Things You Need For A Journalism Career

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A career in journalism may seem simple. After all, you just need to write and read from an idiot board. But appearances can be deceiving. Being a journalist is tough job and you need the right training and skills to be able to succeed in it. Here are those things:

1.  Talent 
In most things, you need the talent to be able to get ahead from the rest of the pack. Journalism involves writing, interviewing and going in front of the camera. If you do not have any of these skills, then it’s time to forget about a career and journalism and pursue something that you are good at. You should be able to find something that you enjoy doing as well as something that you are good at too.

2. Training 
Even with such enormous talent, you cannot climb up to the top without the proper training. You need to constantly update your skills and your mind. The industry and the world in general is constantly changing and modernizing. This is especially true with the media who are always at the forefront of new trends and products.

You can get training by joining conferences for journalists or sharpening your skills with seminars and training sessions that will help you get familiar with the new trends in the journalism world.

3. Education 
Although not all top journalists are graduates of journalism courses, most of them had and almost all of them have had a great college education. You cannot go by wits alone and by sheer talent. You also need people who will teach you things and provide the things that you need to know to start your journey. Besides if you are looking to grab hold of a job in one of the biggest networks and news organizations, you need to have at least a college degree just to be considered.

4. Mentor 
A person who you can go for advice and counsel is perhaps one of the secret weapons of most successful people. Being a novice in the field, people cannot expect you to make the right decisions early on. Thus, you need people who are already in the field to help you with your career. Mentors also help open doors for you because they already know so many people within the industry.

5. Experience
Even if you are just in school, you can already gain some experience in the world of journalism. You can do this by joining organizations in school that will help you develop your talent in writing, speaking and interviewing. If you want to have a career in print journalism, then go right ahead and apply for a staff position in the college newspaper or journal. You can also join the literature club as well as other organizations that need writers. You can also submit to publications even when you are still studying. The articles that will be published will be added to your portfolio.

If you dream of having a journalism career in broadcast, then the speech club and the debate team is for you. It will help you polish your language and make you think on your feet, which is a must in hosting jobs. You can also directly apply for internships, which are given to students. With this, you can already experience the job first hand while still studying.

Journalism Career - How to start

Journalism is perhaps one career that pays lucratively right now, that is if you are one of those popular news anchors who define what we need to hear and know every morning or evening. The same also goes with editors of magazines and daily newspapers who help shape the opinions and needs of people. This is how powerful journalists can be.  Well, those at the top of the food chain are.

Journalists who are however still starting out cannot look forward to the same paycheck. In fact, some journalists even take on extra odd jobs just to be able to make both ends meet. This career is actually a lot like being a movie star in terms of the pay. Salary gets higher as you climb the career ladder and ironically, when you are on the top you don’t even need the cash because everything will virtually be given free to you- freebies, foreign trips, events.

But you don’t get that high salary cap in just a flick of the hands. Journalism is hard work and you need to realize that before you really decide to get into it. Behind the glamour is work that needs dedication and commitment. And you need to get that in your head. Otherwise, you will only make it harder for yourself because of really high expectations which will only end up disappointing you. This is perhaps the first thing that you really need to do before you embark in a journalism career.

The second thing that you have to do is to examine your talents and then your skills to see if they suit the profession. A journalism career will involve a talent in writing and in interviewing, if you are getting into the daily newspapers and in hosting and broadcasting if you are aiming for television. When you go further in your career, you also need to develop the aesthetics for layout and formatting of shows for broadcast. You will need that as you climb the media ladder.

If you have the skills then the next stop is to gain the experience and the education for the job. You can do this by checking schools for degree programs and trainings on writing and interviewing. Colleges also offer courses on media and journalism. As for the experience, there are media companies that are offering internships and on job training for young professionals and students. Of course, getting into one will need some work but if you have the education and the skill, you can certainly get into the program.

When you have done all these things, then you can apply for a real job in media companies. Newbies often start as editorial assistants or news reporters. This becomes their stepping stone to a bigger and better position in the news organization or media outfit.

Getting a proper job will ensure that you will have better training. Having one will also give you the responsibilities and will expose you to the real world of journalism. That way, you can learn first hand what goes on behind the scenes.

What is great about a career in journalism is  the fact that you can enjoy while working. Thus, work will not feel like work. You may not notice it but time will fly and you will find yourself eventually in a higher position.