuned for that opportunity.