As a high school student, you’ve probably been told there is a specific set of steps you should take to achieve your career dreams. For example, if you want to be a journalist, you should go to college or university, intern at media outlets, gain real-world experience. While the more traditional school path will give a good foundation to start a journalism career, a structured path is not necessarily right for everyone. Becoming a journalist is a journey that has multiple paths, but here’s a great step-by-step guide for you on how to become a journalist.
1. Join extra-curricular activities in high school.
There is no rule stating future journalists need to go to college or university, but you do have to get a high school diploma. Many high schools have newspapers, newsletters and yearbooks and they need students working on them. This will be an opportunity for you to explore whether or not journalism is for you. When it comes to course selection, try enrolling in courses that speak to your interests and talent. For example, if you want to be a photojournalist, taking a photography class might be of interest to you. You’ll also have the ability to hone your skills early in your career, which may give you an advantage over your competition.
2. Start establishing connections.
It’s not too early to start networking with people who are working in the field. It doesn’t hurt to call journalists whom you look up to and ask if you can set up an informal meeting with them. Be mindful of their schedule and be flexible should a journalist agree to offer you their time. When you have organized a time to speak with them, whether it’s over the phone or in-person, prepare a list of questions to ask. For example, ask them which path they took to become a journalist. Did they go to school? Did they do internships? If so, where? This may help you visualize your own career path.
Use this opportunity to tell the people you network with about your skills. If a job opportunity comes up within their organization, they may be willing to pass along those details simply because you’ve made a connection with them.
3. Create your own content and promote it.
If you want to be a journalist, there’s no question you need experience in the field. The traditional path journalists follow is to volunteer/intern at a news organization and through the employer, cover the news. Aspiring journalists do not have to wait for their golden opportunity to work. If journalism is your passion, sift through your local paper or look online for events happening within your area. Attend the event with a pen and paper in hand, or bring a video camera if you’re interested in broadcast journalism. Interview sources as you normally would and produce a piece of journalism that meets journalism standards: accurate; unbiased; informative, to name a few. Promote the content you’ve written on your very own blog or website. This way, you are building a portfolio and a name for yourself, all essential to becoming a journalist. This, too, will look good on a resume because you’re establishing yourself. This is a crucial step in how to become a journalist.
4. Do what you’re best at.
Journalism is very broad, so as an aspiring journalist, it’s in your best interest to decide what kind of journalist you want to be. Below are a few jobs in journalism that you may be interested in:
-Reporter for newspaper, web or television news outlet;
-Editor (print) for newspaper or online;
-Photojournalist;
-Camera person (responsible for filming television news segments).
Aspiring journalists should determine what type of job they want to do, what they are most interested in. By having an idea of what you enjoy (and what you’re best at), you’ll be able to focus on this specialized area as you’re growing a strong portfolio.
5. Go to school.
Earning an education is two-fold: First, it’s important to be educated. In today’s day and age, having a high school education is not always enough. Employers will look for journalists who have a degree or diploma from university or college. Ideally, having an education in journalism will better prepare you for said career, but earning an education nonetheless will look better on a resume. College programs typically take two years to complete, whereas university degrees take four. During this time at school, you can still work on strengthening your craft before graduating.
Refer to our Best Journalism Programs in Canada article for a list of potential options.
6. Market yourself and your work after graduation.
You’ve graduated from school, you’ve developed a brand for yourself online and perhaps within your community. If you want to continue pursuing the project you’ve been working on, you can explore the idea of launching it as a journalism start-up, which will require you to come up with a successful strategy. The key components to a successful entrepreneurial journalism start-up are:
-Defining your market, target audience;
-Identifying what work needs to be done and who/how many people you need to do it;
-Determine how much funding you need to sustain the project;
-Gather said funding;
-Execute your plan.
Being an entrepreneurial journalist is a huge undertaking, but if you’re passionate about making a name for yourself with what you’ve created, the hard work will pay off in the end. In the meantime, it’s best to look for a job that will support you financially while allowing you to develop necessary career skills you can always use in the future.
No matter which path you take in life, let your passion guide you toward the career you want!
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