It goes without saying that if you want a career in journalism, you have to complete at least a bachelor’s degree with a major in journalism or communications. Jobs in journalism include traditional print journalist positions, as well as positions for broadcast journalists in radio and television. There is so much competition for print and broadcast journalism jobs, though, that you also need to maintain good grades in order to give yourself a reasonable chance of obtaining an interview.
Good grades, however, are only the start. You also need experience to have a chance with most jobs. Newspapers or magazines are usually not going to expect you to have paid experience under your belt as a recent graduate. Radio and television stations will likewise not expect you to be an experienced broadcast journalist. However, unpaid work experience in the form of internships and volunteer roles with high school and college publications, radio stations, and television stations will display your commitment, give you experience, and provide you with a competitive edge.
To qualify for entry-level jobs in journalism, you will also need to have a portfolio of clippings. These are your published articles, cut out and kept in a file. Only show your best work to a prospective employer. In order to build a clippings portfolio as a busy student, you need to be on the lookout for good material and write as often as possible. Submit your work to as many print publications as you can in order to maximize the publication of your articles. You may even make some money in the process!
Do you know what sort of publication you want to work for? Have you thought about what sort of jobs in journalism you want? It is important to have a fairly clear idea of your career direction in journalism so that you can target the right jobs. Make a list of the employers you would like to work for. Read and engage with their editors’ blogs. Leave comments that link to a page about you and, preferably, an online writing portfolio.
If you don’t already have one, start your own blog. Get involved with citizen journalism and contribute to online debates (though choose them carefully). The Internet provides a host of wonderful opportunities for journalism students and beginning journalists to get their names known and forge online relationships with people who might be helpful to their careers.
Specialist online journalism job sites can be excellent sources of journalism jobs, as can job sites targeting college graduates and the larger job sites that cover all forms of employment. The latter are easy to search by category or by inputting specific search terms. You can often find job ads for journalists in the employment sections of newspapers and on the websites of the publications themselves. Your college’s career office may also have information of available entry-level jobs in journalism.
You can also contact editors directly to query about possible openings. You should most definitely contact publications you have interned for as they may well be willing to give you a chance if they were happy with your work. If you have submitted freelance articles that have been published by various publications, you should give your contacts with those publications a call to enquire about a staff position.
No matter how great your writing abilities and experience, if you have a lousy resume and poor application letter, no one will ever find out how great you are. You need to convince a busy editor that you are worth considering by getting to the point with a crisp but comprehensive resume and an application letter that responds to the essential criteria of the job. Your resume and application letters should be changed for every job you apply for. The application letter should be unique and the resume adjusted for different job specifications and work environments.
Once you obtain an interview, you still need to convince your interviewer that you are an excellent prospect for their organization. To do this, you will need to have a professional appearance and manner; a neat, impressive clippings portfolio; and know a reasonable amount about the publication you want to work for. You should also have an excellent general knowledge and awareness of current affairs, because you may be asked some pointed questions or even tested. Finally, it’s important to be able to explain why you want to work at the publication you’re applying for.
There are wonderful and exciting jobs in journalism available, but there is heavy competition for them. To land the job you want with the sort of publication or broadcast company you want to work for, you will have to lay some groundwork. If you are prepared, though, to lay the foundation through volunteer work, internships, good grades, and a professional looking resume and application letter, you will have an excellent chance of being offered a job interview. After that, it’s up to you to close the deal.
