How to Get A Good Newspaper Editor Job

No matter how much I love online work, newspapers are where I cut my teeth and where I learned the basics of a good story that can make you money and catch reader interest. Journalism jobs are actually quite prolific, but there are many unemployed journalists out there. Are you one? Or would you like to move from being a low-paid staff writer to earning a higher salary as a newspaper editor? This guide is for you.

Things You'll Need

• Degree (helpful)

Instructions

1. Start small. Just because you think you can write doesn’t mean you can be a newspaper editor and that you can start editing the entertainment section for the local paper. Many papers offer freelance work. However, this is a changing route to take, since most major papers want someone on staff to write for them. Your options are limited in the beginning, so go for that free local paper that might be looking for some freelance writers. For example, in my area, I have written freelance for a small newspaper and was paid with a gift certificate. This is a cheap way to pay a writer, but you are building some credentials; you want that editor job, and it’s closer when you get some experience.

2. Write your own feature article, but don’t send it out yet. Show it to all your friends and get opinions. Hopefully you correspond with some writers, and it’s even better when they have journalism or editing experience. Get it looked at by a minimum of three separate writers. One good option, if none of your friends have journalism experience, is to find a good online group that does. I recommend Yahoo! groups, but the best option is Urbis, which has an entire category for journalism writers (see Resources below). <br>After your friends have reviewed your article, take it in person to your local paper and show it around. Worst case, nothing happens--all you do is get noticed. But you do get noticed, and best case, you get an assignment.

3. Build s resume, an important part of getting that high-and-mighty editing job. Many small papers will be happy to publish the article, but don’t stop there. You need extensive experience to show on your resume. So keep writing your articles, and keep looking for other writing opportunities. These don’t all have to be journalism jobs, but that helps. For example, before I started doing assignments, I wrote for many entertainment sites. This looked good when I applied for an Arts & Entertainment editor position. I proved I knew how to do things like write book and film reviews.

4. Use online sites. Sometimes the local paper will feature open opportunities within it. On the other hand, many papers post their jobs online. One of the best places to look for this is Journalism Jobs (see Resources). Another famous one is Craigslist, where you can find local jobs. The problem is, many of these will be out of your area. If you think you want the job, you may be forced to relocate. I have heard of writers moving into other states for jobs (as non-writers do, too).

5. Enroll in some journalism classes, where you can meet others interested in becoming journalists and maybe newspaper editors. Talk to the teachers about opportunities. Make sure these classes are respected by the local papers. If you take a community college course, some papers might actually look down on this. There are many different ways to learn journalism, and some newspapers teach it in different ways. But the point is to network and find the right opportunities. My first journalism job was at a stringer, a part-time position as a sports writer. I got this through a job shadow, which is a good idea for beginning writers to get a feel for the paper.

6. Get noticed. Perhaps you have published a few articles, maybe in a small paper. Some writers get noticed immediately by this. It’s not out of the ordinary for one job to lead to another via exposure. Good writing is always needed. That is your power. And papers will keep going, online or in print, for a while. There will always be jobs available. When you have built up some credentials, via either a degree or publication, it’s time to decide where you want to be in 5 to 10 years. It took me some time to get my first editing job. I had 1 year of journalism experience, working a small job at a major paper, and then a small college paper hired me. I wrote a few articles for them and turned in a resume—presto! I got the job. Again, you may have to move, so decide exactly what you want. A paper in another state may pay well for a sports editor job, or it just might be great experience.

Tips & Warnings

• The online market for journalism is growing. Thousands of papers, big and small, are posting articles on the Internet. This is a perfect route for you to go. If you can publish a few articles online, you might stand out from others with only print experience.

• Many major papers will pay you well. A college editor job may not. It’s time to make a choice on whether you are in this for the money or not. More money may come along the road, so remember that in the beginning it will be tough.

• <br>Just because you get a degree doesn’t mean the newspapers will jump all over you. Don’t get disheartened if, after a whole year has passed, you have no steady work. It happens. Keep printing out resumes and reading the jobs sections.