Are you looking to kick off your career with entry-level journalism jobs? Look no further! today, we will explore this fantastic career opportunity with you from the starting line – how to land entry level journalism jobs.
Majoring in journalism opens up a whole new horizon for personal and professional growth. Why? Being able to articulate yourself means you can easily get the words through and touch people’s hearts. You can facilitate changes and even influence others. Thus mastering these skills is essential for anyone to climb up their career ladder.
Let’s dive in together!
Table of Contents
What Do Journalism Jobs Entail?
People usually associate journalism with a journalist – a person who gathers information, composes stories and writes to publish in newspapers, journals, or magazines.
However, journalism entails a broader job scope, from managing company online profiles to handling marketing strategies. Sometimes, it might involve designing or video editing.
What sits at the intersection of these jobs is the ability to collect information, tell stories, communicate, and deliver messages.
Studying journalism does not necessarily mean working as a journalist. There are plenty of choices out there, and each is unique. So you need to pick a niche that suits you most and try to polish the skill sets associated with that job.
5 Types of Entry-level Jobs And Their Pay Rates
There are many variations when it comes to journalism jobs. However, these are 5 main job titles that you may come across from time to time.
Reporter
As a reporter, you will be responsible for catching the latest news and writing stories. This includes building your network, interviewing people, going to different places to report on current events.
If you seek a 9 to 5 job, this may not be ideal as you will work with tight deadlines regardless of holidays or weekends. However, the rewarding side is that it offers a wide range of opportunities to meet new people, see your work make a real impact, and get to different places.
The salary range for entry-level reporters is between $29,937 and $47,030, and it varies depending on different elements such as certifications, skills, years of experience, etc.
Editorial Assistant
As an editorial assistant, your responsibilities might be different, determined by the workplace, whether at a newspaper, a magazine, or a publishing house. However, the essence of this job is to ensure content accuracy, follow up with the writers, get their writings submitted on time, etc.
All in all, if you are excellent in writing and communicating, meticulous, and well-organized, this job is a perfect fit!
An editorial assistant in the US can earn $39,890 per year at entry-level with a view to progressing to an editor, senior editor, or other managerial positions.
Social Media Specialist
As a social media specialist, you will monitor, manage content on all platforms such as websites, Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. It includes building and implementing social media strategy, craft comprehensive and compelling content. Sometimes, it involves measuring website metrics and design.
At an entry-level, a social media specialist can earn roughly $36,000 annually. The top 10% of social media specialists can get $64,000, nearly double the amount of that of an entry-level.
A Day in the Life of a Social Media Manager
Content Writer
Bringing your writing skills and SEO knowledge (Techniques to get your articles more visible in search results) to life and boosting traffic for your website are a content writer’s job. On top of that, research skills, SEO techniques, domain knowledge are what you should master to succeed as a digital content writer.
An entry-level content writer in the US receives $44,252 annually. This is a fixed rate while working full-time at a company. However, excellent content writers with domain knowledge can make more as they provide writing services to many other companies as a side job or freelance job.
How To Become A Freelance Copywriter & Get Your First Client
Communications Coordinator
The communications coordinator role involves multiple tasks, from running social media campaigns, managing internal communication to building networks with media outlets and organizing events.
They are excellent communicators, good at organizing and networking.
The average pay rate for a communication coordinator in the US typically falls between $41,321 and $52,225 per year.
How To Get A Job At A Newspaper Agency?
To land a job at a newspaper agency, you don’t necessarily have to major in journalism, as long as you have the grit and skills to show you have what it takes to get your job done. Here’s what you need to do.
First, a proven experience will help you stand out from other candidates. Try to get involved with writing, publishing, media roles at school. An internship experience would help too. Build yourself a portfolio with your best works, and then you can move on to the next step.
List down the newspaper agencies that you want to apply to. At an entry-level, you may want to try with the local newspapers and work your way up as metropolitan news would most likely require practical experiences beforehand.
Then, draft a compelling cover letter and send it to the agencies. Get right to the point and state your purpose. Send it along with your portfolio and make sure it contains no spelling or grammatical errors. You need to ensure you present yourself in the best way possible.
Finally, track your applications and update the progress as you go along. You may not nail your dream job in the first place, but take the lesson and learn from it.
On a side note, many people working in a newspaper get their job by networking. From forming great relationships with your lecturers, professors, or managers at your previous company, you may get the offer without going through the above process.
Things You Should Know When Taking Journalism Jobs At Entry-level
What Is A Beat In Journalism?
This question comes up many times for those who first step into this industry.
Simply put, a beat is a news topic that a journalist will focus on in their writings or articles. The idea of the beat is to make journalism more efficient as everyone can dive deep into a subject and provide more valuable insights.
There are many beats in journalism, but the most popular ones to mention are politics, economy, travel, lifestyle, food, sport, business.
3 Things To Keep In Mind
We believe now you can roll up your sleeves and find your dream job!
However, before you get the ball rolling, here are some nuggets of wisdom to take
- Relationships. Invest in meaningful relationships around you. Journalism professors and managers can connect you with the right people. Also, keep in touch with your peers, do your best at your internships and always be helpful.
- Salary. We have listed down the average pay for each of the roles in journalism. However, it would be best if you did further research as the ranges may be different based on where you live, the nature of the job, the companies, etc. Do your research and be confident to negotiate.
- Perseverance. Journalism is a competitive and ever-changing industry. You have to be tough and emotionally stable to deal with the ups and downs. After all, readers are short on patience and always long for useful information. Also, working in journalism is demanding. It goes beyond the notion of 9 to 5, and you might find yourself working around the clock sometimes. However, bear in mind that the job is also rewarding in many aspects. Stick with your passion and bring out the best of yourself.
Over To You
We hope this article has equipped you with insights into entry-level journalism jobs. It’s your turn to put what you learned into action. Be prepared and give it the best try. Let Jobandedu know how it goes in the comment section below! Best of luck! Spend your me-time following other career-advice posts!
