Jalopticons swell in rank

Our good friends over at Jalopnik have recently expanded their virtual office to include a couple new cubicles for bloggers Eric Tingwall and Laura Burstein. Laura joins the team as an established blogger and car nut having written for CNET.com and Forbes Auto. Ray Wert, who she'll likely surpass as the best dressed blogger of the bunch, found her on Facebook.com. Ray trolling Facebook for new recruits is a little creepy, but you can't argue with the results.

Eric's path to Jalopnik, meanwhile, is the kind of rags to blogging story we love. He's a student at Michigan State University majoring in Mechanical Engineering and Journalism who won a writing contest sponsored by Inside Line, the prize for which was a trip to the Frankfurt Motor Show. That's where he met the Jalopnik crew, and Ray ultimately wined and dined him with a Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks. Earlier this year he was just a schlub with a dream, now he's an underpaid and overworked blogger. Dreams can come true, people.

You may be surprised (or not) to learn that most bloggers on the Autoblog team are not professional journalists, either. We like it that way, because the passion of an enthusiast usually stays lit far longer than that of a veteran journalist. We're always looking for more bloggers to join the Autobot, errr... Autoblog team, so if you've got passion, know the difference between 'its' and 'it's', and have a sharp wit to match those good looks, follow the jump to learn how to submit yourself for consideration.

A good candidate must exhibit:

• A demonstrated passion for autos
• Prolific knowledge of the auto industry
  
• Ability to write with wit, concision and authority
• Consistent schedule
• Self motivation

We also require that you:

• Possess a fast computer (laptops are best) and fast internet connection
• Own a decent digital camera and know how to use it
  
• Have the software and knowledge to create and manipulate photos
• Are available to blog on an almost daily basis
• Keep a valid drivers license
  

Here's how to submit. Send submissions for consideration to abresearch at gmail dot com. Your email should have no attachments except for a resume (if you want) and include the following information inside the email.

• A subject line with your full name
• Your full contact information including physical address, email, daytime/evening phone numbers, IM user IDs
• Brief bio of yourself telling us why you're the right blogger for the job
• Three sample posts written in the Autoblog style
• A list of cars you currently own
• Three suggestions on how to improve Autoblog
  
• Your nomination for 2007 best auto of the year and why

We'll only consider complete applications that come with no more than a resume attached to the email. Due to the large volume of submissions, we unfortunately cannot respond to each and every one. If you've made the cut past the first round, we'll contact you and go from there. If you've submitted before, we hope you submit again, as we appreciate each and every person who considers joining our team.

Secret Tip: Operating and maintaining your own car blog is a big plus.