Succeeding in the field of journalism can be a tricky thing to do. With jobs in this career competitive, it can sometimes be difficult for some students to find their dream jobs. By following my top five list, students can hopefully find ways to gain the experience needed in order to succeed in the field of journalism.
1. Internships:
One of the best ways to gain experience especially in the field of journalism is through internships. Internships allow for you to have hands-on experience with the professionals in your field. These internships can be anything from assistants to actual article writers. I remember going to a TV show taping with my mom and I spoke with one of the interns there. Her best advice was to get the best internship you can get and make sure to do a good job because that could become your permanent job. The only pitfall with internships is that most internships require students to get course credits for it and internships can sometimes conflict with your schedule. The best way to fix that is to speak to your teachers and advisors and they definitely will be able to help.
2. Clubs:
The great thing about college campuses is that they offer a vast array of extra curriculers that could help you gain experience. Depending on what aspect in the journalism career your focusing on, there is almost always something for you. If your college offers some sort of news writing, magazine writing or just a regular writing club, make sure you join. By joining a club like this, you will be able to perfect your writing skills. Another club you want to make sure to join is an on campus radio or news channel. By joining a radio or news channel, you will actually be able to see how it feels like to be a professional in this field.
3. Making a name for yourself:
Although this can be the hardest, it is so important to make a name for yourself. Whether its through Facebook, twitter, YouTube or instagram, do whatever you can to make sure people are seeing your name. The more people see your name, they will know that you are passionate for this field. Also, if they constantly see your name, they will suddenly become more interested in you and what you are interested in. It might be hard at first, but through time, you will be able to make a name for yourself.
4. Jobs:
The thing that I think is the hardest is physically finding a job. A lot of jobs that are being offered require a lot of experience. This is hard especially for college students like us who don’t have the experience required. Although, there are many jobs that require experience, some prefer it. If they prefer it, then your lucky; this means that you still will have a shot. This is when your priorities have to be in line. Most of the time, when a job prefers experience and doesn’t require it, it is not the dream job you were hoping for. This is where you have to remember that it is not where you start but where you finish. Take the job that will gain you the experience needed for your dream job and use that as a starting point to move forward.
5. Classes:
This one is what I think is the easiest one to do since you can start it right away. While you are in school, you want to make sure you are taking the proper classes. While finding classes, you want to think to yourself, “Is this class going to help me prosper and succeed in my dream field.” If it is going to do that, then sign up for the class. A lot of classes offered in classes these days require projects to be done. Most of the time, these projects either require you to go out into the field or they require you to practice an important skill used in your field. Make sure to meet with professors and advisors to make sure that your classes will actually help you in your future career. By doing that, you are bound to be on the right track in succeeding in the field of journalism.
