How to Find a Job in Journalism

Over the years, the field of journalism has evolved from black and white newspapers to a burst of online and multimedia sensation. In today's society, readers want more than just words on a page, but they also want pictures, videos and more. In order to be a great journalist, you must have a job. Below are a few steps to finding a journalism job.

Instructions

1. Prepare your resume and cover letter. These are two essential pieces of information that a prospective employer in journalism will probably want. Have your resume and cover letter filled with relevant experience such as listing other newspapers and magazines where you have worked.

2. Build your journalistic portfolio with clips, pictures, designs and any other items that show your skills. Start by placing all of your clips, pictures and designs in a slip cover. This is done to protect your work from damage. Divide your portfolio into sections. Each section should be present in the portfolio before the clips. For example, if you have a section for magazine photos that you have taken, you should name that section "Magazine Photos" and have your photos placed in the binder right after that section.

3. Freelance or volunteer with a local newspaper or magazine that is also involved in online media. This is key if you have no experience in online media. This will boost your portfolio with more clips and experience. The most common place to find a job is on the Internet. Being that the journalism field is quickly turning more into online media, this is where most jobs in the journalism field lie. so you must have more than basic writing skills to get a job in journalism.

4. Evaluate your resume, cover letter and portfolio to make sure that multimedia skills are key elements. Multimedia skills include the ability to produce photos, videos, audio slideshows and podcasts. if you are not familiar with these skills, then you will probably not find a good job in the journalism field. For help with audio slideshows, play around with Audacity and Soundslides. These are two easy-to-use software programs that will teach you the basics and more. Final Cut Express is also good for learning how to edit videos.

5. Gather all of your items from steps one, two and three and send them to the potential employer. Some employers may request that you send your items via snail mail or email. Also, some employers may ask for additional information, so follow their application instructions carefully.

Tips & Warnings

• Your journalistic portfolio should make your resume come to life. It should show exactly what you have stated on your resume. Most journalism employers want to see that you have experience, and providing a professional-looking portfolio puts you one step closer to finding a job in the journalism field.

• Most journalism jobs require a degree or a lot of experience. Don't give up on your search.

References

• Journalism Jobs