Running head: RIPLEYS JOB ANALYSIS

Ripleys Job Analysis

Hannah Schepler
University of Central Florida

RIPLEYS JOB ANALYSIS

The position that I am seeking for this assignment is that of Storyteller

& Online Media Associate at Ripleys Believe It or Not! at the worldwide
headquarters in Orlando.
History
Ripleys Believe It or Not! has a rich history and strong identity. Robert
Ripley started the brand in 1918 when he began to publish small cartoons in
a daily newspaper. From there, Robert Ripley took his brand to books, radio,
television, and odditoriums where he displayed the wonderful and strange
for the public. Since then, his empire has only grown and now boasts 32
Ripleys Believe It or Not! odditoriums that display Ripleys collections
worldwide. The Ripleys empire also operates 95 worldwide attritions under
dozens of brands. Today, the Ripleys brand includes, Ripleys Believe It or
Not!, Guinness World Records, and various other Ripleys attractions
including mini golf, and aquariums. Over the years, the Ripleys brand has
been able to stay relevant and has created a place for itself across many
generations. Still, Ripleys remains a leader in family entertainment and
attractions. Ripleys is growing and strives to keep up with the times as it
expands its brand online through media presence.
Responsibilities
Some of responsibilities of Storyteller and Online Media Associate are
to work closely with the marketing team to create compelling stories for a
multitude of projects. Supporting the marketing team with research, writeups on relevant stories, and other content is a large part of the job.

RIPLEYS JOB ANALYSIS

Research is a large part of the position, staying up to date with current

events, researching in the Ripleys archives for relevant stories to push to the
public, all of this in efforts to support marketing initiatives. There are editing
opportunities as well as a lot of creative content creation. Blogging and social
media experience is necessary for this position as well as proficiency in any
other outlets Ripleys can use to tell stories. The Ripleys brand is really
interested in staying up to date with current trends, new applications, and
social media, anything to get Ripleys brand into peoples hands.
Examples
Examples of the writing and content creation involved in this position
can be found online through the social media sites, Facebook, Instagram,
Sound Cloud, and Twitter, as well as on the Ripleys blog. As expressed in the
job ad and demonstrated through writing online, the regular form of
operation is to identify current events that can correlate with a story or item
in the Ripleys archive. This past Veterans Day, writers created a blog that
displayed what it was like for soldiers in World War 1 in the trenches, noting
Ripleys collection of trench art, made by soldiers. On November 9, Ripleys
writers commemorated 26 years since the Berlin Wall fell, by highlighting the
fact that Ripleys owns 32 pieces of the wall.
Work Environment
On the site there was no mention of pay, however, according to
Indeed.com, the average salary for a person in the position of Storyteller &
Online Media Associate in Orlando is anywhere between $20,000 - $40,000.
The Orlando headquarters appears to be located in a business park off of

RIPLEYS JOB ANALYSIS

Sand Lake Rd. near the Florida Turnpike. Ripleys is a large company, and
seems to maintain a professional atmosphere, even amongst the oddities in
the work place. However, due to the nature of the company and their
purpose, it would seem that the formalities are few within the office
structure.

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5
References

Company Overview - Ripley Entertainment Inc. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.ripleyentertainment.com/about/
Storyteller Online Media Associate Salary in Orlando, FL. (n.d.). Retrieved
from http://www.indeed.com/salary/q-Storyteller-Online-Media-Associate-lOrlando,-

FL.html

RIPLEYS JOB ANALYSIS

Hannah Schepler
2209 Spring Lake Circle
Saint Cloud, FL 34771
November 17, 2015

Dear Ripleys Hiring Manager(s):

I am writing to apply for the Storyteller & Online Media Associate position that is listed
on the Ripleys website. I am currently a student enrolled at the University of Central
Florida as an English Literature, and Writing & Rhetoric major. I will graduate with both
degrees in Fall 2016.

I have been a storyteller for as long as I can remember. As a child, I wrote constantly
and it has quite grown into a passion. I would love to tell the stories that are hidden in
the Ripleys archives and bring them to the forefront. There is such a rich, and unusual
history to be represented and I would love to be a part of telling the story of the weird
and wonderful that Ripleys has to offer. I believe that I have skill and knowledge
required to fill this position.

Through my studies, I have learned and developed skills as a writer, and editor. I am a
diverse writer, and can write in many styles for blogs, social media posts, and articles,
as well as match the brand voice at Ripleys. I am very organized and detail oriented. I
work well in team settings as well as individually, I have been a part of several group
projects in my studies and have learned both to collaborate and lead the creative
process. I am self-motivated and can work with deadlines. I believe that I have the
research abilities that will help me in fulfilling the responsibilities of the Storyteller &
Online Media Associate position. I am familiar and well versed in many social media
platforms, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and am excited to develop marketing
strategies, and other uses for emerging social media platforms.

