Where to look for jobs in journalism

Whether you're a graduate, seasoned 'hack', or looking for a career change, looking for a job in journalism has become increasingly difficult over the years. Newspaper circulations are ever decreasing, Internet journalism is still being worked out financially, and moreover, the economic downturn has hit employment hard. This guide outlines where to look for jobs in journalism, and what you will need in order to be successful.

Get what it takes

First things first Journalism is competitive - therefore, make sure that you have the necessary experience/qualifications. To begin with, you will need the NCTJ preliminary qualifications; particularly short-hand. Despite widespread belief, this is required in 99% of entry/graduate jobs. These qualifications can be taken throughout England, simply visit Nctj.com in order to find out what is needed. Next, you will need some kind of experience, ideally in a working environment with a well-known publication. Write to everyone so as to ensure that everyone finds this. Additionally, feel free to blog or write articles, and submit them to newspapers. The larger your portfolio, the better chance you stand of getting an interview.

Types of work and where to look

"Journalism" is a broad term. There are dozens of types of journalistic work that you can be involved in, for example: - Freelance - Feature - Editorial jobs - Sub-editing - Reporting - Newspaper - Magazine - Creative - Political - Sport The point is that you need to be certain in your own mind about which area you are looking for, and tailor your Curriculum Vitae accordingly. Where can you look for work? The truth is everywhere and anywhere. Phone/e-mail/write to local newspapers, magazines, fan clubs and essentially any firm which publishes material. To be more specific however, looking in local and national newspapers for advertisements is a good place to start. The best place to look however, is on the Internet. The following is a list of sites that you should visit: - Journalism.co.uk - Jobs.holdthefront page.co.uk - Jobs.guardian.co.uk - Jobs4journaliststemp.madgexjb.com Whilst the above list is far from exhaustive, be sure that you use this as a starting point. Like many industries, the old cliché comes true - "It's not what you know, but who you know." The best (and only) way to look for jobs in journalism is to simply search the Internet, apply everywhere, follow up applications with a phone call after a couple of weeks, and keep the faith that something will turn up.