What's the best thing about being a journalist?
One of my tutors on a journalism course had been a journalist for about thirty years. At that time my colleagues and I were rather disillusioned by our recent work experience, so one of our group asked the tutor why he was still in journalism. "It's the best job in the world," he said. I found it inspiring that someone could say that about a job he had been doing most of his life. Very few are that happy and I think it's certainly the best job for me.
Some of the best things about journalism for me are:
- I get to meet interesting people. Not just celebrities, but also unknown people with a compelling story to tell.
- My raw materials are ideas. I'm learning and being creative all the time and as a freelancer I have the freedom to pursue ideas for any publication.
- I get to travel and see places I would never otherwise see.
- It's satisfying to produce articles I can be proud of and nice to get recognition for that.
- There's plenty of variety.
- There are plenty of career options (tv, radio, magazines, newspapers, books and then writing, editing, photography etc)
This is an excerpt from the ebook 'Journalism Careers: Your questions answered' by Sean McManus. These excerpts have been chosen for their relevance to school students.The whole ebook includes advice on picking university courses, vocational training, and how to succeed as a freelancer. It's equally suitable for students planning their future career and mid-life career changers looking to make a move now.