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News Work for bit-tech, bit-gamer and Custom PC

Discussion in 'Article Discussion' started by CardJoe, 22 Feb 2011.

  1. CardJoe

    CardJoe Freelance Journalist

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  2. Publ!c Enemy

    Publ!c Enemy or Richard for short

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    Would've loved to do something like this, but, well honestly i'm not so organised - that's what college tutors say - and age may be a problem. Never mind :(
     
  3. bulldogjeff

    bulldogjeff The modding head is firmly back on.

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    I'll take the job, see you all bright and early on Monday morning, you can close the thread now Joe:D:D:D

    I've just had a thought, I may be a bit old to fit the junior bit of the job description.:sigh:
     
  4. knuck

    knuck Hate your face

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    Launch a French version of bit-tech and count me in !
     
  5. Jasio

    Jasio Made in Canada

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    You guys obviously need somebody in Canada to do... you know... Canadian things. Test maple syrup, eat waffles, and stress test the latest igloos...
     
  6. Bloody_Pete

    Bloody_Pete Technophile

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    Urg!!1 The decisions.. work for bit-tech or do robotics degree...?
     
    Pete J likes this.
  7. Kaiwan

    Kaiwan Shinigami

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    This is a great chance for some young gun!
     
  8. Sexton

    Sexton Minimodder

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    What's the pay like?
     
  9. Deders

    Deders Modder

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    Does it have to be a review, or could it be an article about an aspect of PC hardware?
     
  10. Dogbert666

    Dogbert666 *Fewer Lover of bit-tech Administrator

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    Good opportunity! Good luck to everyone applying.
     
  11. Lizard

    Lizard @ Scan R&D

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    I'd rather not say in public as it depends on the applicant, but it's an entry-level role so you won't become a millionaire. What you will become is a write for the best website and magazine for enthusiasts; getting to play with lots of amazing new gear and games before anybody else and work as part of a great team.

    Yes, it needs to be a review, as that's a large part of a staff writers job. Also, every applicant needs to do the same work, so we can fairly compare the results.
     
  12. Synalar

    Synalar What's a Dremel?

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    strange....

    I was searching for the page with the photos and names of the team behind Bit-Tech and Custom PC and I could not find anything...
    Chinese subcontractors?
     
  13. Fizzban

    Fizzban Man of Many Typos

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    Shame I am rubbish at writing really :hehe: Best of luck to whoever applys.
     
  14. DJDevon3

    DJDevon3 What's a Dremel?

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    Let's see if I got this right. You want people to write a 500 word essay (work) prior to even discussing the pay scale. Is it worth the risk of moving from far away for an entry level position that pays just enough to eat ramen noodles every night? These are things you set out prior... you know what, I'm not even going to try and explain the shortcomings of the logic in this hiring scheme. If a company uses this method to hire applicants then the company isn't worth working for because they don't put out the effort to comb through resume's and applications and instead make all of you do their work for them. Gizmodo does the same thing and it's kinda sad to see. Garbage in, garbage out. Good luck.
     
  15. Synalar

    Synalar What's a Dremel?

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    actually, the position is probably meant for a young person that lives in London and stays at his parents home.
     
  16. tristanperry

    tristanperry Minimodder

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    500 words isn't much, certainly not an essay. When I write content for any of my sites, I can easily do 600-700 words in 30-40 minutes max. Granted you'd spend more time writing 500 words for a review as part of a job application, although I doubt it'd take a prohibitively long amount of time. Plus not putting the wage range out in public straight away isn't unheard of, especially since I'm sure it'd be revealed openly once a hiring company has sifted through all the CVs etc.
     
    Last edited: 22 Feb 2011
  17. Bauul

    Bauul Sir Bongaminge

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    I'm no expert in the field, but as far as I'm aware this is a perfectly standard way of recruiting junior journalists who probably don't have a portfolio they can submit. Recruiting journalists is a very different beast to other kinds of recruitment.
     
  18. Sloth

    Sloth #yolo #swag

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    The entire point of entry-level jobs is to get experience and a foothold on a career. If all you're concerned about is money then you've already missed the point and might want to take a look at today's entry-level job market. Any pay at all for this is better than the unpaid internships some people end up with just the meet the work experience required by profitable positions.
     
  19. CardJoe

    CardJoe Freelance Journalist

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    I'm not sure I see how that logic works. This is a creative job and an entry level position which will have a lot of competition. We need some way to gauge applicants fairly to ensure we hire the best person, but still need to acknowledge that many people may have limited or no experience (it's called entry level for a reason). So, asking people to write a (very) short writing sample is neither a dastardly move nor unusual. 500 words is only about half a page and it's not something we will publish or share.

    Simply: we are looking for good writers but, because anyone can just write 'Good writer' on a CV, we need to see some evidence of writing ability.

    It's also worth pointing out that the writing sample forms a good barrier of entry to dissuade poor applicants from applying (saving everyone time). And, contrary to your insinuation that we don't comb through them, all samples are then read and discussed multiple times by multiple senior staff members. It's why it usually takes several months to find and hire the right person - because we do put the time in.

    It's how all journalists are recruited, by the way - including all the team (who you call 'Garbage') here at the moment. When I was interviewing at Future Publishing years ago I had to do a sample article, an interview, a standardised grammar and editing test and do an interview of my own. THAT was over the top, this isn't. It's a simple and logical system - CV + sample of work (any established journalist will already have a portfolio to hand), followed by interviews and a (paid) test day if it comes closely down to two or three applicants.

    http://www.bit-tech.net/about/staff
     
    Last edited: 22 Feb 2011
  20. Dogbert666

    Dogbert666 *Fewer Lover of bit-tech Administrator

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    You're missing the fact that this is a good opportunity to work for a respected publication as part of a large and well-known publishing house. There are few full time jobs in the UK in tech and games journalism too. The prospect of a stable and regular income is far more appealing and less daunting than the world of freelance. And 500 words is really not going out of your way too much...
     
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