by Moe Zilla

Created on: May 10, 2009   Last Updated: July 08, 2011

It's easier to earn your big break after getting your foot in the door! For example, reporter Carl Bernstein actually dropped out of college - but then he won a Pulitzer Prize for journalism at the Washington Post. He'd started as the Post's copyboy, proud to work his way up at one of America's major newspapers. His experience proves an important lesson about landing your first journalism job: paying your dues can pay off!

Before considering resume-writing tips or enthusiastic words of encouragement, face the truth: it may take hard work. Some entry-level newspaper positions require late hours "putting the paper to bed," very unglamorous writing assignments, or painstaking attention to details on stories written by others. If you love journalism, you'll love the chance to be a part of it, and it's a great way to learn the industry while paying your dues. But here's some tips that will make it even easier to land your first journalism job.

Starting Small

Your first assignment might be proofreading or preparing the "crime blotter", but many reporters have surprisingly fond memories of a different first newspaper assignment: writing obituaries. "It's a great first job for any journalist," one reporter remembers, "because you learn very quickly the importance of accuracy. If you make a mistake in writing an obituary, the phones start ringing and they don't stop!" It's a first-job tradition that stems back several decades, and an editor may appreciate it if you signal that you're aware of it. Show some enthusiasm - after all, news is news - and indicate that you've studied their obituary format, and you know how to write them.

But as a professional journalist, I also know that some publications can surprise you, offering your first assignment the day of your job interview. It's an editor's way of determining what you're capable of, and it's a no-risk option for them. (The article is written "on spec," meaning they won't pay you unless they decide to publish it!) Be ready to answer the question: what would you write about if you were working for us today? And if they do give you an assignment, make sure you don't miss your deadline!

Either way, editors will pay careful attention to your response, so bring the same enthusiasm to your first journalism job, even if it means writing obituaries instead. ("When you think about it, obituaries are like biographies," remembers another reporter, describing their own first writing experience. "[O]ne can't alter the plot. But a

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