The writing life is a proof against loneliness. It is an act of connection, first to ourselves and then to others. It is also about discovering the truth. Whether you're a reporter or a writer of fiction, you're looking for the truth when you try to set a story down on paper. 

Last week I wrote a column for Writers Week that has been hopelessly lost.  Have you ever had that happen? You write what you consider to be your truth at the moment in which you write the words, and send it off into the world, and somehow, it disappears? I know it sounds ridiculous, but I sent it off in an e-mail and over the course of the weekend I cleaned out my e-mails of "sent" items and deleted the piece from my desktop.  It's not in my recycled folder.  You never got to read it, and now I can't recreate it. Those words we write are so precious, we hate to lose them. Ahhh, the writing life . . .  

In Annie Dillard's famous book, The Writing Life is one of discovery, hard work, boredom, perfect word choices, digging deeper, never stopping, and illumination. She says, "You write it all, discovering it at the end of the line of words. The line of words is a fiber optic, flexible as wire; it illumines the path just before its fragile tip. You probe with it delicate as a worm." Writing is tedious, thoughtful, passionate, alive, and the writer is the instrument through which the world is changed. The work itself leads you after a time - you are in control, but yet you aren't. She says, "Words lead to other words and down the garden path. You adjust the paint's values and hues not to the world, not to the vision, but to the rest of the paint."   

Annie is a perfectionist. She spends half an hour on a word, hours on a paragraph, to find the word that says exactly what it is that is propelling her forward at the moment. The writing is beauty and truth. If you are a writer, you love words and meaning. Your life is focused on putting words on paper and in doing so discover meaning. I was inspired by Dillard's book to be a better writer - more in tune with God and my art and my relationship to them. Until I have the perfect life, the writing life as I imagine it to be, I'll take the small pieces of it I can find and lose myself in the writing. What is your ideal writing life and how do you get closer to it?

Claudia Taller
President

The Final Cut Pro class on Saturday, Oct. 23 is full, but if you would like to be on a waiting list in case someone drops out, please contact us at spjcleveland@me.com

The workshop will be held at Lorain County Community College from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Take advantage of the expertise and facilities there to learn a valuable skill in a single morning, for a fraction of the price you'd usually pay. Final Cut Pro is a "nonlinear editing" software that's designed to edit video.

Teaching the class will be Dennis Ryan, digital media professor at LCCC. This workshop will cost only $10 for SPJ members, $15 for nonmembers.

The class will be held in Lab PC-108 in Patsie Campana Building, located next to Advanced Technologies on the LCCC campus, at 1005 N. Abbe Road, Elyria, Ohio 44035.

The LCCC classroom is equipped with 24 MacIntosh computers, so registration is limited to that number. Participants will need to bring their own video camera and its USB cord, though it is possible we may have a couple to loan.

Want to learn skills to help you proficiently cover health care in the news? It's the last minute, but you can still sign up for to a free Health Care Journalism Workshop taught by National Library of Medicine senior staffer Rob Logan, a former science reporter, editor and journalism professor. Learn how to access and use PubMed, Medline Plus, Clinical Trials.gov and the Household Products Database; how to do focused and limited searches in medical databases and other information sources; and how to use shortcuts to get the information you need.

The workshop is tomorrow -that's Saturday, Oct. 9 - from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Cleveland Heights Public Library at 2354 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44118. Parking is free. Coffee and rolls will be provided for attendees.

Space is limited to 25 people, so sign up today! To register or ask questions, send an e-mail to event coordinator Eileen Beal.

Note: If you are a journalism student interested in health care, Beal could use a volunteer to help on the day of the event and beforehand. The volunteer will get to attend the event (which has very limited enrollment) and meet top health-care journalists as well as learning an essential skill. So it's a great opportunity. Contact Beal at the link above.

Thanks to Kelly Blazek for her dedication and commitment in seeking out most of the jobs posted below. To receive her full newsletter (we only excerpt media-related jobs) see the separate box headlined Cleveland Job Bank below.


Layout and Graphics Editor
The Lorain County Magazine seeks a part-time layout/graphics editor. Please contact, Lou Acosta at 440-670-7017.

Writer - Kent State University
Job # 991011
Note: Deadline to apply for this job is Oct. 9, tomorrow! (This has run several times; we just moved it up this time.)
Under supervision of the director, provide considerable professional and technical skill to elevate the university's brand identity through engaging, informative and results-oriented promotional copy written for various target audiences, to be used in a full range of marketing materials including but not limited to print and online ads; web sites; brochures and other printed pieces; direct mail and e-mail campaigns; newsletter and magazine articles.
Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in journalism, English, communications or other related field of study. Minimum of four years professional experience writing and editing promotional content for the web, ads, brochures, direct mail, video scripts and other shorter pieces, as well as longer newsletter and feature articles; to include two years of experience working as part of a creative project team and aligning visual messages with written content.
All applicants must submit a digital portfolio with at least five writing samples.
For a complete description of this positions and to apply online, visit the website.