Attached, you will find my resume with further information about my education and work
experience.

I am local and will make myself available at your convenience to schedule an interview.
Thank you for your consideration.

RIPLEYS JOB ANALYSIS

Sincerely,

Hannah Schepler

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8
Hannah Schepler
2209 Spring Lake Circle
Saint Cloud, FL 34771

HMaye4@gmail.com
407-350-0686
______________________________________________________________________
EDUCATION
Valencia College
Associate of Arts
Graduated: May 2013

University of Central Florida (UCF)

English, and Writing & Rhetoric
Expected to graduate Fall 2016

Deans List Valencia College

Fall semester 2012
Spring semester 2013
Presidents List Valencia College
Fall semester 2011
Spring semester 2012
________________________________
WORK EXPERIENCE
Florida Safe and Lock
Administrative Assistant
August 2013 present
Process invoices using QuickBooks
Receive and record payments
Prepare deposits
Support field techs and office
workers

Deans List UCF

Fall semester 2013
Spring semester 2014
Fall semester 2014
Spring semester 2015

Chris Lyle Aquatic Center

Pool Attendant
August 2014 present
Cashier
Provide customer service
Information desk
Certified in CPR and first aid

________________________________
RELAVENT COURSE WORK
Professional Editing

Professional Writing

Research Writing & Literacy

Theory & Practice of Creative Writing

________________________________
RELAVENT SKILLS
Gained experience in working in groups
Learned fundamentals of technical writing
A working knowledge of MS Office
________________________________
CIVIC ENGAGMENT
Nonprofit writing
Brochures
Press releases

Writing for Technical Professionals

Writing, Literacy, & Technology

Adult Literacy League

Tutor 2015

RIPLEYS JOB ANALYSIS

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
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Job ad as it appeared on Ripleys job posting website:

10/16/2015
Storyteller & Online Media Associate
Orlando, FL
Ripley Entertainment Inc. (www.ripleys.com) For over 90 years
Ripley Entertainment Inc. has entertain victors around the world,
with over 90 exciting attritions in 10 countries, along with bestselling books, a globally syndicated live action television series,
and the longest continuously published newspaper comic in
history. Cartoonist and adventurer Robert Ripley started it all in
1918 when he began drawing his daily feature. Do you think in
tweets, use #hashtags in ever day conversations, and check
Snapchat before getting out of bed in the morning? Have you
Periscoped your friends or explained Periscope to your friends?
Ripley Entertainment Inc. is seeking a talented Storyteller &
Online Media Associate to work closely with our online marketing
team to tell compelling copy across a wide variety of projects.
The idea candidate has a deep passion for storytelling, blogging,
social innovation, a desire to reach emerging online audiences,
and experience with visual storytelling and social video, Must be
hardworking and deeply familiar with all the weird, wonderful
stuff the world has to offer.
Please submit writing samples alone with your resume.
What Youll do:
Specific physical responsibilities include, but are not limited to
the following tasks:
Research Ripley archive for repurposing possibilities in line with
trending news stories
Stay up to date on news and whats trending for real-time
marketing responses.
Write and develop blogs, video scripts, web copy, and other
content to support marketing initiatives.
Manage and monitor the quality of Ripley content to be
distributed to the public.
Act as assistant editor of incoming content from other
departments or partners for messaging and Ripleys standards.
Create award-winning social content that touches all of Ripleys
Marketing.

Create compelling blog headers and know how to resize,

reformat, and repurpose graphics for different platforms.
Adhere to, and help shape, the Ripleys brand voice and tone
across various social media channels.
Assist email marketing specialist with email marketing campaign
effors, including writing, testing, and reporting
Required Skills:
A proven track record of running social for a leading brand
Extensive knowledge of emerging, and mainstream, social
channels: Facebook, Twitter, Periscope, YouTube, Instagram, Vine,
Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat, Tumblr, and more.
Experience with WordPress, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and
InDesign.
Superior organizational skills and attention to detail.
Ability to own and project manage a number of cross-team
creative initiatives.
Initiate taker who can work independently within a fast=paced,
changing environment.
Ability to think creatively, and change course if necessary, to
achieve desired results.
Analytical thinker who can grasp complez ideas and
communicate them simply and effectively.
Ability to exercise good judgment on appropriate/effective
content to reach target audiences.
Desired Skills
Bachelors Degree or higher in Journalism, Marketing,
Communications, or related field.
2-4 years of professional copywriting experience for print, web,
and digital.
A solid portfolio proving a variety of work.
Basic graphic design skills.
Familiarity wit SEO & SEM best practices
Experience with MailChimp or comparable platform.
Excellent written and oral communication skills.
Self-motivated, resourceful, and capable of working with minimal
supervision.