How to Maintain a Career as a Successful Journalist

So you've finally graduated college and obtained your first job as a journalist. The good thing is you have quite the exciting career ahead of you. However, the bad news is that it is going to be a challenging road to navigate in order to maintain your career and see it prosper. Luckily, following a few simple rules will aid with this process. Read on to learn how to maintain a career as a successful journalist.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Strong writing skills
• Strong social networking skills
• Workplace etiquette

1. Never forget the basic structure of both news stories and feature articles. This is the basic format that you will follow throughout your career and without it, it likely will not go very far. Always keep the reader informed of the most important parts of your stories and never omit the essential who, what, where, when, why and how of any given situation.

2. Keep your sentences clear and concise. Always use short words and sentences as opposed to longer ones, which can have a tendency to confuse readers. Editors will always appreciate a writer that can master the art of brevity rather than one that tries to impress readers with his or her large vocabulary.

3. Always make sure that your information is accurate and factual. If it is not, both you and your publication could find itself tangled in a libel and defamation suit. To avoid this, simply make sure all of your sources are reputable and trustworthy.

4. Don't let outside influences affect your work. Many people will not answer questions in attempts to roadblock your stories or try to convince you to lean a story a certain way. While this make life easier for that particular story, if may hurt you in the long run when looking for other jobs.

5. Network with as many other reporters and publications as possible. When out covering events, introduce yourself to representatives from other area publications. Chances are, they are familiar with your work and may even recommend you when job opportunities arrive.

Tips & Warnings

• Always meet your deadline. If for some reason this is not achievable, make sure you fully explain the situation to your editor beforehand.
• Know as much about AP style as humanly possible. The less an editor has to fix in a story, the more pleased they will be with your work.
• Be especially cautious when it comes to libel and defamation. Familiarize yourself with its rules and revisions to avoid legal action being taken against you when someone is upset with a story. Just one lawsuit against a person could greatly hinder his or her career.