A journalism degree opens up many possibilities. The NCTJ gathered advice from media pros on routes into the industry and the skills required
A journalism degree opens up many more doors than working for your local newspaper or Sky News. Being a journalist also requires a broader set of skills than speaking in front of a camera. But if you are weighing up a career in journalism, you may not realise these things.
The NCTJ (National Council for the Training of Journalists) has published a careers guide for aspiring journalists. It contains interviews with top journalists to understand what they do and how they broke into the industry.
There is a roadmap of all the different routes into the industry, as well as some first steps and golden rules for journalists. Here is a great tip from BBC News investigative journalist Kafui Okpattah on landing story scoops, showing that good journalists are excellent listeners.
"All of my stories have come from weird tip-offs from strange accounts, but remember that everybody has a story and never say no. It's our place to listen," he says.
The careful reader will also notice a double spread with yours truly on pages 20 and 21 on all things podcasting. I hope you find my advice useful on getting behind the microphone.
You can check out the Journalism.co.uk podcast on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud and Spotify
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