Morning Talent - WQAL
Q104 Cleveland is looking for the next morning star! Rebecca Wilde of the Wilde & Fee Morning show has resigned to take a sabbatical and travel the world. Is your passion TMZ, The Bachelorette, Twitter and the VMA's? Do you have a unique perspective that you can bring to our very popular yet very dysfunctional morning show? Then you may be the next morning star at Q104! Apply online www.cbsradio.com. CBS Radio is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Preferred Skills/Experience Two years of on-air experience is preferred. 
Minimum Education Level Associate Degree or Equivalent Experience 
Additional Candidate Instructions E-mail audio sample and a 100 word review of the movie "Eat, Pray, Love" to  dave.popovich@cbsradio.com.

Entry-level position at Sun Newspapers
Sun Newspapers is looking for an entry-level reporter for Medina County and southwest Cuyahoga County.
Qualifications
Candidates must have a journalism degree or equivalent experience, a passion for community journalism and a willingness to connect with readers on the local level.
Position requires strong writing and reporting abilities for both print and online.
Photography skills are a plus.

Interested candidates should contact Executive Editor Linda Kinsey at lkinsey@sunnews.com. No phone calls, please.

Assignment Editor - WJW FOX 8
Posting Date: September 27, 2010 
WJW Fox 8 is looking for an outstanding Assignment Editor who will be responsible for the daily operation of the assignment desk in Cleveland's largest multi-media newsroom. This job requires excellent news judgment and communication skills, attention to detail, and exceptional organizational skills that will be applied to our three platforms; mobile, web and broadcast.
Responsibilities include but not limited to: research and develop news leads and stories; assign, dispatch and coordinate reporters, photographers, engineers, live crews etc. Review and monitor websites, news releases, newspapers and stories from various media outlets; monitors scanner traffic from emergency service agencies; discuss the development and progress of stories with producers, web and managers. Use social media as a means to find and solicit story ideas in addition to posting stories/updates etc. 
Minimum Knowledge, Skill &/or Abilities: Strong typing skills and the ability to learn the newsroom computer system as well as station website. A proficiency in English grammar, spelling and punctuation . The ability to communicate clearly and be able to deal effectively and politely with the public in person and over the telephone. Work well under pressure and meet deadlines. Must keep up on local, state, national and international events. Self starter who can work individually as well as part of a team. Must be able to prioritize and anticipate coverage needs. Must have excellent sources and be resourceful. Exceptional organizational and time management skills. 
Education Requirements: College degree preferred and or three years professional broadcast experience (excluding internships). 
Interest parties can submit resume and references via email or US Mail at: 
Attn: Human Resources 
fox8.jobs@fox8.com 
WJW 
5800 S. Marginal Road 
Cleveland, OH 44103

Reporter/Associate Editor - Smart Business Network
Smart Business Network, national publishers of 19 regional business management journals for CEOs and senior executives, seeks a full- time associate editor to join the Smart Business team. 
The associate editor is responsible for overseeing multiple markets, which includes writing cover stories, features and recruiting columnists. Smart Business articles go beyond the profile, past the corporate history and dive down into how a CEO deals with a specific business issue with his or her company. You should be comfortable doing phone interviews with CEOs and writing to a CEO-centric audience. This position also requires attending some local and regional business events. 
Job requirements:
· Bachelor's degree in journalism or English required 
· Magazine experience preferred
· Proficiency with Microsoft Word and Excel required
· Experience with social media and video preferred
· Attention to details and deadlines required 
· Ability to multitask in a fast-paced environment
This full-time position is located in our Cleveland, Ohio, headquarters. A benefits package is included. 
To gain a better understanding of what Smart Business is all about, visit www.sbnonline.com. 
Please send your cover letter, resume, writing samples/clips, salary requirements and three references via e-mail to:  tshryock@sbnonline.com
or via U.S. mail to: 
Todd Shryock, Managing Editor 
Smart Business Network 
835 Sharon Drive, Suite 200 
Cleveland, OH 44145 
No phone calls please. 

