PMA POSTGRAD - BECOME A JOURNALIST

If you enjoy words, it's the perfect job
You get paid to read, and paid to write. And it’s creative writing (with limits) rather than essays or business reports.

It's exciting
You're at the heart of a community (with local papers); working in areas that interest you (specialist consumer magazines); meeting people who lead the way (business titles); interviewing and mixing with famous people (consumer publications).

It offers variety
Every day brings something different. Best of all, you only write about interesting things, because readers don’t want to know about uninteresting ones.

It’s a sociable job
Journalism is about meeting people. You won't spend your days sitting in front of a computer, doing the same old thing. Even when you're in the office, you are constantly talking to people, both on the phone and to colleagues. You work in a team to create a newspaper or magazine, where everyone performs a key role in getting the publication out.

It offers great opportunities to get on fast
You could become an editor on a small title in three years. You certainly won't be stuck on the same position for decades. Journalism is a mobile, fast, vibrant profession. New jobs and new opportunities arise all the time.
You can fulfil your dreams. If you've wanted to interview David Beckham or Gordon Brown, see the Taj Mahal or Chernobyl, appear on television to talk about crime or oil prices, journalism gives you that opportunity. There's a vanity gene or two in every journalist. What better way to feed it than getting the page 1 by-line, being quoted in The Times or being able to call the private line of senior politicians or celebrities?

You can make a difference
If you feel strongly about the environment, health spending or international politics, journalism gives you the chance to write on key issues and influence decision-makers. An obvious example is how the national press highlights government waste. (Think what it would like without this public scrutiny.) But in a smaller way, this monitoring takes place in every area of society – thanks to the press.

There are some wonderful perks
It may be in the form of travel; it may be the chance to see (and talk to) your favourite bands for free; it might be free cosmetics, fishing rods, home cinema systems or everything for your garden. And if you love cars or motorbikes, imagine being able to drive the latest or most expensive models – and being paid to do it.

On the other hand…
This isn't a 9-5 job. You will work late and at weekends. You don't clock in and there's no overtime for the extra hours you put in. But journalism doesn't happen neatly between 9am and 5pm. That's one of the job's perks too. It’s poorly paid, considering the responsibilities you hold and the time you devote to the job. But journalism offers a whole lot more than banking, the City, the law or sales can ever provide.

Why we recommend magazines for your first job
It’s the growth area within the media
The old days when newspapers were the route into journalism are long gone. Magazines now lead the way in new ideas on everything from writing styles to design.

There are more jobs available
Look in The Guardian on Mondays and see where there are vacancies. Nearly all the jobs are for magazines or websites. There are nearly 9,000 magazines, more than four times the number of newspapers.

There’s more scope to get on fast
We expect someone who has taken our course to become news editor, features editor, deputy editor or even editor within three years. On local papers, you would probably make senior reporter, perhaps news editor if you're lucky or very talented, in the same timeframe.

The money’s better
Local radio and local newspapers are often paying the minimum wage. A magazine job will not keep you in champagne, but you'll start at £2,000-£5,000 more than the local press, and it rises faster too.

They will take you if you’re over 30
It's highly unlikely that a local paper or local radio station would take on someone over 30. Magazines will not only do so, but positively welcome you if you've got a specific skill in, say, the law, architecture, hotel management or business.

It’s easier to get a job
First, this is because there are more jobs around. But magazines are less hidebound by the need for any new employee to have 100 words a minute shorthand, a knowledge of media law and a pass certificate from a journalism course. You can get a job, if you're lucky, without any experience, though it's getting harder to do this.

It’s the best route if you’re changing career
Fed up with being a GP, a nurse, teacher, accountant or market analyst? Specialist magazines want people like you, who can bring a knowledge of the subject to their titles. Your age is less important than your knowledge, though realistically, it's unlikely that even the most progressive magazine will take on someone over 40 as a junior journalist. Is your determination to become a journalist powerful enough to make up for the pay cut you'll have to face?

It's easy to switch media
The days when the only route to the national press was through local papers and evenings is long gone. National newspapers want the best people, and these increasingly come from magazines, especially if you have a specialist knowledge of a market like transport, health or fashion. Television and radio are just as happy to take magazine-trained people.

Magazines deal with national, even international issues
Would you rather write about a stolen bike or the Cannes film Festival? Would you prefer to interview a local shopkeeper complaining about parking, or Elizabeth Taylor (as one of our graduates did)? Magazines are national, sometimes international newspapers for an industry, so the issues are big ones.

You learn more skills
These days, most publications want generalists rather than specialists. In magazines, you learn news and feature writing, sub–editing, interviewing, production and design. Newspaper-geared courses tend to teach just news. Having a range of skills rather than just one means you progress faster. And they make you more marketable.

The fringe benefits are excellent
On local papers, you’ll rarely travel, and the perks are few. On many magazines, you will have to travel internationally. Car and motorbike magazines mean driving or riding the latest models. You could be interviewing top people and celebrities or getting all the music equipment you can fit into your flat. Imagine working on a magazine like Business Traveller. How do business people travel? And where do they stay? You can’t write about it unless you fly first or business class, and stay in four and five-star hotels.





