Retraining as journalist

[mrsfredweasley]

I currently work in school admin and it's an ok job but I know it's not where I want to be forever. I recently had a job offer to move to an area much better suited to me but the hours/pay weren't as good as where I am now so I had to turn it down.

Since this, I've had a chat with the head teacher who said she wishes she could offer me something more because she believes I can do more than I'm currently doing, but there's nothing available.

I'm now looking to retrain in something I've always be passionate about, which is writing. I considered a writing MA but believe it'd be better for myself and family life if I could work towards getting a qualification for a career as opposed to just studying.

Does anyone have any tips on how to crack into journalism at age 30?? 🙏🏼

Former journalist here.
Writing is only a small part of journalism. Being interested in people, enjoying meeting and being able to talk to people from all walks of life, the ability to sift through a load of information to find the relevant bits, a sense for news etc are just as important. And these days, using social media, taking photos and the ability to film short videos for use on websites are important - journalists are expected to be multi skilled as papers look to cut costs by getting rid of staff.
In general it’s a job which requires a huge amount of commitment, even at local paper level. Council meetings are often in the evenings. Regional papers or local radio would likely expect you to work shifts including weekends. Part time or job share is virtually unheard of.
There’s a huge demand for both jobs and places on training schemes, and you’ll be in competition with fiercely determined young people in their late teens and early 20s.
If you succeed, you’re likely to find yourself doing the what’s on column, sitting in court and the aforementioned council meetings for hours, maybe writing property profiles. It’s not glamorous, although it can be interesting and every day is different.
I don’t want to put you off, but if your passion is writing you might be better looking at public relations or marketing, or creative writing.
Do feel free to ask me anything. Just need to pop out for a few hours but will be back later.

Oh and you’d have to study law, local and national government, shorthand etc, as well as how to structure articles, either on a training course or on the job.

I'm going to give you some advice I wish someone had given me 5 years ago: don't do it.

The days of investigative journalism are long gone. The internet has resulted in falling print revenues, and as a consequence, titles are closing all the time and journos are constantly made redundant. The titles that are still going are chasing web clicks over quality journalism in order to generate ad revenue - look at your local paper's website, and I guarantee it will be filled with clickbait. This is the reality, and the only way for news publications to make money now, and even then they're not making enough. It has resulted in many journos leaving the profession voluntarily, or being pushed out. Many newsrooms today are full of people under 30, including the editor.

If you want to work for a specialist publication, things are slightly less bleak, and national newspapers still have print teams that favour quality writing and news. However, it's very hard to get these jobs as you usually need to gain the senior journalist qualification on a local first.

To top it all, the pay is also very low and unliveable in some parts of the country.

It's not all bad though- it gives a good foundation for other jobs, such as communications.

@Papergirl1968 not sure how long ago you worked at a local, but now it's very rare for journos to leave the office for council meetings, most news is found on social media

Jobs are increasingly competitive, with redundancy rounds happening frequently. Starting pay is low, and will stay that way for years as you work your way up the ladder. And as PP have said, the golden age of investigative journalism and setting the agenda have mostly been replaced with scouring the internet for the stories most likely to go viral.

If you feel strongly about journalism that's one thing. But perhaps worth exploring options in communication or marketing as alternate ways to turn a passion for writing into a career.

Thank you all for your replies and advice. Much food for thought. It might be worth me pursuing the creative writing MA I've had my eye on for years instead as potentially more opportunities available.

It's also good to hear from past journalists definitely. Thank you