Perks of the job – as you recruit new staffers, let them know it’s about more than a yearbook
It’s not all about the work. Sometimes it’s about pizza, friendship and a college resume boost. They are real advantages to being in yearbook. As you think about staff members for next year, share the surprising benefits with recruits.
It might still be winter, but it’s never too early to think about recruiting. With counselors taking fall schedule requests soon, it’s important to reach out to potential staffers. As staffers talk to future writers, photographers and designers, entice them with the really cool perks.
See the big picture – Joining the yearbook staff provides an all-encompassing view of school life. Staffers meet new students, witness unique classroom activities, and see behind the scenes of clubs, games and events—aspects of school life not every student observes.
Learn life skills – Deadlines sound stressful, but they have benefits too. Staffers learn valuable life skills like time management, prioritization, problem-solving, team building and conflict resolution.
Improve communication & writing skills – Conducting interviews improves interpersonal skills and confidence. Writing and editing stories enhances skills learned in English class. And research shows journalism students have higher grade-point averages and ACT test scores than their peers. (Newspaper Association of America Foundation, 2008).
Have fun with a second family – In addition to production work, there’s a lot of fun along the way. Staffs play music, eat together and host holiday-related events. Yearbook is a place to make new friends and discover your yearbook family.
Be creative – Staffers let creative juices flow as they move from the blank page to the finished book. They develop Photoshop skills; understand design principles; brainstorm theme ideas and concept development; and learn typography and hierarchy.
Have an all-access pass – When standing on the sidelines for the big game or covering assemblies, pep rallies, music or drama performances, photographers have a front row seat to history in the making.
Eat. A lot. – From workdays to holiday parties, yearbook staffers love to eat, especially pizza.
Build your resume – Colleges appreciate an applicant with a diverse resume and yearbook shows school and community involvement. Being an editor-in-chief or section editor is even more impressive.
Travel – Attending summer workshops also has benefits: facilitating staff bonding, experiencing college campuses, and getting a head start on the next year’s book.
Win awards – Staffers can win kudos for photos, stories and design and be part of a local, state or a nationally recognized staff.
Produce a tangible result – In other classes, students receive their homework, tests and projects back and they get stuffed in a folder and eventually, thrown in the trash. But with yearbook, all of the work is captured forever in a book with staffers’ stories, photos, designs and bylines. There’s a tangible product students can hold, look at and keep forever.
Be part of history – As the only permanent record of the year, the yearbook offers staffers a unique opportunity to preserve history. If it’s not covered in the yearbook, will it be remembered? By preserving the memories with words and pictures, staffers have cemented their place in history.
Grab our recruiting freebies
We’ve created a perks flyer to help with recruiting and posters to cater to different staffers with different skills. The full-size posters can be ordered StudioBalfour or by contacting your Balfour representative. You can download editable PDF flyers of the posters here. (BONUS: Newspaper & Journalism versions also available in PDF form.)
Another perk? We’ve created a 24-page recruitment guide to help with your staff needs. It includes ideas on finding potential students, job descriptions, applications and recommendation forms.
