Journalism experience

[Rab87]

I'm really bored with work and need a change, I've always wanted to get into journalism but due to not sticking in at school I didnt follow it up.

 

I'm now 20 and feel I'd do really well in this field. I managed to get an NQ in media studies last year and since then I've been stuck in a rut about what to do.

 

Ideally I'd like to get into get into journalism through a trainee job but I understand these are hard to come by.

 

I'm just looking for some advice on how to start from the 1st rung of the ladder.

 

Cheers.

[Carl Weathers]

I'm really bored with work and need a change, I've always wanted to get into journalism but due to not sticking in at school I didnt follow it up.

 

I'm now 20 and feel I'd do really well in this field. I managed to get an NQ in media studies last year and since then I've been stuck in a rut about what to do.

 

Ideally I'd like to get into get into journalism through a trainee job but I understand these are hard to come by.

 

I'm just looking for some advice on how to start from the 1st rung of the ladder.

 

Cheers.

 

Do some work experience for a free local rag and build up a portfolio (report on Hearts games, favourite bands etc).

 

Try and do more things to show potential employers that you are the real deal.

[Darren]

It's an incredibly difficult industry to break into.

 

I managed to get a job after doing a four year degree and six months on a voluntary placement, interspersed with the odd subbing shift at the Evening News.

 

However, I did get rejected for a couple of pretty basic jobs in Edinburgh due to a perceived "lack of experience" and ended up moving down here to get a position, and not in conventional journalism either.

 

A couple of people I know got quite lucky, mainly by knowing people in the business. One guy just walked into a radio job before he even got his results back by being in the right place at the right time.

 

Main thing I'd warn you is the pay is crap and the hours are long.

[Only a Game]

I'm really bored with work and need a change, I've always wanted to get into journalism but due to not sticking in at school I didnt follow it up.

 

I'm now 20 and feel I'd do really well in this field. I managed to get an NQ in media studies last year and since then I've been stuck in a rut about what to do.

 

Ideally I'd like to get into get into journalism through a trainee job but I understand these are hard to come by.

 

I'm just looking for some advice on how to start from the 1st rung of the ladder.

 

Cheers.

 

Get a job, any job, thats industry related. You see jobs for the classified ad dept at the EEN all the time. Not a great job from what I am led to believe but it gets you in the door of the building you want to be in and thats a good start.

 

You could also try a bit of freelancing. Write articles on something you know about and something you know well. Develop a style thats maybe a bit different and more noticeable. Send the articles to any and every publication you think might be interested and keep doing it till you get published, then do it again and again and again till you get paid for it and eventually get commissioned for it.

 

Contribute articles to serious websites and magazines.

 

Ideally go and get an appropriate degree if you can. Well done on the NQ but its not going to cut it when they are looking at CV's with degrees on them.

 

Basically knock on all the doors you can see till your knuckles bleed. You'll get plenty slammed in your face mind and you'll have to be determined but persistence for a job that needs a bit of passion and a bit of dedication might well pay off.

 

How feckin hard can it be anyway. Barry Anderson manages to keep a job doing it !!!!

[Das Root]

You could get a blog set up, write yer own stuff, could get noticed who knows. Send some stuff in to the Huffington Post, may be a yank website but read by lots of folk world wide.

[blondejamtart]

Good advice in some of the posts above - but it is incredibly hard to get into. A few words of advice I'd add is:

 

it may sound basic, but make sure you can write - by that I mean write clear, concise copy and check your spelling and grammar. I'm fed up subbing copy by so-called journalism graduates who can't even string a basic sentence together.

 

If you don't already have shorthand, learn it. Some folk will tell you it's outdated in the day of micro-recorders, etc, but you can't use recording equipment everywhere (ie: courts, and they do have their limitations). Shorthand is always an advantage for any journalist.

 

Be prepared to start at the bottom - again, I've seen graduates come in and expect to be writing front pages leads and "exciting, creative stuff" all the time. Life ain't like that - you've got to be prepared to do all the bread and butter stuff too, especially if you get a job on a local paper.

 

Develop a sense of what is news and what isn't. Again, I've seen far too many folk who've completed journalism courses and still wouldn't recognise a story if it leapt up and bit them in the face.

 

Above all - don't give up. It won't be easy, and others have pointed out, the hours are long and the pay is crap. Forget any notion you may have of journalism being "glamorous" - but it's still a job I love doing (well, most of the time.....) so if you want it enough, you can make it happen. Good luck!

[The Comedian]

I haven't a clue about journalism but this site is alway's looking for writers to review band's and music, they send you tickets and cd' etc which is cool. It's voluntary but that can go In a portfolio right???

 

Anyway...

 

http://www.twistedear.com/

[Stuart Lyon]

Don't get Hacked off!

[blondejamtart]

Excellent advice, Borthers - and the Caledonian course is indeed NCTJ accredited. Glad to hear you're finding shorthand invaluable - seems to be a lot these days who think they don't need to bother with it.

