HOW DO I GO FROM BEING A SKI BUM TO A REPORTER?

Dear Career Doctor:

I graduated with a degree in English two years ago and have been living in Colorado supporting my skiing addiction by being a waiter. Now I want to get serious about a career. I want to become a newspaper reporter, but I don't know how to start. I applied to the local paper in Colorado and they weren't interested because they said I had no experience.

I plan to move back to Larchmont in the fall. I can live rent free with my parents, but they will not pay for graduate school. How can I get a job in the newspaper field?

S.K.

Dear S.K.:

Your chances of getting hired will be greatly enhanced if you get some clips. Clips are published pieces that show a prospective employer that you can write. Here's the best way to get clips if you have no experience: volunteer as a reporter with one of the free local papers. These papers often welcome talented, but unpublished, candidates. Why are they so welcoming? Because they don't pay.

Here's a tip: This very paper is looking for writers this summer and beyond. You can apply for an internship or other position by emailing: publisher@larchmontgazette.com. You'll be asked to submit a resume and some writing samples, published or not.

The Career Doctor