Soton Tab Editor Applications – NOW OPEN

Have you got what it takes to run one of the biggest and best student news publications in the country?

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

This is a real opportunity to connect with loads of people and boost your CV. You’ll be getting experience in writing, editing and media admin, as well as engaging with THOUSANDS of students every day, and, of course, meeting some fantastic people. Team members from previous years have even chatted about their experiences helping run the Soton Tab during job interviews and the panel lapped it up, with some getting jobs at media big names like the Guardian, the Telegraph and Men’s Health.

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. We don’t do democracy at the Soton Tab, instead we choose who gets the job based on applications and ability. We’ll announce the new team at our AGM at 6PM on Tuesday 6th of May in Lanchester Building, Lecture Room E (07/3023).

There are eleven positions to be filled, here are some brief summaries of what they entail. Have a read and then fill out the form below. The application deadline is 29th April.

Co-Editor-in-Chief

The two people in this role are the bosses – 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 every day. A fair bit of work, and a lot of responsibility – but incredibly rewarding, fantastic fun and a massive CV boost.

Advertising and Marketing Director

For this role it helps if you’re addicted to social media, especially Facebook and Twitter. Alongside the Editors-in-Chief, you’ll be helping put out all of our content to our readers. You’ll also be in charge of any publicity events throughout the year, with Freshers being the main one. It’s your job to make sure that every student is talking about the Soton Tab. You’ll also be working closely with the Finance Director to get new advertisers on the site that are relevant to our students. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never written for us before, however, a good understanding of our style and content is key.

Finance Director

The Soton Tab isn’t affiliated to SUSU and so doesn’t get any financial support. It will be your job to make sure that all of the accounts are kept in check and that the beer fund is always in tip-top shape. The site has paying advertisers and it will be your responsibility to invoice them each month and chase up any unpaid debts. There are also other costs associated with running the Soton Tab which will be your responsibility to manage. You’ll be working closely with the Advertising and Marketing Director to get new advertisers on the site, and to help plan for any publicity events as they inevitably cost money. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never written for us before, however, a good understanding of our style and content is ideal. Any financial or accounting experience is great, but by no means necessary. We will give you all the training and help you need in this role.

Website Manager

Our site has a tendency to throw a strop at times when pretty much the whole of Southampton are reading the most breaking of breaking news –  it doesn’t happen a lot, and we’ve been making a lot of progress on it this year. The Website Manager is key to making sure our readers can get the experience they expect. Whether it’s creating a new feature at the request of the editors, keeping the site online when it comes under attack or just improving the look and feel of the website, you need to be able to do it all! A good knowledge of PHP, HTML and CSS is essential and an understanding of JavaScript and WordPress is also beneficial. On top of all that you need to be accessible and eager to take on any challenges the Soton Tab may throw at you.

Graphics Director

From formatting and layout, to logos, banners and cartoons, this new position requires an art-sy mind to get the Soton Tab‘s graphics up to the same standard as our high hitting journalism.

News Editor

As news editor, you’re all about getting the scoops and publishing the scandal before anyone else. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t hack phones or bug offices but it does help having your fingers in a few campus pies. We’ve got tips and tricks from the professionals on sourcing fast, fun news relevant to students which is guaranteed to rake in the hits. The current Soton Tab team will show you the ropes and clue you up on news reporting and editing, and in no time you’ll see your articles go viral across Southampton (and often, wider)

Opinion Editor

We’ve gained a reputation for publishing opinion columns which provoke furious debates; as an independent site, this is what Soton 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 parody pieces in this section, so a keen eye for the subtleties of satire is important.

Entertainment Editor

This role requires coordinating previews and reviews of anything that entertains Southampton students. You’ll be running pieces on everything from new films, to plays and musicals, to restaurants. Being on top of the latest goings-on on the entertainment scene is a must, and bearing in mind you get free tickets to the coolest gigs in town, this role is a lot of fun.

Sports Editor

There’s so much sport going on in Southampton – as 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 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.

Get your application in now! Click here for the form.