Graduate News & Advice

A degree in journalism can lead to a world of opportunities spanning a variety of fields. Most jobs stem from newspapers, magazines, broadcast and, increasingly, online media.

At newspaper level you can choose to work in local, regional or national press - probably starting off as a junior reporter. As a journalist you report on virtually any topic while a feature writer would produce in-depth articles in a particular subject. Correspondents focus only on specific areas.

Magazine Journalism is very similar - with news writing, feature writing and sub-editing. As magazines are often based on often niche consumer interests, there is even more scope to write on topics of personal interest, especially at the larger publishing houses. Think fashion, sports, hobbies, business and travel. Another path to follow is broadcast journalism, working on television or radio.

You might prefer to work more implicitly with technical details and scientific documents. If this is you, then you could be a scientific/technical journalist - you must have a thorough understanding of the specialist field in which you work. Also, the ability to translate technical papers, jargon and theory into concise information that is understandable to the layman is essential.

Journalism is an extremely competitive industry and previous work experience is a pre-requisite, especially as direct entry into a traineeship straight from graduation is rare. If your CV is lacking and you haven’t been working for your university newspaper, it is advisable to gain relevant experience through a part-time or summer job. Compile a portfolio of your best work and send out speculative applications to employers – persistence and initiative are key qualities for journalists. Do remember to triple-check your spelling, grammar and page layout!

Even with a journalism degree, there are plenty of pre-entry courses which may also be worth considering to get recognition from potential employers when applying for jobs. These can range from fast-track courses to postgraduate study. News, features, sub-editing/checking copy, updating content on websites, researching stories, conducting interviews, following up leads, attending press conferences and working to strict deadlines will all be included.

The transferrable skills gained from a journalism degree are also superb for a range of sectors such as sales, communication, public relations, advertising, marketing, education, and publishing.