Magazine photographer job description

This post includes 3 parts: duties list, job qualification and job description writing tips for Magazine photographer in details. A complete job description concludes Magazine photographer key duties/responsibilities, Magazine photographer job qualifications (knowledge, education, skills, abilities, experience…KSA model) and other ones such as daily tasks, key activities, key/core competencies, job functions/purpose…

I. List of Magazine photographer duties:

1. Ability to organize and clearly convey information to ensure that the best visual elements are obtained to complement and enrich other elements for publication.
2. Works collaboratively with editors, reporters and designers to choose the appropriate media platform and format to best convey the information.
3. Creates innovative and compelling ways to visually present news events, features and other stories.
4. Upholds ethical standards for visual journalism.
5. Examines work for accuracy and completeness, and makes corrections quickly.
6. Keeps up with developments in visual media and identifies and resolves problems with hardware/software or equipment in a timely fashion.
7. Art direct and manage workflow and designers in the art department
8. Concept, design and direct promotional and advertorial pages
9. Produce studio and location photo and video shoots including budgeting, selecting photographer and production crew, scouting location, styling, pre-shoot and on-set art direction, client and crew

II. List of Magazine photographer qualifications

1. Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience preferred.
2. At least two years of daily newsroom experience and a portfolio that exhibits skills in editing for print, online and multimedia.
3. Skill at visual storytelling to create a narrative and convey emotion.
4. Proficiency with relevant technology of visual journalism including hardware and software.
5. Must adhere to strict ethical rules and uphold company ethical standards.
6. Possess ability to gather and organize accurate and relevant information necessary for compete captions.
7. Proficiency in InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Keynote, QuarkXPress and Microsoft Office
8. Experience managing and mentoring other talented design professionals
9. Excited at the idea of working for an agile brand that constantly experiments with new approaches, technologies and perspectives
10. Ability to clearly communicate design concepts to colleagues and clients
11. Strong interest in fashion

III. Tips to write job description

1. Too-long job description:

Looking at a too-long job description can frighten the candidates off and drive the away. A job description, no matter how important the job is, should not be included in more than 3 pages. If one focuses on too many things at a time, he shall definitely lose focus on the main items and get overwhelmed by the remaining; So, keep it concisely.

2. Too-short job description:

While too-long can be a problem, too-short is more a problem. It will ruin the meaning of the job description. A too-short one means it lacks necessary details and therefore, the candidate will not be able to understand while reading it.

3. Listing unnecessary functions or job duties:

Just classifying these into the “others” category will save you a lot of effort and space. On the other hand, the job description will become more dilute and easy to be neglected.

4. Key functions

Not listing key functions as required for the job can be a fatal mistake to a job description.

5. Grammar and spelling

Poor grammar and having spelling errors can ruin the job description, too. Never think that as you are the employer, you may have the right to make grammar or spelling errors while requires other not to. A job description with such errors is easily to be mistaken as a fake or ghost ads; as a result, the candidate will turn away from it.

6. Not specific enough:

Be specific and concise; if you don’t address the specific, then what the job description is for. It is for the candidate to understand just exactly what he needs to do or needs to have. Lacking details can confuse the candidates very well.

7. Not having the job description reviewed by others:

This is also a common mistake. One may be subject to bias, but more than one, especially with the help of those external advisor, the job description can be more perfect.

8. Using buzzwords or abbreviations:

In fact, it is not necessary at all to use such in a job description.

9. Using slang or legal words:

Just use common wording to communicate with others and don’t do anything extraordinarily.

10. Not updating the job description:

The same job may require different duties and responsibilities in different times, so, you cannot use the same job description for 2 different times.