Tips For Journalists Who Are Just Starting Out

You’ve graduated journalism school, you’ve gotten the training and the experience to begin your career, and suddenly you realize you don’t know how to get a job or start making money. You also need to keep creating work to stay competitive. How do you start?

Here are some tips to help you out.

IDENTIFY YOUR SOURCES OF INSPIRATION

Inspiration is where all work starts. Topics can be inspiring, of course, but other journalists can be too. Figure out who your role models are—not just people who are pursuing the kind of work you want to pursue, but even other journalists whose writing styles you admire.

WRITE YOUR OWN STORY AND TURN IT INTO YOUR RÉSUMÉ

Your story as a journalist is the grounding for all of the work you are going to produce in a lifetime. “If you are straight out of school, and that’s the big deal, then make that your lead,” said Shalini Dore, who is Variety’s former news features editor. “Get to the point.” The way a résumé is written can tell a potential employer a lot about who they might be hiring. “The writing skill is the No. 1 thing that we are looking for,” Dore said.

LIVE LIFE

Journalists must be entrenched in their communities, and as such cannot exist completely in isolation. A social life, hobbies, and simple everyday tasks can be simple ways a journalist can continue to take in information from the community, and get ideas for work and even ideas for the future of their careers.

BE PARTICULAR ABOUT WHAT INFORMATION YOU CONSUME

The media landscape is messy at present, with misinformation and disinformation surging across the globe. Concerns about media bias have reached all-time highs among the public. Curating sources you trust and knowing which publications you can turn to for accurate, up-to-date information will keep your own personal bias in check while providing ideas for stories and keeping you attached to the outside world.

EMBRACE MULTIMEDIA STORYTELLING

With the rise of digital media, multimedia storytelling has become an important skill for journalists. Learn how to create engaging videos, podcasts, and social media content, in addition to traditional written articles. Multimedia journalism contributes to your visibility and can be attractive to potential employers.

“TALK LESS, SMILE MORE”—TO EMPLOY A PHRASE FROM HAMILTON

While interviewing, it behooves the journalist to listen more to their source than to talk. Asking open-ended questions can lead to a wealth of information, which could even lead to more than one article from a single interview. Dore said she herself “took…a long time to learn that she could get better quotes by simply listening to her interviewees.”

MINDFULNESS CAN GO A LONG WAY

One thing journalists must learn to let go of, if they are to create well-researched work, is the “go go go” multitasking mentality. In fact, multitasking can lead to anxiety and stress, which in turn can create writer's block and other productivity issues. “If you don’t take care of yourself, even if you are the best journalist in the world, you’re not going to perform well,” said Joyce Marter, an author, national speaker and licensed psychotherapist in Cape Coral, Florida.

These tips will help any journalist pursue a career both with their own longevity in mind, and an eye on their contributions to the community. With conscientiousness and a solid foundation, your new career in journalism has the potential to make a profound difference that can be felt across the world.