Looking For Jobs in Journalism

Those seeking a job in journalism will find they are entering into an extremely competitive arena. Years ago, these jobs were plentiful. Online information sites and news portals did not exist yet. Newspapers were the main source of current information, and they typically employed hundreds of reporters. Now that many people go online for their news, these jobs have been eliminated entirely or trimmed. However these jobs still exist all over the world.

Journalists gather, analyze, and report information they receive from sources and research. To prepare for a career in this field, students often take  courses that provide a good foundation for careers in journalism, including computer science, business, history, sociology, political science, economics, and psychology.

After the student has graduated with a decent GPA and a few internships, he or she is ready to begin looking for a job. Jobs in journalism can be found at large metropolitan and national newspapers, broadcast stations, and magazines. They can also be found at online outlets, such as HuffingtonPost, USAToday.com, and other online news sites. Most entry-level positions are available at small broadcast stations and publications. Other potential careers in journalism include news Analysts (news anchors, newscasters), reporters, editors, weathercasters, sportscasters, news correspondents, commentators, columnists, news writers.

To become a journalist, experts will tell you that you must have a college education. However they will also tell you there’s no substitute for writing real stories, on a real deadline, that get a real byline in a real newspaper. You can get this experience by working on your college newspaper or getting internships. Be sure that you save every last article you work on to go into your portfolio. You'll want to especially save the articles you are most proud of, or those that won awards. Journalists must also need to be able to do layout, create web pages, maintain a blog, take digital pictures and shoot video.

When applying for journalism jobs, the applicant will need a cover letter, resume, and news clips. They may also need a reel. You've only got a few seconds to make a great impression, so lead with your best stories.

There are ways to make yourself more employable as a journalist and to get a leg up on the competition. For example, journalists can learn photography, photo composition, and timing. Editors will always lean towards hiring a journalist that knows how to take their own photos. They should also learn HTML, or the the language that is used to create websites. You can create your own website and start publishing your freelance articles to demonstrate this efficiency.

Learning a foreign language is another key attribute of a good journalist. This will make you employable in another country, or you can get sent off to cover assignments internationally. Select a language that is either common (such as Spanish or French) or one that is highly uncommon.

Other ways you can differentiate yourself from the pack is to read all books on writing style, read widely and become an expert on world matters, join a journalism union, and get experience at the local paper. You can also consider freelancing to gain some credible experience.