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	WHY CHOOSE JOURNALISM? Four months ago I was an office temp, now I'm working as deputy editor on a glossy travel magazine. You can become a journalist.
	If you enjoy words, it's the perfect job You get paid to read, and paid to write. And it’s creative writing (with limits) rather than essays or business reports. It's exciting You're at the heart of a community (with local papers); working in areas that interest you (specialist consumer magazines); meeting people who lead the way (business titles); interviewing and mixing with famous people (consumer publications). It offers variety Every day brings something different. Best of all, you only write about interesting things, because readers don’t want to know about uninteresting ones. It’s a sociable job Journalism is about meeting people. You won't spend your days sitting in front of a computer, doing the same old thing. Even when you're in the office, you are constantly talking to people, both on the phone and to colleagues. You work in a team to create a newspaper or magazine, where everyone performs a key role in getting the publication out. It offers great opportunities to get on fast You could become an editor on a small title in three years. You certainly won't be stuck on the same position for decades. Journalism is a mobile, fast, vibrant profession. New jobs and new opportunities arise all the time. You can fulfil your dreams. If you've wanted to interview David Beckham or Gordon Brown, see the Taj Mahal or Chernobyl, appear on television to talk about crime or oil prices, journalism gives you that opportunity. There's a vanity gene or two in every journalist. What better way to feed it than getting the page 1 by-line, being quoted in The Times or being able to call the private line of senior politicians or celebrities? You can make a difference If you feel strongly about the environment, health spending or international politics, journalism gives you the chance to write on key issues and influence decision-makers. An obvious example is how the national press highlights government waste. (Think what it would like without this public scrutiny.) But in a smaller way, this monitoring takes place in every area of society – thanks to the press. There are some wonderful perks It may be in the form of travel; it may be the chance to see (and talk to) your favourite bands for free; it might be free cosmetics, fishing rods, home cinema systems or everything for your garden. And if you love cars or motorbikes, imagine being able to drive the latest or most expensive models – and being paid to do it. On the other hand… This isn't a 9-5 job. You will work late and at weekends. You don't clock in and there's no overtime for the extra hours you put in. But journalism doesn't happen neatly between 9am and 5pm. That's one of the job's perks too. It’s poorly paid, considering the responsibilities you hold and the time you devote to the job. But journalism offers a whole lot more than banking, the City, the law or sales can ever provide. Why we recommend magazines for your first job It’s the growth area within the media The old days when newspapers were the route into journalism are long gone. Magazines now lead the way in new ideas on everything from writing styles to design. There are more jobs available Look in The Guardian on Mondays and see where there are vacancies. Nearly all the jobs are for magazines or websites. There are nearly 9,000 magazines, more than four times the number of newspapers. There’s more scope to get on fast We expect someone who has taken our course to become news editor, features editor, deputy editor or even editor within three years. On local papers, you would probably make senior reporter, perhaps news editor if you're lucky or very talented, in the same timeframe. The money’s better Local radio and local newspapers are often paying the minimum wage. A magazine job will not keep you in champagne, but you'll start at £2,000-£5,000 more than the local press, and it rises faster too. They will take you if you’re over 30 It's highly unlikely that a local paper or local radio station would take on someone over 30. Magazines will not only do so, but positively welcome you if you've got a specific skill in, say, the law, architecture, hotel management or business. It’s easier to get a job First, this is because there are more jobs around. But magazines are less hidebound by the need for any new employee to have 100 words a minute shorthand, a knowledge of media law and a pass certificate from a journalism course. You can get a job, if you're lucky, without any experience, though it's getting harder to do this. It’s the best route if you’re changing career Fed up with being a GP, a nurse, teacher, accountant or market analyst? Specialist magazines want people like you, who can bring a knowledge of the subject to their titles. Your age is less important than your knowledge, though realistically, it's unlikely that even the most progressive magazine will take on someone over 40 as a junior journalist. Is your determination to become a journalist powerful enough to make up for the pay cut you'll have to face? It's easy to switch media The days when the only route to the national press was through local papers and evenings is long gone. National newspapers want the best people, and these increasingly come from magazines, especially if you have a specialist knowledge of a market like transport, health or fashion. Television and radio are just as happy to take magazine-trained people. Magazines deal with national, even international issues Would you rather write about a stolen bike or the Cannes film Festival? Would you prefer to interview a local shopkeeper complaining about parking, or Elizabeth Taylor (as one of our graduates did)? Magazines are national, sometimes international newspapers for an industry, so the issues are big ones. You learn more skills These days, most publications want generalists rather than specialists. In magazines, you learn news and feature writing, sub–editing, interviewing, production and design. Newspaper-geared courses tend to teach just news. Having a range of skills rather than just one means you progress faster. And they make you more marketable. The fringe benefits are excellent On local papers, you’ll rarely travel, and the perks are few. On many magazines, you will have to travel internationally. Car and motorbike magazines mean driving or riding the latest models. You could be interviewing top people and celebrities or getting all the music equipment you can fit into your flat. Imagine working on a magazine like Business Traveller. How do business people travel? And where do they stay? You can’t write about it unless you fly first or business class, and stay in four and five-star hotels.