Web Coordinator - Cleveland Browns
The role of the Web Coordinator is to assist in the maintenance and future successful operations of ClevelandBrowns.com to ensure a quality product for the public.
The ideal candidate for this is familiar with web standards (HTML, javascript, CSS). This candidate must also be familiar with working within a Content Management System (CMS) for posting and updating content to the website. Creating rich media application with Flash/Actionscript is a preferred skill set the candidate must possess.
DUTIES:
Support Web Manager in executing the vision and strategy for best-in-class NFL club site 
Develop rich media and custom web advertisements supporting both sponsor and internal initiatives 
Develop and maintain the club's e-newsletters, as well as marketing emails 
Stay current with developments in HTML email marketing to improve campaign strategies 
Responsible for turning designs into functional web applications 
Have working knowledge of popular and emerging social media platforms 
Develop web graphics as assigned 
Maintain quality assurance and usability testing 
Maintain online photo database 
QUALIFICATIONS/REQUIREMENTS:
Bachelor's degree or professional certification, and/or equivalent work experience 
1-3 years of professional development experience 
Expert knowledge of (X)HTML, CSS and javascript 
Proficient with Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver and InDesign) 
Above-average experience with Adobe Flash and Actionscript 
Experience with working with third-party APIs 
Excellent communication skills 
Able to work extended hours/weekends as required 
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment 
Strong understanding of graphic design process 
Team player 
Apply online here

Web Experience Director - Progressive Insurance
Requisition Number 30059
The Web Experience (WebX) Director is responsible for the web experience strategy and team direction for Progressive's customer-facing web sites, as well as Progressive's enterprise social media strategy. These sites include Progressive.com, which receives more than 50 million unique visitors per year and is regularly ranked as the top insurance website, and last year received Forrester's #1 ranking as the best overall financial services website.
Primary responsibilities include: 
- Monetizing visitors to Progressive's web properties, (as measured by Quote Starts/Visits, cross-sell of special lines, homeowners and additional products, and online service logins/visits)
- Search engine optimization for Progressive.com
- All investor relations, public relations and human resources activities delivered via Progressive.com
- Development of multi-variate or behavioral testing strategies and user experience strategy to drive yield optimization for >80 landings pages and micro sites
- Monitoring and analysis of Internet trends
- Review of suggested code techniques for compliance with best practices, user expectations and site performance; Review of site activity data (web analytics) and experience optimization; Hiring, managing and development of interface designers,flash designers, web developers, writers and information architects
- Coordination of web activities with Marketing, On-line Service, Acquisition and other groups
- The WebX Manager also manages the Commercial Auto (ProgressiveCommercial.com) and ProgressiveAgent.com web development teams
Specific responsibilities are:
User Experience (UX) Strategy
Develop the user experience strategy for Progressive.com and associated sites/landing pages. This includes the development of UX requirements, creation of Information Architecture documentation, direction of team members, and review of all work in progress. Provide UX strategy recommendations for other corporate groups including HR, IR, PR and PCA.
Experience Optimization
Review data for existing web site experiences and provide recommendations for improvements/remediation. Develop strategies for the creation of new experiences to address issues.
Merchandising
Work closely with Progressive's eMarketing, Brand, Product Management and Acquisition Experience teams to retail Progressive's products and services on progressive.com and associated landing pages. Provide web strategy recommendations for A/B, multi-variate or behavioral testing, on-line marketing and web promotions and effectively measure/optimize efforts to increase business results from Progressive's websites.
Search Engine Optimization
Create the requirements for all organic SEO activities. Supervise all SEO reporting and optimization activities to drive improved rankings and SEO traffic.
Thought Leadership/Web 2.0 Strategy
Monitor developing internet trends, make recommendations, look for integration opportunities for content, partners and technology.
Creative/Content Review
Provide strategic direction and ongoing review of all user interfaces and interface elements such as copy, graphics, video, audio.
Web Analytics
Create requirements for the collection and analysis of web data for Progressive.com. Review ongoing data for site performance, content usage, yield, site search use, retailing campaign performance and landing page performance.
Social Media
Develop strategies and tactics to use social media to further Progressive's business vision and goals. Maintain Progressive's presences in key social media sites and work with key stakeholders throughout Progressive to promote the use of social media to drive business activities.
Usability 
Review interfaces for usability issues - makes experience recommendations. 
Qualifications:
- 8-10 years of Internet experience required preferably managing a team responsible for a high traffic website with transactional capabilities.
- Active knowledge of and experience with search engine optimization programs.
- Experience implementing new technologies or business models
- Knowledge of corporate social media
- Team management experience preferred
Apply online here

