What do I need to get on your course?
A degree helps - We don’t insist on it, but it gives you an edge. And the range of degrees useful in journalism is much wider than you might expect. English, media studies or related degrees are not essential. A degree in a less obvious subject such as computing, business studies, the sciences, architecture or sports management is a real bonus. It’s usually much easier for people with these specialisms to find jobs.

Languages can also prove useful. One of our graduates secured her job on an international political title because she spoke four languages fluently. Several publishers with international magazines will look very favourably on those with fluency in another language.

We look first and foremost for people with determination to be journalists, not merely those with first-class honours (though this shows something too). We have taken several people who were already working on a newspaper, magazine or in PR, but who saw no chance of developing or learning the essential skills in their present job. At least one person on each course will probably have left a paid job to take the course.

Prove that you want to be a journalist by supplying cuttings, or at least stories that you have sent off to newspapers or magazines (not poetry or letters). It doesn’t matter if they’ve been rejected. It proves you want to do it.
Most of all, you should have undertaken some work attachment, preferably on a commercial (rather than just a college) magazine.

We want to see that you have a command of English (hence the 450-word interview we ask you to write as part of your application). We expect your application to be without spelling, grammar or punctuation mistakes.
But just as important are persistence, adaptability, an ability to relate to people, being able to work under pressure and work well in a team.

Work experience
It’s unlikely that you’ll gain a place on any course unless you’ve done some sort of work experience. It doesn’t matter where this is. Ideally, it will be on a magazine, but a radio station or local paper are just as valid. However, try to go somewhere that gives you the chance to gain some cuttings.

If you dream of working on Cosmopolitan, Glamour, National Geographic, Wanderlust or Loaded, you can probably get some work experience on those titles. But it’s unlikely to be very fulfilling. Magazines that get a large number of requests for work experience have a very well organised and formal system, which generally involves a lot of "shadowing" other journalists, getting sandwiches, doing photocopying and maybe a bit of research. The fact that you’ve spent a fortnight there isn’t going to get you a job on that title. The big-name magazines are swamped with applications from enthusiastic amateurs who haven’t written a word in anger. They tend not to appoint beginners. You may secure a job on these titles, but it will probably be your third or fourth job, not your first one.

Your best work experience will probably come from a website or trade magazine. Unless you have a specific interest, we wouldn’t advise Lloyd’s Shipping Economist or Polymer Paints Colour Journal. But if you’ve worked as a social worker, try Health Service Journal. If you’ve had a Saturday job at John Lewis, write to Retail Week. If your mother is a nurse, or your father is a GP, try Nursing Times or Pulse. All these magazines are national newspapers for an industry. They write about global stories on key events that the national press often "lift". They will probably give you the chance to write something. You’ll leave there with some worthwhile cuttings, which look impressive to a course director and later, to an employer.

You can find out about these magazines and many others from Benn’s Media Directory, which is probably in your local library. It lists every magazine in the UK. Most will be ones you won’t have heard about because they are "controlled circulation", going directly to people in that sector or industry. They are also the best places to find that first job.