Today’s email from the J-School’s Career Services might offer some explanation for why the Missouri School of Journalism has the lowest placement rate at the University of Missouri. The very first page in the attachment is for careers in McDonald’s.
This is all the original message said: “Careers with McDonalds http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/careers.html” There was no explanation or context given besides that.
As soon as the email went out this morning, we were inundated with emails and text messages from students at the Missouri School of Journalism about the career services email. As we’ve heard before, the J-School’s Career Services hasn’t exactly been one of our greatest assets, so many journalism students said they were disappointed but not wholly surprised.
It seems that the new director of Career Services, Barbara Willis, also got a few indignant emails from journalism students, based on the email she just sent out about the McDonald’s listing.
Here is the email in full: “Some students have chosen to take offense at the job posting for McDonalds corporation. The corporation has jobs in marketing and sales which pay quite well. There was no intention of insulting anyone. McDonalds is a good corporation to work for. The job posting was not for a McDonalds Restaurant.”
We’ll update this post as soon as we finish our delicious lunch at McDonald’s. A job here might be worth it for a sweet employee discount on a Big Mac.
UPDATE: Just as an FYI, we will be talking to Barbara Willis next week about what she plans to improve in the office of Career Services. As she mentioned during our live blog from the last Mizzou JSC meeting, she is seeking student input on how the office can better serve journalism students.
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Do I need to be the one to mention the class judgements here or can we let that go? This idea that j-school folk think they’re too good for McDonald’s jobs, even to the extent of being offended at the offer, is so presumptuous and self-aggrandizing. If they’re offended at being offered the jobs, they’re to an extent offended at being compared to those currently employed by McDonald’s. Get over it, people. Money is money in 2011, and unfortunately our shallow concepts of dignity and entitlement are blurring that simplicity.
Alex, it’s not that we’re above working at McDonald’s. It’s just that if you’ve put in four years (or more) of work (and possibly money) to do something, you expect to do better than an hourly fast-food job. And even if we don’t expect it of ourselves, our parents (who might be paying our tuition) expect it of us. We can’t write home and say we’re applying to McDonald’s. It just doesn’t work.
I didn’t see this before I posted my reply to another comment on here, but agreed!
I approved J-School Buzz as a capstone project. I defended it as “real journalism” following Colby Gergen’s recent and well-reasoned critique. So I feel free in calling out David when I think he’s engaged in cheap pageview whoring. That’s what he’s done with this “story.” It’s perfectly appropriate for JSB and its readers to question the quality of the school’s career services. Student opinions on this subject are certainly more relevant than mine. But the snide little posting above is based on what David knows is a false assumption. I didn’t receive the original email that went out to students and I don’t see it linked or re-printed here. But until David or another student shows me otherwise, I’m willing to believe Barbara Willis when she says the McDonalds listings were for marketing and sales positions. About a third of the school’s students are being trained for jobs just like those. So “pick up your spatula, it’s time to flip some burgers” is not a clever, journalistic turn of phrase. It’s not fair commentary. It’s deliberately and hurtfully misleading. David and his JSB teammates will ultimately be judged on how well they meet all the expectations of the capstone class. In several areas they’re exceeding expectations. But if this piece were being graded as an individual assignment, I’d give it an “F.”
Hey Mike, thanks for your comment. I deleted the quip about flipping burgers because I just wrote that to be funny, not contribute anything worthwhile.
About your other point, we did publish the full content of the attachment about McDonald’s Careers. From the blog post above: “This is all the original message said: ‘Careers with McDonalds http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/careers.html‘” The original email said nothing about marketing or sales. We published Barbara’s follow-up email because we thought she deserved a chance to explain why she include the McDonald’s link in her job posting.
Mike, it’s easy for you to say that it’s “not fair commentary”, you have a good job in journalism. I think it IS very fair, if tough, criticism. The J-School does an excellent job marketing itself and telling you that you’re going to get a great job if you jump through all it’s hoops. But then you find out that there is only one person working in the career services office–and sometimes not even that many.
No, Mike, the Office of Career Services is where Mizzou holds up it’s end of the bargain. Education loses a lot of its value if it’s not marketable. The Office of Career Services’ function is to help make that education that we all pay and work for into something marketable. So far, they’ve failed.
David’s calling it like it is.
Also, David’s done a lot of stuff that people question on this site.
Why did you pick this one to say that he was “engaged in cheap pageview whoring.”? Would you really throw a wet blanket on one of your own students’ work just to preserve the J-school’s reputation? Really?
I think you only said that because this actually criticizes the J-school on something that is a sore subject.
While initially I too found it amusing to receive a job posting at McDonalds, I don’t see how anyone could confuse it for a job flipping burgers, or assume such a listing reflects poorly on our school. Obviously the posting involves journalism, or why would Ms. Willis send it out? She may be new, but that doesn’t make her incompetent. With 40 percent of students studying advertising and PR, a job at a billion dollar global corporation would be a god-send. Ms. Willis has unfortunately had to step up to her position in the wake of others’ incompetencies. I am sure she realized she was walking into a mess, but students willfully being flippant? Grow up guys, and give her a break.
