Help Wanted

Who wants to make some magazines with me? Plus there’s other fun stuff to do, like work on websites, support other departments and, yes, play with cars.

No, don’t worry: I’m not leaving. However, I do know enough history and biology to realize that I won’t live forever. I’m not the Highlander, haven’t found the fountain of youth and, although I grew up on a steady diet of “Barney Miller” episodes, am not related to Abe Vigoda.

No one here in the editorial department is leaving, either. We have a great crew, and it’s a treat to work with them.

But reality says that at some point I need to delegate more off my plate–so I can, you know, take some vacation time. Or go ride my bike. Or play my guitars. Or, crazy thought, do more car stuff.

So we’re looking to add another person to the editorial department. Primary duties would including writing about cars, proofing stories about cars, copy editing pieces about cars, looking up facts about cars, taking photos of cars and, in short, helping make magazines and web content about cars. If you like cars, it’s a pretty sweet deal.

Before someone asks, yes, it’s an in-house position. I want this new person fully immersed in our corporate culture. Be here and be part of our team: savor the beauty that includes the local Chinese buffet, hurricane season and Tuesday morning staff meetings.

I’m looking for someone who’s willing to commit for the long haul. As it has for several of us here, this could be a lifetime home.

Okay, some specifics for my ideal candidate:

Knows Communication: I’m not just looking for someone who can use their tongue prettier than a 20 dollar whore–and bonus points if you know where that reference comes from. I would like to find someone who can engage, entertain and educate, whether the venue is 140 characters or 3000 words.

Do you know the difference between a colon and a semi-colon? Love meeting deadlines, even if you’re tired and cranky? If yes, yes and yes, then you’re getting warmer.

Knows News: To be effective in this biz, you need to have a nose for news. Some people excel at this, and you can see it in their Twitter and Snapchat feeds. They know that it’s not about them, it’s about their audience. Put your audience first, and the rest will fall into place.

Knows Cars: As you have probably noticed, we’re all about sports cars and, I admit, that’s a fairly broad topic. Not sure what’s so special about a 1974 Camaro or a 1998 Miata? Don’t worry, we’re not going to make fun of you–but you should be well aware of the larger story of how those two model lines have evolved and shaped our scene. (Spoiler alert: The 1974 Camaro was the only year to feature the new-for-1974 sugar scoop headlights but not the wrap-around rear glass introduced a year later; as for the 1998 Miata, we’ll let you Google that one.)

And while sports cars are our thing, we don’t disrespect others genres–even low riders and stance cars. There’s no room for haters here in our world.

Knows Our Scene: What’s our favorite club, group or sanctioning body? All of them. Sound like a copout answer? It‘s not: If people are having fun at their events, then it’s a win. If you think that autocross is pointless or that LeMons is crap, well, this might not be the place for you. (Okay, true, even the people at LeMons will call their own events crap, but you know what I mean.)

Knows Us: Call this one a little advice for anyone applying for any job: Know the people seated across table. Learn something about their history. Be familiar with the products and services that they offer. Do they produce just one magazine or more than that? Do they host events? What else can be learned in, like, 5 minutes of research?

As we say here at the office, act like you give a shit. Yes, I know, it’s a swear word, but that’s the official saying. (And when it comes to four-letter words, we’ve got impressive vocabularies. Sorry, Mom.)

Knows Manners: Home training goes a long way and, to be honest, we prefer working with people who represent us well. Please and thank you can take you far in this world.

Likewise, here’s another one of those handy life lessons, and this comes courtesy of J.G.: Prop up the rest of your team, and as a group you’ll go far. And who will be supporting you? Easy, the rest of your team.

Knows How to Follow Directions: When you’re installing that new turbo system, you gotta follow directions. Before you drop me a note, head to our company employment page. You’ll find all of the application details there.

Thanks for reading, and I’m excited to see where this goes.

Watch the pages of Grassroots Motorsports for the full project car series. Subscriptions start at just $10.

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