by Rachelle de Bretagne

Created on: May 10, 2009   Last Updated: August 18, 2011

Journalism takes a writer into a world where their words matter and are read by the public. It's a great big competitive world where the competition is fierce. Being given a first chance at getting a job in the journalism field is a stepping stone to a future which, approached in the right way, can help a writer to ensure their success in the field of public writing. This article is written for beginners in the world of journalism and spells out what it takes to move forward from that first assignment and your successful landing of your first job in journalism. The following points are covered:

The importance of the assignment.

While someone wishing to become a journalist may have aspirations above their station, every assignment given to a potential journalist is a stepping stone, and none should ever be dismissed as unimportant or mundane. The assignment at hand should be handled in an effective manner by writers who can use their imagination to produce good quality work which attracts readers.

Journalists who are starting out must understand that in order to procure a job in journalism, they will be expected to produce work which editors require, rather than impose their own style. Professional journalists write to order. Publications they work for will have requests as to what they need and working within these parameters is vital to success.

Attitude towards the assignment.

If a beginning journalist sees the task they are given as menial, they miss a huge opportunity. Journalistic work is only dull if you allow it to become dull. A skilled journalist is able to write upon any subject, and to approach it with a fresh insight. The basic skills of reporting will be required though they do need to be aware of all limitations such as word limits, space available for their report, placement of their work in the edition, etc., in order to set parameters before starting the actual project. They may only have a very small editorial role and be asked to produce small copy with limited wording. The difference between a skilled journalist and an unskilled one is that they will be able to produce work which attracts readers and which covers the whole event within a limited word count. It's a skill worthy of practice, since journalists are always asked to produce work of a set length.

The attitude towards early assignments helps to define who you are as a journalist. Your enthusiasm towards any given assignment helps you to become more fluent and more capable of making

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