Getting Your First Job in Journalism

It seem like a new study comes out every three months telling journalism students that they’ve chosen a horrible profession and  they’ll never be able to get a job.

A list from CareerCast ranked “newspaper reporter” as the 199th out of 200 worst jobs for anyone to pursue as recently as May.

I can’t give you a decent reason why you should trust a site like CareerCast, which I’m sure most of you have never heard of (myself included), but what I can do is tell you that it’s not as bad as it seems.

It does get better. At least that is according to the New Hampshire Union Leader’s Zachary Ward, Atlantic Media’s Zainab Mudallal, Montgomery County Gazette’s Adam Gutekunst and Monumental Network’s Lindsay Simpson – all Maryland alumni and all earning paychecks.

We asked them what it takes to get your first job, here is what they had to say:

     1.         How many job applications did you send out and when did you start sending them?

Ward: I sent out a ton of job applications, too many to remember all of them. I started sending them out a little before I graduated. I think three of them turned into phone interviews and I had one in-person interview at the Union Leader. The others were too far away to do in person.

Mudallal: Too many to count. I want to say maybe around 25. I started sending them out at around the end of September, since a lot were fellowships that had early deadlines. That didn’t stop until around March when I heard back from Atlantic Media.

Guteknust: I started too late on the application process. I actually graduated early in December and didn’t start applying until after I had graduated. I was in a hole for a few months working odd jobs and sending out tons of resumes before I got a call.

Simpson: Too many to count. I reached out to everyone in my network and asked for advice or guidance rather than asking for a job outright. I also used the networks of the professors at Merrill to find out which contacts they had that might be able to help me.

     2.         What surprised you the most about the job application process which you weren’t aware of before applying?

Ward:  I guess I was surprised by how hard it was. There were a lot of places to apply, which was a pleasant surprise. But it seemed like a lot of people were applying to each place. So I was surprised by the volume of competition out there.

Mudallal: There are a lot of writing tests and in person interviews, so I wasn’t prepared to skip so many classes for them.

Guteknust: How unresponsive some companies are. I’d say 85 percent of the companies I applied to I never heard back from.

     3.         How much of an influence did coming out of the University of Maryland have?

Ward: I’m really proud to come from Maryland’s sports journalism program. It has greatly influenced who I am as a journalist. At my freelance jobs before I got hired, coming from Merrill helped me fit right in and know what I was doing.

Mudallal: Most employers took note of the strong journalism school, but the biggest influence was the networking opportunities. I probably wouldn’t have the job I have now if I didn’t talk to Atlantic Media at the career fair, then go to Georgetown’s career fair and talk to them again. And it was Adrianne Flynn‘s emails that notified me of the Georgetown fair.

Guteknust: A ton. People in the journalism field respect Maryland a lot. It has a great program and incredible pull. Employers know that once you’ve made it through this program, you’re ready for anything they can throw at you.

Simpson: It was a game changer for me. I wouldn’t be where I am now without the support and mentorship of the professors at Maryland. So many of them put their necks out to recommend me or put me in touch with people in the journalism world that might be able to help me find a job.

    4.         What steps did you take to prepare for your job interview and how many of your applications were rejected?

Ward: I researched the outlet and prepared questions. One editor asked me to interview him about the job and the outlet, probably to assess my interview skills. I had a lot of rejections and like I said only four that moved on to the interview stage.

Mudallal: I was rejected everywhere but two places. In preparation of the job interview, it depends on the publication. But in general, I brushed up on each of the interviewers’ expertise and experience. When it came to my Quartz and Reuters interviews, I heavily studied geopolitics and financial news happening at the time, because I knew that was what each publication reported on. I also always like to come up a couple, thought-out, detailed story pitches because almost all employers ask that to see if you can come up with a good story for their publication. I also prepared a list of questions for each employer about the position, publication and how they got to where they are.

Guteknust: The first step to any interview, for me, is being prepared to ask questions. Obviously the employer will have a lot of questions for you, but if you have a list of your own questions prepared, it shows that you’re interested and you’ve taken the time to learn about them, just as they’re trying to do with you. Almost all of my applications were rejected.

     5.         Do you agree with the sentiment that it’s tough to get a job in journalism in today’s climate or was it relatively easily for you?

Ward: I agree that it is hard. I knew that being a sports writer is what I wanted to do, so I always held out hope that there would be jobs even when a lot of people were saying they would be scarce. Like I said, it was a pleasant surprise how many jobs there were. There were new places to apply to almost every day. But it is still very difficult to find a good fit. I had someone at the Providence Journal tell me they have been hiring someone new in sports about every three years. Where I freelanced at The MetroWest Daily News, there was also no sign of a full time job opening up any time soon. So it can take a while at some places. Where I ended up in Manchester, there were just a lot of people leaving all at once, including the now former sports editor who had brought me on as a freelancer. He told me the Union Leader needed some new blood. It just worked out perfectly.

Mudallal: It is tough to get a job in journalism if you aren’t passionate. If you’re willing to go to every networking event and skip some classes and bar nights to set up informational interviews with potential employers and fill out applications, then it isn’t so tough.