Technical Writer - eGovernment Tech Support - Federal Reserve Bank
The eGovernment Department is seeking a Technical Writer to coordinate the development and dissemination of technical content for a variety of users. Develop documentation for computer programs and set up communications systems with consumers to assess customer satisfaction and quality control matters. Write and edit operating procedures, training guides, system and planning documentation. Maintain standard templates for documents delivered for each application. Keep track of documents that have been or will be produced. 
Essential Accountabilities: 
Apply end-user knowledge of the product, conduct usability studies to improve product design. 
Write or edit operating, technical, and end-user related procedures and guides. 
Organize all materials and maintain master library of all documents. 
Route and track documents through the review and approval process. 
Recommend layout, format and organization of documents. 
Consult subject matter with experts. 
Validate documentation through software testing. 
Perform other duties as assigned or requested. 
Adhere to Bank\'s attendance policies through regular and prompt attendance. 
Job Specifications: 
Bachelor\'s degree 
4 + years of related work experience 
Knowledge of complex and diversified procedures, practices, and policies 
Knowledge of complex procedures and practices of a specific function 
Ability to perform involved, independent research and creative work 
Knowledge of procedures and services of related areas (such as accounting or purchasing) 
Specialized, technical skills 
Thorough understanding of a scientific discipline (for example, economics, management, computer science) 
Additional Information: 
Proficiency with Microsoft Office software products, particularly Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Visio. 
Proficiency with screencasting software (e.g. Adobe Captivate, Camtasia Studio etc.) 
Proficiency with HTML/XHTML and CSS, including Adobe Dreamweaver or similar web development software package. 
Basic proficiency with Adobe Photoshop or similar graphics editing package. 
Familiarity with XML and database concepts desirable. 
Familiarity with conducting Webinars. 
Contact Information:
Name: Britney Huffman
E-mail: bhuffman@clev.frb.org
Posted on 09.29.2010

Promotions Coordinator/Receptionist - Clear Channel, Akron
Assist the Promotions Director in organizing, planning, implementing and analyzing all station promotions, station events, community activities and personal appearances. Regular clerical duties to maintain the promotions department (promotion calendars, taking minutes, database entry, recaps). Attention to detail is imperative with this position.
Receptionist Job Description: 1. Pleasantly answer multiple phone lines 2. Greet clients/staff with decorum, poise and an inviting demeanor. 3. Be professional with good service skills. 4. Be a team worker accepting new tasks when asked. 5. Working knowledge of MS Office Products and Outlook. 6. Must be good at multi-tasking. 7. Previous experience in an office environment preferred 
Job Requirements: Prospective candidate must be able to accommodate a varied and flexible schedule, which may include nights and weekend hours. Prospective candidate must have a valid driver's license and a clean driving record. 
Apply online here

Manager of Media Technology, Applied Industrial Technologies
Seeking a candidate for the role of Manager Media Technology who can provide leadership for enterprise learning and communication systems. The ideal candidate will possess:
Creative digital production skills
The ability to grasp innovative technologies and apply them to communication and learning application
Technical and creative savvy to manage a team of digital media content specialists
Communication skills to work with production team, internal departments, and vendors
Requirements
Management Responsibilities
The manager will supervise a team of 3 associates and is responsible for meeting project timelines and budget. Responsibilities include:
Lead project manager for interactive and web productions
Keep projects on track using defined methodology and processes
Clearly communicate project issues and resolution
Ability to manage several large simultaneous projects
Take an active, hands-on role in working with team members
Excellent communication skills with team members, customers, and manager
Coach team members to success
Creative Vision
The ideal candidate will possess creative vision for interpreting scripts and recommending appropriate technologies for project completion, including:
Produce design specifications, storyboards, scenarios, user interface, and prototypes
Utilizes in-house production resources including photography and video studio, audio, and web design
Connects directly with outside production and programming resources, as needed
Technical Competencies
Technically savvy on new web technologies and social media
Manage flow and organization of production assets
Web development technology skills (Flash, HTML, XML, Javascript, CSS, SCORM)
Work with IT to improve functionality and load content on LMS and CMS systems
Prepare systems for utilization reports (training records, SEO)
Understanding basics of server systems
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor's degree required.
2+ years interactive/web producer experience
Web design and tools including: Adobe CS4/CS5, Microsoft Office 2007/2010
Desirable Skills
Photography and image management
Knowledge of MS SharePoint
Some ASP.NET experience (on C# .NET applications)
Mac Platform experience including Final Cut, Sound Edit, DVD
SQL experience
Mobile Technology experience
Apply online here.

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(Be sure to scroll down on the application form and sign up for the Cleveland Pro Chapter, as well as the national SPJ)

Looking for an ambitious college student who desires to work in a positive and creative environment. Applicants should possess a passion for editing, research and grammar. This is a great opportunity for students who want to apply classroom learning in real world situations. We prefer students who were reared in one of our eight neighborhoods (Buckeye-Shaker, Central, East Cleveland, Fairfax, Glenville, Hough, Little Italy and University Circle).  However, we will consider applicants from other locations as well as those who currently reside in these areas. 

Responsibilities

Line-edit copy for publication. Check for grammar, punctuality and structure.

Write concise and creative headlines, a MUST.

Available to work late on Wednesdays, our production day.

Meet weekly deadlines.

Provide updates at weekly staff meetings.

Experience copy editing school publications. Preferable, but not required.

Strong proficiency in grammar, punctuality, sentence, story structure and headline writing.

Ability to make reasonable and fair editorial decisions.

Proficient in Associated Press style. 

Creative and personable. 

Strong work ethic.

Positive attitude, team mentality.

Compensation is $10 per hour for 10 hours per week.

 

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