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| If the media want better young recruits, they need to look past work experience | If the media want better young recruits, they need to look past work experience |
| (4 months later) | |
| Those looking to set out into a career in journalism have a daunting task ahead of them. As a recent graduate on that very subject I've quickly discovered the state of post-graduate prospects are, at the best, varied. | Those looking to set out into a career in journalism have a daunting task ahead of them. As a recent graduate on that very subject I've quickly discovered the state of post-graduate prospects are, at the best, varied. |
| Mischa Wilmers' Northerner article on the benefits of moving abroad to find work as a hopeful journalist holds a lot of truth; sadly, for some it is an inconvenient truth. The constantly growing list of graduates battling over positions in an industry that is doing more firing than hiring is daunting enough, and when many parts of that industry are struggling to remain solvent themselves the situation gets worse. | Mischa Wilmers' Northerner article on the benefits of moving abroad to find work as a hopeful journalist holds a lot of truth; sadly, for some it is an inconvenient truth. The constantly growing list of graduates battling over positions in an industry that is doing more firing than hiring is daunting enough, and when many parts of that industry are struggling to remain solvent themselves the situation gets worse. |
| It is true: fresh-faced graduates can certainly find their odds significantly increased by casting their career nets beyond the borders of the United Kingdom, but for many those international waters are strictly out-of-bounds. | It is true: fresh-faced graduates can certainly find their odds significantly increased by casting their career nets beyond the borders of the United Kingdom, but for many those international waters are strictly out-of-bounds. |
| The ability to move straight from education and into the field of journalism requires a certain amount of privilege. Before this reasoning makes me sound bitter, let me explain. | The ability to move straight from education and into the field of journalism requires a certain amount of privilege. Before this reasoning makes me sound bitter, let me explain. |
| In journalism, a higher degree is pretty much a prerequisite; employers want to know that the material they publish is well-sourced and won't lead to any legal issues due to inaccuracy. Before a headline is even written, those who are not able to afford thousands of pounds worth of postgrad course fees have the sole option of taking out a career development loan. Only two banks will entertain a CDL for this purpose: the Co-operative and Barclays, and both include almost immediate repayments after studying at 9.9%APR. | In journalism, a higher degree is pretty much a prerequisite; employers want to know that the material they publish is well-sourced and won't lead to any legal issues due to inaccuracy. Before a headline is even written, those who are not able to afford thousands of pounds worth of postgrad course fees have the sole option of taking out a career development loan. Only two banks will entertain a CDL for this purpose: the Co-operative and Barclays, and both include almost immediate repayments after studying at 9.9%APR. |
| This means that the income necessary to keep up with the repayments alone are not realistically available in many foreign lands. Even as a freelancer, as Wilmers identifies, it takes an amount of time (three months in his case) to find the right contacts and establish oneself in a new place, and many will simply not have the funds to consider this. | This means that the income necessary to keep up with the repayments alone are not realistically available in many foreign lands. Even as a freelancer, as Wilmers identifies, it takes an amount of time (three months in his case) to find the right contacts and establish oneself in a new place, and many will simply not have the funds to consider this. |
| Unlike loans taken out through the Student Loans Company, banks have no remit that allows you to earn before they start charging you, so graduates have a month prior to finishing their studies to find a job (often any job) to keep up with the fast-flowing repayments. This is what I did. | Unlike loans taken out through the Student Loans Company, banks have no remit that allows you to earn before they start charging you, so graduates have a month prior to finishing their studies to find a job (often any job) to keep up with the fast-flowing repayments. This is what I did. |
| After a month of not surprisingly unsuccessful applications in my chosen industry, I had an interview for an editorial assistant position at a commercial lighting magazine. For the two positions there were 400 hopeful applicants; I 'finished third', so to speak, though due to some experience in part-time sales I was offered a position in the company's advertising department. | After a month of not surprisingly unsuccessful applications in my chosen industry, I had an interview for an editorial assistant position at a commercial lighting magazine. For the two positions there were 400 hopeful applicants; I 'finished third', so to speak, though due to some experience in part-time sales I was offered a position in the company's advertising department. |
| I accepted, mostly to save myself going into arrears, and thinking that any job in the industry is positive. For what it's worth I am enjoying it, but I worry that my stock as a journalist is being devalued the longer I stay out of journalism. | I accepted, mostly to save myself going into arrears, and thinking that any job in the industry is positive. For what it's worth I am enjoying it, but I worry that my stock as a journalist is being devalued the longer I stay out of journalism. |
| The people I know who have been able to move abroad in search of the elusive career in journalism are all journalists of a high standard, but I do question the general calibre of person that the system ruthlessly allows through its filters. Do you need to be a good journalist to get the best advantages? Not necessarily. Do you need the privileges of relative wealth to succeed? I would argue that this is true in an uncomfortable amount of cases. And finally, does this mean that a large part of the media – a construction with the admittedly idealistic purpose of "speaking for the people" – is inherently middle-class as a result? I would cautiously say that it is. | The people I know who have been able to move abroad in search of the elusive career in journalism are all journalists of a high standard, but I do question the general calibre of person that the system ruthlessly allows through its filters. Do you need to be a good journalist to get the best advantages? Not necessarily. Do you need the privileges of relative wealth to succeed? I would argue that this is true in an uncomfortable amount of cases. And finally, does this mean that a large part of the media – a construction with the admittedly idealistic purpose of "speaking for the people" – is inherently middle-class as a result? I would cautiously say that it is. |
| The divide in fortune is not just apparent in location either. The industry favours work experience as a means to show off your wares to future employers, though similarly it is only those who have the financial resources to subsidise months' worth of unpaid, often London-based work who are able to do so. A full page of various national placements on a CV will prove the ambition and industriousness of a potential employee beyond that of a McDonald's reference for four years of mid-uni burger-flipping, but it probably shouldn't – not if media companies want the best people to improve their businesses. | The divide in fortune is not just apparent in location either. The industry favours work experience as a means to show off your wares to future employers, though similarly it is only those who have the financial resources to subsidise months' worth of unpaid, often London-based work who are able to do so. A full page of various national placements on a CV will prove the ambition and industriousness of a potential employee beyond that of a McDonald's reference for four years of mid-uni burger-flipping, but it probably shouldn't – not if media companies want the best people to improve their businesses. |
| For some would-be journos, postgraduate education can be the antithesis to achieving your actual career ambitions. If you want to work abroad, persistently pestering editors without a degree in-hand is more agreeable than not being able to because you have one. It would take more work, but this should be a viable option for those without the financial clout to afford a higher education. | For some would-be journos, postgraduate education can be the antithesis to achieving your actual career ambitions. If you want to work abroad, persistently pestering editors without a degree in-hand is more agreeable than not being able to because you have one. It would take more work, but this should be a viable option for those without the financial clout to afford a higher education. |
| Delving into the Northerner's debate on the matter is recommended for anyone looking to get into the industry, as is speaking to as many people as possible on their experiences. I would say that being informed on life after education is as invaluable as anything you will learn from it, and avoiding naïvety is essential. | Delving into the Northerner's debate on the matter is recommended for anyone looking to get into the industry, as is speaking to as many people as possible on their experiences. I would say that being informed on life after education is as invaluable as anything you will learn from it, and avoiding naïvety is essential. |
| Mark Hattersley is a recent masters graduate from the University of Salford. He tweets @MarkHattersley1 and runs a Latin America-centric news blog @HispanicEye and www.hispaniceye.com | Mark Hattersley is a recent masters graduate from the University of Salford. He tweets @MarkHattersley1 and runs a Latin America-centric news blog @HispanicEye and www.hispaniceye.com |
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