Soton Tab Editor Applications: NOW OPEN

Sadly, it’s almost time for our current editorial team to clear their desks into black plastic bags and go off into the wide world. Personally, I’m going to go and drive tractors for a few months then sign on (Geography employment prospects, don’t ask). Anyway, for you guys this is a good thing because a) All the big egos are leaving and b) You could potentially run the show!

Have you got what it takes to run the University of Southampton’s biggest and best news site?

We’re looking for committed, literate and FUN people to take over the reins. We’ll have a transition period during the summer term so we can explain all the tech stuff to you and double check that you aren’t planning to turn our beloved site into a politically correct wet dream.

In all seriousness, we have absolutely SMASHED it this term (thanks to all our writers) and the foundations are in place for the site to keep on growing, so this is a real opportunity to connect with loads of people and boost your CV. Some of last year’s team have even chatted about their experiences running The Tab during job interviews and the panel lapped it up. I can’t stress how much fun it is as well, being involved has stopped the third year workload from driving me insane.

You DON’T need to have written for us before to apply, but you DO need to be familiar with the style of the site and have some ideas about where you want to see it going in the future.

There are nine positions to be filled, here are some brief summaries of what they entail. Have a read and then fill out the form below:

Editor-in-chief

The boss – you’re in charge of the whole thing. To publish or not to publish? The decisions you make on a regular basis are seen by the thousands of people who read The Soton Tab. A fair bit of work, but incredibly rewarding, fantastic fun and a massive CV boost.

Advertising and Marketing Director

It’s your job to get The Tab out there and get the money coming in! We’ve got a huge readership but obviously there is potential for further growth, and getting freshers on board as writers and viewers in the first term of next year is paramount. In terms of advertisements, this will involve negotiating with local businesses – as we’re fully independent anyone can advertise with us and you can spend the money on whatever you like (helllo Sobar!). If you’re a business minded social media buff this position is ideal for you as it’s all about spreading the word and contacting promoters.

Site Manager

With the amount of traffic the site gets daily we need someone behind the scenes making sure everything runs smoothly. We’ve also got some exciting new features (top secret) on their way which will need to be monitored, and there’s a lot of scope for creating your own plugins to bolt onto the site. If you’re someone that’s mucked around with WordPress sites before but fancies taking it to the next level this is the perfect opportunity to do so.

News Editor

All about grabbing scoops and doing detective work to uncover scandals and gossip! This year we’ve had stories picked up by the national media, including the BBC. Articles generally present the facts in a sensationalised and easy-reading manner (known in the trade as the ‘LOB technique‘). If you’re good at coming up with Daily Mail-style headlines and have fingers in all the campus pies, this position is for you.

Opinion Editor

We’ve gained a reputation for publishing opinion columns which provoke furious debates; as an independent site this is what The Tab is all about. Your job is to find angry people, get them to write articles for us and then edit pieces just enough so that we don’t get sued. We also run a lot of piss-take pieces in this section, so a keen eye for the subleties of satire is important.

Entertainment Editor

Gossip, reviews and interviews – are you Portswood’s Perez Hilton? We’re currently looking into organising press passes for local venues so this section has a lot of potential for expansion in the next few months.

Sports Editor

There’s so much sport going on in Southampton – as a sports editor you’ll be covering the latest results from the biggest games. This position is ideally suited for people who are involved in the AU as well, our readers love reading about the ‘banter’ of sports teams from the comfort of their own homes.

Lifestyle Editor

Our new section. Our readers love reading witty articles about those uni staples – work, sex and nightlife. Your job is to come up with a fresh spin on these old themes; finding a balance between informative and LOL-inducing is crucial.

Degree Break Editor

Your role is to feed Hartley Library with a regular dose of distracting crap in the form of stupid and ridiculous stuff dredged up from the internet. It’s also a great section for publishing silly pieces about campus life, and well executed original content often goes viral in Portswood and Highfield.