Tag Archives: journalism

At a farewell lunch recently, an intern who had been working for me asked for some career advice.  He we moving on to his first full-time gig in the real world as an online journalist for a local community newspaper.   He said he wanted to avoid the mistakes most beginners make on their first job and wondered what advice I could give him based on my long-term experience in journalism and content development.

I appreciated that he wanted to skip those common hurdles most newbies make, but the first thing I told him was that he will make mistakes and, if he’s lucky, he can turn them into teaching moments for himself.  Those moments are what you can look back upon as keystones of professional growth.

That said, I provided these additional pointers:

• Be patient……but not too patient. The difference between a good and a great employee is coming to the table with some value-add.  Give more than you need to.  But work relationships are a two-way street.  It may be a red flag if you find that you are continuously giving more than you get.  Set boundaries early on and you’ll find you will feel respected rand appreciated rather than taken for granted.
• Invent…and then re-invent your job. A job description is just what got you in the door.  Once you’ve arrived, you need to invent and re-invent your job.  Think of your job as a blank canvas.  You’re the artist and the splashes of color you place on that canvas needs to result in figuring out a solution to a new problem or discovering new ways to engage and interact.  Competence is no longer a scarce commodity so you need to stand out.  As Seth Godin aptly noted recently, “Your job is…to take risks, to put yourself out there, to do remarkable things, to touch people and connect, to take responsibility.”
• Listen, listen and listen some more. In this all-things digital world, the emphasis is on pushing out tweets, likes, updates and comments.  But to truly serve your readers….or online visitors, you need to listen.  As a reporter, it’s critical to actively listen to your interviewee’s answer before focusing on asking the next one.  Great journalism…great content…is about creating a dialogue.  It requires the give-and-take of having a true conversation.  It’s important to cultivate skills as a great interviewer.  But it’s even more important to excel at being a great listener.
• Write daily. Whether it’s a feature story, a blog post, a blog comment or something more, write daily.  It’s the reality of the business that the job entails more than just writing.  Depending on the organization, those other parts of the job can seemingly take up more of your day.  Make time to write….for your job and for yourself.  It will keep you fresh, engaged and passionate about your craft.
• Keep your eye on the prize.  Throw everything you’ve got at your current job.  But remember, you’re building a career. Make sure you actively develop your personal brand.  Keep an eye out for interesting and new opportunities.  Take advantage of new projects and opportunities your employer has to offer.  User those opportunities to shine. But if you find, those opportunities don’t materialize, pursue them elsewhere.
• Learn how to navigate the waters of organizational culture. Pay close attention to the culture of the organization.  Is it customer-focused  or “silo-focused”?  Is everyone’s voice heard? Does your boss routinely provide you opportunities to grow or seek to shut the gate? Can you learn from others in the organization?   Like it or not, culture plays an important role in whether or not you can succeed on the job.  When it comes to culture, strive to be a contributor, not a detractor.
• Stay fresh. Read others’ work. Expand your horizons.  Get inspired by others’ work.  Read the blogs of other writers, whether they’re working in your industry or not.  Learn from them.  Aspire to do better and be better.
• Understand what it is to be truly customer-focused. To remain viable in today’s marketplace, you have to be truly customer-focused.  That means you need to actively take steps to understand your readers or site visitors.  What content resonates with them?  What is motivating them?  What kind of information do they need?  It means putting aside your pre-conceived notions and being willing to truly listen to and fulfill the needs of your customers.  No one gets paid to simply write for themselves.  It’s a business and your customers are driving it. 
• Check your ego at the door. With any new job, you’ll come to it with lots of great ideas.   Some of your ideas may be implemented or adopted….others won’t.  Your opinions and ideas may be more welcome in certain organizations more than others.  Remember, when you work for someone else, you’re part of a team.  It’s not all about you.  So if you’ve got great ideas, bring ‘em on!  But make sure those ideas will add value to your customers and employer. 
• Words matter.  Choose them wisely.  Journalists and writers—both online and in print—have always yielded a certain amount of power by the virtue of what they do.  Words matter.  Choose them wisely.  They can be used to motivate, inspire, teach….and harm.  Always keep in mind there are human beings reading what you write.  So when you creating content, do so with integrity.
• Love what you do and do what you love. It’s a cliché for a reason.  It’s true.  When you stop loving your job, start looking for another opportunity and keep looking until you find the one that’s the right fit.  Life is too short not to engage in work you love.  It doesn’t mean you’ll leave everything about your job or your employer.  But when you strip everything else away, the work at its core needs to be fulfilling for you.  
• Don’t be afraid to stand out. The way to stand out is to be different…and be yourself.  Don’t be afraid to show off your personality .  Most employers today aren’t looking for cookie cutter employees.  They want someone who can bring out-of-the-box thinking to the table.  It’s sometimes easier said than done.  When you put yourself out there, you can be vulnerable and risk the chance of being shot down.  But building your personal brand in today’s marketplace is important…and that means letting people know who you are.
• Add value. Every day, in every way, add value.  Making a difference in the lives of your readers, customers and employers will differentiate you.  As Seth Godin noted, “Don’t strive to be heard when you’re here.  Work to be missed when you’re not.”

What have I missed?  What other great advice would you have given my intern?  Would love to hear what other words of wisdom my peers are living and working by.

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