Hey Shaina. You’re right. We deleted the line a few minutes ago. It was a misleading joke, so I’m sorry for the confusion. Thanks for commenting.
It’s tough to tell people you work at McDonald’s as your post-graduation job, even if it is in marketing.
No, it wouldn’t. Aside from this site’s the initial scoffing at a McDonald’s burger-flipping job being completely classist and ignorant of the economic realities of Americans, getting a marketing job at arguably the most recognized restaurant in the world is not something to hide on your resume.
Sorry, but I really don’t think you have a place to speak about job placement embarrassment (“it’s tough to tell people…”) when you’re a college student still on this side of the real world. Don’t speak for others who have been employed by McDonalds in any of the available capacities, because you don’t know their realities or reasonings.
Here’s an idea, instead of just bashing Journalism Career Services, why doesn’t JSB offer a reasoned critique of how it is currently run and offer tangible ways it could be improved. How about the students who run this site send a letter to Barbara Willis with your suggestions? The fact that she is new to her job puts her in a particularly good position to effect change you so obviously desire in how CS is run.
But I would really like to see less of these witty rejoinders via Twitter on how sucky you think the system is (I think the “you” becomes especially poignant here, because this website has quickly turned into the David Teeghman show) and more options on how the system can be improved. This cynicism is malnourishing, obnoxious, and reflects poorly on the rest of us.
One step ahead of you: http://www.jschoolbuzz.com/the-missouri-school-of-journalism-needs-better-career-services/
We were planning to sit down with Barbara next week about the J-School’s Career Services before this happened, so I’m glad you think it’s a good idea too. Hopefully we can publish it before Spring Break.
Thank you, Jenn. But I’ve already read that article. What is the tangible change suggested? Having a searchable database….just like Harvard? Oh cool, I mean, I’m glad that JSB’s editors have proven their intellectual fecundity and creativity in addressing crafting a solution.
Let’s boil this down a little further, your one tangible suggestion in this article is for CS is to be just like Harvard?
I’m so happy that Ms. Berg was able to cite “an accomplished friend” in her critique of the résumé advice that Phou offered last semester. I found that helpful and relevant. I’m glad that JSB is able to attack a former member of the J-School to make a state about how much CS sucks, but that article certainly doesn’t improve the prospects for the future of CS.
The tangible change suggested is that we have one single database of information about internships and job opportunities, not a string of emails every day. Harvard is an example of a regularly updated, well-organized career services website that the Missouri School of Journalism could use to draw inspiration for its own site.
They had the right idea with the career services blog (http://mujourcareerservices.wordpress.com/) but neither it nor the Twitter lasted long. Plus since it was public there wasn’t any insider information to be gained by being a Mizzou J-School student.
These are just several ideas in a larger conversation about changing career services. We are only a few voices, and we would love to hear your opinion on how the j-school can improve it.
If you have other questions about the carer services critique, feel free to direct them to Rebecca Berg. I’m sure she would be happy to answer.
They obviously weren’t questions. I could read it for myself, and I had a problem with how the critique was presented. Is JSB’s input to this “larger conversation” really conversational or just plain caustic and obnoxious.
My critique is of THIS site, not career services. I would rather give Barbara Willis the chance to get her bearings before I tell her how the job should be done. I would rather see what ideas she brings to the table before I attack her. You can neuter your original posting as much as you want but it still doesn’t change the fact that this institution attacked a woman in a very glib way who has held her job for less than 10 business days.
My objection is purely with the way JSB is changing this discourse community negatively. Act like stakeholders in this community and not like the bitter children of systemic privilege.
The time for getting one’s bearings is over. This office has been terrible for a long time and Barbara Willis no doubt knows that coming in. People need jobs, good jobs and they want them now.
I’ve never needed Career Services to get me a job…or an internship. I got everything on my own, while still in college, and I can guarantee you that I’ll get a job in journalism after I graduate because of the quality work I produce and my membership in the Mizzou Mafia.
Career Services is a nice resource to have, but in the end, it’s the individual that needs to get the job for themselves.
I find it quite amusing that some people involved with JSB don’t even plan on pursuing journalism careers right after graduation.
http://www.simplyhired.com/a/salary/search/q-mcdonalds
Look at these salaries and then consider that the average journalism grad (assuming they’re lucky to find a job after graduation) often makes around $20-$25,000. Sometimes less. I, for one, was thankful for Mrs. Willis email.
And, Wes, as someone who is paying for every cent of his education, I know I’d be proud to say I’m working for the McDonalds Corporation in a marketing job after graduation and considering the high rate of unemployment I’d be very thankful to have a job at all.
Lastly, if a good job like this would not meet your parents expectations (meaning that they would be disappointed in you for receiving such a job) then they would have failed you as parents.
Well said.
Agree with Shaina, good points.