[Denny Crane]

Good advice in some of the posts above - but it is incredibly hard to get into. A few words of advice I'd add is:

 

it may sound basic, but make sure you can write - by that I mean write clear, concise copy and check your spelling and grammar. I'm fed up subbing copy by so-called journalism graduates who can't even string a basic sentence together.

 

If you don't already have shorthand, learn it. Some folk will tell you it's outdated in the day of micro-recorders, etc, but you can't use recording equipment everywhere (ie: courts, and they do have their limitations). Shorthand is always an advantage for any journalist.

 

Be prepared to start at the bottom - again, I've seen graduates come in and expect to be writing front pages leads and "exciting, creative stuff" all the time. Life ain't like that - you've got to be prepared to do all the bread and butter stuff too, especially if you get a job on a local paper.

 

Develop a sense of what is news and what isn't. Again, I've seen far too many folk who've completed journalism courses and still wouldn't recognise a story if it leapt up and bit them in the face.

 

Above all - don't give up. It won't be easy, and others have pointed out, the hours are long and the pay is crap. Forget any notion you may have of journalism being "glamorous" - but it's still a job I love doing (well, most of the time.....) so if you want it enough, you can make it happen. Good luck!

 

 

Jimmy,

 

I'll second what BJT has said - particularly the bit about being able to write. If you get your foot in the door and are requested to sub-edit lower league football reports (both SFL and Juniors) you will see why she makes that point (these guys will have you tearing your hair out - more so if they file late and you've only two minutes to re-nose it before the deadline expires).

 

Also, whenever possible, when you've finished writing an article, re-read it and see if there are any instances where you've used (for argument's sake) a cluster of words to describe something when one or two can do it just as well. ie. "Kingston placed his free-kick to perfection leaving the Hibs keeper helpless" can easily be re-written as "Kingston crashed in a superb free-kick".

The subs might not duff you up if you can save them a line or two in the text box they are working with.

 

Also, after interviewing someone, listen to your tape/or look at your shorthand notes and decide what should start the story and what you should leave out. Many's the time I've seen young rookies give a transcript of everything they spoke to the interviewee about and begin the story with the very first question (normally "How are you?").

 

There have been a few times where I've had to say to many a rookie, "Well I suppose I could re-write this story and prolong your career or you can trade it all in for what's in this box!" The amount of times they choose the latter........ Seriously, there will be a moment when your Editor has a word with you early on about your writing style (every hack will have had this talk at some stage when starting out). If you heed his/her advice, then a long career awaits. If not......

 

Finally, get yourself a steel-plated vest. Unfortunately, if you shine, this does build resentment amongst the least talented of your colleagues - the prime one being, your boss! Don't get me wrong, most Editors are good guys but there will be the occasional one (and the chap I'm thinking of has at long last thankfully got his - there is a God) who has managed to slip the net.

 

Pay's crap, hours are long and you will deal with a fair amount of idiots (you will be working with the general public after all) but there are times when it is worth it.

 

EDIT: And don't take any crap from those who work in advertising at your paper. They usually have this absurd belief that sub-editors are miracle workers and will try and sneak in ads (or even pull pre-arranged ones just when you've finished designing and subbing a page) which will balls up your page lay-out - the amount of wars I've had to fight on this front are far too many to mention.

[Debtor]

Just a thought but do you write a blog?

At least that way you can write each day about a subject of your choice, and practice being concise as well as developing a style.

Someone somewhere will read it, and if you get the chance to write for money you may have an item almost ready made there.

 

And use Firefox so your spelling mistakes stand out! So I find....

[blondejamtart]

On a side note, Matt74 - I'm glad to hear that ad reps and planners are not just the bane of MY life!! I've lost count of the times I've planned a page only for them to change it all at the last minute!!

[Denny Crane]

On a side note, Matt74 - I'm glad to hear that ad reps and planners are not just the bane of MY life!! I've lost count of the times I've planned a page only for them to change it all at the last minute!!

 

Likewise. Mind one of them refuses to come near me after pulling a page of mine which I'd just sent away. She wasn't too impressed with my Captain Haddock impression!

[Rab87]

Thanks for all the really helpful advice there folks, really appreciate it.

 

My mate plays for an amateur Sunday football team so I'm going to go along to the games and see how I do at compiling match reports, and hopefully I'll develop a good style.

 

I'll look into starting up a blog too and see how that develops.

 

I'm going to have to go to college in august and pick up a few highers, English, politics, modern studies and history I'll choose. International relations is what I want to report on most.

 

Hopefully I'll be able to call upon the people in this post if I need any help.

 

Thanks again though.

[Charlie-Brown]

just write & write - a good writer will write anyway even if it is just for themselves....if all you care is what other people will think or pay money for then there are other careers.......quality in any profession or activity always becomes self evident.