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If you can smell news where others hardly suspect it, if you can write even under very strict deadlines, if you are willing to work24#7; well.you are certainly cut out to be a journalist. Journalism is a very exacting profession. It demands total commitment. But what are the avenues open to you?
You can be Reporter, covering the entire gamut of life, from accidents to zoological parks. To be a reporter you need drive and determination. The press reporter's job can at times be taxing but never boring. You brush shoulders with celebrities and criminals and build an enviable network of acquaintances. And that's not all, you have a chance to specialize if you want, in areas like legal reporting, business reporting, science reporting, etc.

You can be a Sub Editor, if you have the incisive eye of an eagle that can detect syntax errors, coin arresting headlines and work at odd hours of the day. Of course you may hardly see the outside world like the reporter, but you will derive immense pleasure when you read the copy you had corrected come out in print.
You can hope to be a News Editor, if your work as a reporter has been impressive, and may be even Editor if you are a real achiever.
Broadcast media demands something more. If you have a good screen presence and voice modulation, well you can very well be in front of the camera. Mind you, behind the glamour is the grind, it is certainly not a bed or roses.There are opportunities behind the camera too, but you may need additional technical qualifications
If you feel you are adept in persuading people, both using oral and written words, well may be you are cut out for Public Relations, people who are sometimes derisively called spin doctors. They usually represent corporations big and small, or may be even the Government and Non-Profit Organizations. They go by different designations, but they all do the same job molding public opinion in favor of the organization.
If you feel you are happy coining captions and slogans, writing brochures and similar work, may be advertising is your life's calling. People who are called the hidden persuaders' and who are wordsmiths by inclination.
If you are comfortable using the net, know the intricacies of the web then probably you can be a content provider for blogs and web sites. Journalism is one field where the opportunities are wide and inviting.But it all comes at a price ...namely hardwork and a desire to excel

Learn more about this author, Ramachandran Mammayil.
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