JSB,
Earlier today, I was on the verge of complimenting JSB for taking critiques and transforming the content of JSB over the last 5-6 posts for providing relevant, insightful and instructional posts. This post again ruins whatever clout you attempted to build. For your inevitable request for more specificity in criticisms (which mostly go unheeded or are virulently defended), here are my suggestions:
1. Talk to your sources. It’s quite clear you have no idea who Dr. Barbara Willis is, or have any idea of her thought process behind her addition of the McDonalds post. This could have been solved by a simple call, email or visit to Career Services. I talked with Dr. Willis myself about this post, and after speaking with her, it’s quite clear she made an innocent mistake, one that you took advantage of to make her the pariah of the J-School before she even has a chance to start her job. I agree with you in that the posting was incomplete, but your profligate, gossipy post not only unfairly devalues Career Services (which already has its own share of problems), but also further devalues JSB. I know JSB’s favorite line is “we only have 3 people.” To that I respond, don’t post until you do some actual work. Not every dissenting opinion is worth 800 keystrokes and clicking ‘post.’
2. Don’t post what you can’t legitimately defend. That’s what gets JSB in such hot water on a constant basis. So many posts just can’t hold their ground journalistically in a journalism capstone. Half of JSB’s discourse is apologizing for content that was rushed to publication instead of evaluated on journalistic merits. Whether you, or anyone else, like it, people do look to you as some type of source, so get it right, even if that means not getting it first.
Feel free to DM me @ericdundon, should you not find my criticisms complete.
This.
Thank you, Eric, for understanding how to respectfully and classily give criticism to a peer. As an observer of JSB from the idea’s inception, one of the saddest things to watch has been the public’s response – mostly the attitude and approach.
As a journalism school, this is something we clearly need to work on. Survival in our industry is dependent on the ability to give and receive criticism. Thus far this semester, very few have shown to possess that ability.
I feel like JSB missed the really easy, reasoned critique of Career Services: Instead of posting a useless link, why didn’t they post an actual job listing? That’s what I found most objectionable about the PDF she sent out, not the fact that it sort of hinted — sort of, but not really — at us spending a lifetime “flipping burgers.” The only way I see to start that conversation in a thoughtful way is, as @ericdundon rightly points out, to bring Willis’ voice into the conversation.
David’s personal blog’s latest post (http://tinyurl.com/4sop5h5) raises a lot of questions for me — it mentions this post got 379 page views in “just a few hours.” (He also, I think, makes a fair counter-argument to Mike’s critique that he’s engaging in “page view whoring”) — BUT overall, I think David’s missing the point here:
The reason people flocked in droves to JSB’s post on McGate — including me, initially — is because we were looking to the only source of reporting on a subject that was lighting up social media. JSB had an opportunity to advance this breaking story by offering some type of content. But what JSB readers found instead was a simple rehashing of the event that doesn’t (as David claims in his blog) make any effort to “report out” the story.
We flocked to JSB for journalism, instead we got snark. They don’t swap out well, a lesson I hope JSB has learned.
I second all this.
They haven’t learned how to separate snark from journalism because they just keep on doing it. I feel like Teeghman believes since his website is considered a “blog,” he doesn’t have to adhere to simple rules and ettiqute of journalism. When you are trying to report, DON’T PUT YOURSELF OR YOUR OPINIONS IN THE STORY! It’s really embarassing that the Mizzou J-School basically has their name tied in with this blog because it just simply isn’t journalism! Stop hiding behind the “blog” title of this website and try and do some actual reporting instead of just doing things like Photoshopping pictures of Brad Pitt on Mizzou’s campus, making graphs of your awesome traffic (people just come to this site to see what kind of new trainwreck you are creating each day, btw) and making fun of legitimate job postings.
Teeghman says that he welcomes feedback and tries to learn from it, but I still haven’t seen any significant changes in the content on this website, besides the fact that they have stopped reporting about themselves. Congrats on that awesome accomplishment!
Agreed. Every time the “website traffic” and “the numbers don’t lie” remarks come up, I want to remind Teeghman that many people are reading his posts not because they enjoy the “journalism” he produces, but rather they refresh the page to view the comments and entertaining conversation that comes out of these posts.
I don’t know what part of the word “buzz” makes you think you’re reading the typeset version of the evening news.
If you want the idealistic, unbiased, dying-breed reporting on the Missouri School of Journalism, do it yourself. This goes to you and everyone else who has beaten that critique to death.
I agree the most with Stokes’ third paragraph – JSB does have that opportunity on this story and many others. This piece could have done a better job of that, even with a dash of opinion.
But my main response to Jason, and many others, is this – JSB has changed and is continuing to change. Sadly, people’s perceptions are already set in a way that it clouds their view of what is happening.
From day one, before JSB was even a capstone, I’ve been it’s biggest critic. But I’ve also supported it, because I see the potential. This idea has grown and changed a lot since it’s inception – some for the better, some for the worse. We, as readers, have to remember it’s a process. It’s an experiment.
The feedback is great – keep it coming. But I’d love to see it occur in a more productive, respectful manner.
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