Revision

What follows is a revision of my letter of professional intent.

It seems impossible that I — as a newcomer to this city and, in a way, to this profession — could know precisely how a statement like this might affect my application for a job in journalism, so I will simply tell you where I stand and what I hope for.

For six years, I have been working on my education, earning BAs in English and political science and an MA in English. Now, I’m working on my career. Put simply, I intend to be a writer, and print journalism is the profession I trust more than any other to prepare me for that.

I do not have professional journalism credentials to flash around, but I do have experience in the fundamentals of researching and reporting news, and in the craft of writing. I also believe strongly in the importance of this industry I’m trying to enter.

I side with Orwell in believing that without good writing we are incapable of good thought — that good journalism keeps high the caliber of public life, and that poor journalism erodes civilization. I’ve developed this belief throughout ten years of school, throughout study of literature, journalism, politics, history, and philosophy, and throughout countless hours of research and redrafting, copy editing and editorial deliberation. Not to mention two years running a weekly paper and a year of teaching freshmen at Boston College the fundamentals of the English language and the purpose of the written word.

All of which I would almost trade — as I stand anxiously at the border of this strange, unknown country called professional journalism — for a few clips outside of student papers. But I know all of this will serve me well, even if it might not get me a job as quickly as I want it to.

What I need is a start, a job where I can work hard and begin to learn the idiom of professional journalism that only a newsroom can teach. Researching, copy editing, reporting; strange hours, tedious tasks — I’m ready for it all.

If I strike you as a potential employee, you can reach me at iversja@gmail.com, and I would be happy to provide a resume (and clips, such as they are).

Cordially,

Andrew Ivers

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