Job help for Aggie J-grads; peek into USA Today hiring

Help for Aggies on the hunt for journalism jobs
Part of the reason there have been few posts here recently is because a chunk of my time has been spent helping new Aggie grads in their job hunts. Looks like a few of these searches are about to pay off, and it warms my heart-cockles no end to see how generously Aggie journalists give their time and help to the students and new grads.

Typically, somebody will write me with specific questions, and I'll say, "Let's ask ..." a particular person with experience in that field, and an e-mail full of detail and wisdom will come right back at us. So thank you, all of you.

Find salaries and Aggie contacts at newspapers
Another cool thing coming out of the search is my discovery yesterday of a new use for my old posts on Texas newspaper jobs. Now, job listings themselves disappear as soon as they're filled, but since I usually typed in the salary range if that info was available, this blog's archives now have a data set of salaries for some jobs, mostly at small Texas dailies.

So give it a try: Type in a town name into the "search this blog" window up there on the left, and you'll get all posts mentioning the town... this gives you posts naming the salaries, if I recorded them, and also the names of any Aggies associated with those papers who have been in the blog.

What Web skills does a great news designer need?
And since job listings do disappear, I've decided to record here what exactly USA Today is looking for in a "Senior Web Designer/ User Experience Architect." The job's open right now, but even after it closes, this is interesting for reference.

Job Snapshot

Location: TYSONS, VA 22108

Employee Type: Full-Time

Industry: Internet - ECommerce

Manages Others: Not Specified

Job Type: Media - Journalism - Newspaper

Education: 4 Year Degree

Experience: 3 to 5 years

Division: Editorial

Post Date: 6/14/2010

Contact: USA TODAY Human Resources

Ref ID: 2659

Description: USA TODAY is looking for an ambitious digital designer with the ability to rapidly prototype and execute outstanding user experiences that lead to growth in the business. This position requires the ability to communicate design principles verbally and through wire frames, comps and HTML. We’re looking for a team player able to easily move across disciplines in working with journalists, developers and business professionals. USA TODAY’s history for excellence in design demands you be among the best and brightest. You will be part of the Innovation team that is building some of the most high profile and cutting edge products in the company. Must be at home in code as well as more traditional digital design tools. Looking for fluency in (x)HTML, CSS and JavaScript (particularly jQuery).RESPONSIBILITIES:* Responsible for design and implementation of various aspects of USATODAY.com, especially the Health/Lifestyle and Travel content verticals. This includes web user interface design, news design, multimedia reporting and special events. * Demonstrates technical knowledge and skills, such as interaction design, user experience, tableless HTML and CSS, and cross-browser compatibility, and applies them to USA TODAY’s editorial and business objectives. * Helps foster an open and productive atmosphere within the Design Team. * Delivers hand-coded XHTML and CSS files to Engineering team for development. * Developing design prototypes and comprehensives for any given stage of design process. Required Skills/Experience:* Four-year degree in design or relevant experience * 3-5 years of hands-on experience in visual and interactive design * Skills in major graphic software programs: Photoshop, Illustrator, and Dreamweaver * Detailed understanding of color, space, and typography * Keen eye for detail and a proven track record producing consistent clean icons, graphics, and layouts * Strong HTML/CSS skills: The ability turn your creative vision into code is a must * Able to successfully manage all aspects of a project from start to finish * Must be self-motivated, a good communicator, comfortable following direction, and able to balance great design with meeting short deadlines * Able to produce results independently as well as collaboratively in a teamRecommended:* Well-developed portfolio of proven, client-facing work.* Understanding of SEO best practices and semantic markup.* Familiarity with next generation HTML 5 and CSS 3 technologies.* Ability to write standards-based code that validates (XHTML/CSS/508).* Excellent understanding of User Experience Design and the ability to move users through a series of tasks to achieve a particular outcome.We recognize and appreciate the benefits of diversity in the workplace. EOE.