Guteknust: It’s definitely not easy. You have to really put yourself out there and make it known you want the job. The best piece of advice is use the contacts that are around you every day at Knight Hall. Those members of the staff have already distinguished themselves as standouts in media and they’re seriously there to help you. Develop relationships with them and don’t be timid to network. That’s how almost all the people I know that got jobs, have them – through networking.

Simpson: It is very difficult to find a job in general in today’s world and unfortunately journalism is especially difficult.  But there are jobs out there, you just have to keep searching and not get discouraged.  Use the skills you learned as a journalist to help you find a job – reach out to all of your contacts, ask people you meet questions, find out who they know.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help.  The field of journalism is unique from other industries because it is a field that truly seems to grasp the concept of “paying it back.”  So many in this industry that have become successful, only became so because someone at some point in their life gave them a chance.  So many are willing to repay the favor to the next generation of journalists so use that to your advantage.

  6.         What were you involved with at the University and what influence did that have in finding your first job?

Ward: I was involved with WMUC Sports – definitely a great experience. I also did CNS, filmed for Terps TV and wrote for the Povich Center and Unwind! Definitely good to get a little taste of all kinds of media. I also wrote for SB Nation’s women’s basketball site, which gave me my first experience as a beat writer for a major college program (Maryland women’s basketball) and a professional team (the Washington Mystics). Blogs are great and they allow you to write a lot. The person I talked to at the Providence Journal is now the Red Sox beat writer there and he said having his own blog on the side while he freelanced for the Union Leader helped him get his job at the Journal. He encouraged me by saying that my blog experience would look just as impressive to a potential employer as anything else in this day and age.

Mudallal: I was involved at the Povich Center as a columnist, worked at the Journalism Center on Children and Families as an editorial assistant, and worked for the Capital News Service College Park bureau. The Povich Center helped me a lot by hosting networking events and putting me in touch with potential employers. My other job offer was because of a contact I made at a Povich Center event. CNS and JCCF helped me develop a beat and create digital clips to show employers, which helped.

Guteknust: I always knew that I wanted to do sports journalism so I made myself familiar with George Solomon and Beth Meechum. George actually recommended me for a job at the Gazette and though  I didn’t get the first one, they eventually hired me. I wouldn’t be where I am right now, doing what I love, without his help.

Simpson: I took advantage of every opportunity available to be a journalist.  I am a broadcast reporter so I tried to find as many opportunities as I could to practice and get on air.  I worked for TerpsTV broadcasting a lot of Maryland athletics.  I wrote as much as I could so I could keep up with my print/writing skills as well.  There are so many resources at Maryland, find them and take advantage of them!

 7.         What was the easiest and hardest thing about getting acclimated to your new environment?

Ward: It’s hard to say because I haven’t started my new job yet. The hardest thing about getting acclimated to my freelancing job right out of school was adjusting my writing style to the tone of the paper. I went from doing hard news, AP-style leads in 201 to doing soft leads at MetroWest. The easiest part was getting back to high school sports coverage and really enjoying being back in my home area.

Mudallal: The hardest thing was the level of work they expected and the amount. I had to just dive in but it took some time to produce multiple clips a day and adapt to their voice and reporting style.

Guteknust: The work load seems like a lot when you start, but then you realize that it’s your full-time job and it’s not as daunting. There’s nothing easy about it to start, except for the writing. The journalism school has you so prepared to write by the time you leave, that it just comes naturally.

8.         What skills and/or what class has had the most influence/impact on what you do daily?

Ward: That’s a tough question because they have all influenced me. I would say my sports reporting class now has the biggest impact on what I do daily. Obviously, I still think back to 201 as I mentioned and ethics and news editing actually comes up a lot. But gaining experience being in a pro sports locker room with my sports reporting class and writing running games stories are things that are really helping me out the most now.

Mudallal: Probably Capital News Service. It was the closest thing to a real newsroom in the sense that we were reporting all day but not as intense.

Guteknust: All the classes have really been beneficial. You can’t be a good journalist if you’re not well-rounded. There are times every day that I’m using skills I picked up in grammar class, journalism ethics, and news reporting, to name a few.

Simpson: CNS prepared me for life as a journalist more than any other single class I took. I had to learn what news truly is and how to find it. I learned how to walk into an unknown environment, quickly identify a story, shoot, track and edit within a few hours.  That background has given me a significant advantage in the workplace because not many people are trained to be so self-sufficient and efficient in their reporting.

9.         What is the key piece of advice you would give to budding sports journalists at UMD on how to find a really good job coming out of college?

Ward: My key piece of advice would be to enjoy the freelancing experience if it comes up and build up as many clips as you can. While I’m glad I found a job, my freelance beat for the Union Leader covering the New England Patriots was an amazing experience and one I’m giving up now to cover different things. So sometimes freelance opportunities can make it worth waiting a little bit.

Mudallal: For sports journalists, the Povich Center is your best friend. They have a huge array of contacts and can help put you in touch with employers, so try to be as involved with them as possible.

Guteknust: Network, network, network. There’s a gold mine of contacts right there on campus. Take advantage of it.

Simpson: Get to know your professors!  Find out as much as you can about them.  Ask them for advice, guidance and training.  They are a wealth of knowledge and have an unbelievable network.  And some of them will become your friends or colleagues after you graduate.  The essence of journalism is getting to know people and building relationships.  Apply those same principles to your job search and you will end up just fine.