HOW TO FIND A JOB IN JOURNALISM: THE SKILLS YOU NEED

You’ve seen the movies – or at least the trailer for a movie – about journalism. It’s gripping and exciting. It’s kind of like being a spy but with more writing and fewer gadgets. I know for myself; it was the combination of growing up with Nancy Drew and wanting to write for a living that pushed me toward journalism. I’m assuming, since you’re here, you’ve felt a similar push.

To make things easy for you, this is a rundown of the skills you’ll need when it’s time to start brainstorming journalism story ideas. So sit down, grab a notepad and pen, and let’s begin.

LEARN THE TYPES OF JOURNALISM JOBS

The first skill you’ll need is learning the lingo when it comes to journalism jobs. There are numerous jobs in the journalism field, and even more niche jobs when it comes to journalism outlets. While there are a number of journalism terms that you’ll need to learn, here are a few general positions to get you started.

• Editor: This is the person who supervises the entire news outlet. From beginning to end, they’re the ones who make the hard decisions and delegate stories to journalists.
• Copy Editor: This person proofreads the spelling and grammar of every article before it’s published. They’re on the lookout for any misplaced semicolons, too many em-dashes (oh look, it’s me), and the incorrect use of “their.” They take articles from good to great.
• Columnist: Columnists get to break the rule of objectivity and write about their opinions. This is who writes the op-eds (opinion editorials) about a variety of topics.
• Feature Writer: Features are the bigger pieces of journalism that you might see in news outlets with bigger budgets. These writers focus on human interest pieces or more in-depth coverage of a topic in general.
• Beat Reporter: A beat is a journalist’s assigned subject. A beat can be a social issue, a neighborhood, an organization, or any other topic that could require dedicated focus. Journalists are assigned beats by their editors.

LEARN HOW TO TALK TO PEOPLE

“Unfortunately, there’s no room for shy people in this industry.” One of my favorite professors said that during the first day of my first-ever journalism class. It unnerved me, but he was right. You have to talk to people. Don’t worry, it will get easier. 

And trust me – if I could get over being shy to be a journalist, so can you. 

When you learn how to talk to people, there are two primary skills that you have to navigate: knowing when to talk, and when to stay quiet.

Knowing when to talk is easy when you’ve got a list of questions prepared before your interview. Do some preliminary research on your subject and go from there. Cover the basics (who they are and what they do) and then get more specific for the subject of your article. Once you have your questions and research completed, it will be easier to talk to your subject. An interview is just a formal conversation. 

Knowing when to stay quiet is harder to figure out, but the best trick I learned is to slowly count to five in your head after your subject answers. Don’t say a word during that time, just watch them. People get very uncomfortable with silence and will move to fill it. Trust me on that.

LEARN HOW TO FIND A STORY

One of the most crucial – and painful – things I ever had to do while learning how to become a journalist was being assigned to just go out and find a story. No assignment other than that. Just a quick, “Here’s your neighborhood” and the vague reassurance that I’d figure it out.

Let me tell you – I was bad at it.

I was bad at figuring it out. I felt awkward and uncomfortable. But that’s part of the process of figuring it out. There are stories everywhere, but you have to learn how to find them in all the noise. Don’t be afraid to ask what’s going on in the neighborhood.

Get comfortable with meeting new people. Get comfortable asking questions. Go into stores, restaurants, or bodegas. Talk to people while waiting for the bus. Give it enough practice and you’ll be able to find a story almost anywhere.

LEARN HOW TO CREATE A JOURNALISM PORTFOLIO

This is where you’re going to have to put your journalism chops to the test. When people hire journalists, they want to see what their applicants can do. That means putting together a portfolio to demonstrate why you’re the right person for the job. However, there’s this catch-22 with it. To have a portfolio, you need clips (published journalism pieces) – but to get clips, you need to write for someone. 

Well, not exactly.

There are several ways that you can go about this, but to make it simple, there are generally two options. The first is to offer someone to write for them for free. This could be a local newspaper, a music magazine, or the local high school football team. Wherever you can find someone that’ll publish your stuff, that’s where you go. 

The other option is to publish on your own. This requires a bit more legwork, as you’ll have to do everything. Figure out your stories, write and edit them, and then publish them somehow. Often, this will be through your website. Once you’ve got a few clips under your belt, you’ll compile your best pieces together. This usually takes the form of a PDF file or links to your work. You’ll want to cater this to the job you’re applying for.

From there, it’s all about how you sell yourself. But with your portfolio and the skills we just covered, you’ve got this.