👂What I've learned talking to emerging journalists
Sometimes, it's better to listen.
A few months ago, I created a Calendly account and shared a link on my social profiles offering advice for any young journalists trying to navigate this industry.
I didn’t think anyone would be interested, but I wanted to offer the service. I got a lot of replies.
I’ve talked to about 25 people in the last two months, ranging from recent college grads, current students and those just entering college.
Here are some of the biggest themes:
🎓 What’s next: Many were either recent graduates or soon-to-be graduates and had no idea about what to do next. A full time job or an internship? Should I move to New York? L.A.? D.C.? So many felt lost about how to navigate the industry before they even entered it.
📝 How to stand out: I looked at a lot of resumes. Many students felt like their advisors and academic departments didn’t prepare them for how to create a resume for a journalism job.
📱 Should I be on social media: More and more young journalists want to know how to effectively use social media, not only to share their work, but to create connections with other journalists and stay involved in industry conversations.
❓ It it worth it: Let’s be frank. The state of media right now is not good. Many asked me if it’s even worth trying to break into this industry and if a career in marketing or public relations is something they should pursue instead.
Students entering this industry are nervous, and often feel unprepared by their journalism programs. Teachers, let’s focus more on “after college” in our lessons and programming. Journalists, let’s try to mentor and sponsor younger journalists as much as we can. They’re the future of our industry, and it’s on us to make sure it’s a bright one.
As I said before: I'm free to talk all things journalism, adulting and more. Click below to add an event to my calendar.