Learn How Can You Become Journalist

I know quite few people who would like to say "I write for New York Times"... OK, maybe not really the NYT, but similar big title. Career of journalist appeals to many as their dream work. How to become journalist? In my eyes, it's all about being journalist. You can't just become one, you need to be born one.

Why so? Because not everyone like to dig deeply into many different subjects just to write about them later. One of my buddies who was studying Journalism on University told me once, that "if you don't want to write about sex, politics and that poor child on the corner, you won't become journalist". You need to love the job even before doing it. It must be your passion.

If you don't feel the job, you won't achieve anything in this field. As soon as you will realize this, you will make your first step in self-development in the field of career. You need to feel like journalist already, if you do - you can start learning how to become better journalist.

In the old days, at the dawn of journalism and press, in order to become journalist guy would have to work in printing house, learn the job, then he would start working in the press office, then become an assistant to some older journalist, and finally, he would become journalist himself.

Then, things have changed and people needed to go to University in order to learn how to become journalist. In the moder world, things are so different. You don't need to go to University any more. But you need to learn. This is where self-education comes to play.

You need to start reading and learning how to write good content, how to investigate, how to use social engineering to acquire information; how to manage content, how to promote content, how to meet people, how to collect and manage information. Books, e-courses and other means of self-education are very important here.

Why is it so? Believe it or not, but if you think you will write for paper magazines, you're so wrong. Age of paper is over, today if you want to become journalist, you need to think about Internet and websites. This makes things much more easier. Modern world, and Web press changed things a lot. You don't need to study things for years now, you need:

• Knowledge - how to do things; it's something you get when you read a fine print.
• Experience - this is the knowledge you get when you don't read fine print.

But, let's discuss this step by step. First, you need to become writer. I mean, you need to learn how to write. In order to do so, you need to start writing.

• Blog - write about things you like. Visit problogger.net and learn how to manage great blog.
• Copywriting - master art of writing for Web, visit copyblogger.com to learn.
• Stories - start writing stories.
• Comment - write something in journalist style. Comment local events, interview people.

While you're mastering your writing, you need to create a website that will become your interactive resume. First, you need to chose your niche. What do you want to write about. Is this your hobby, your local town? Maybe you like politics, or celebrities? Choose the topic to create website about.

Then simple launch a blog, and start writing, and promoting it. With time, your writing skills will get better, and your website will become more popular. This will add you some exposure and maybe some magazines will get interested in your work.

With time and your blog growing (your modern resume), you can start looking for job.

• Job Boards - check out job boards where people are posting job offers. Maybe some bigger web portal is seeking authors?
• Big Websites - don't hesitate to write for bigger websites, sending them your classic CV and link to your blog. They might be interested in your work.
• Social Networks - interact with people on Twitter or Facebook, or any other useful social networks. Be sure to register an account on LinkedIn. Get in contact with people who pull the strings and stick with them. Don't promote yourself as author or journalist, just be a man. Engage social activities with these people, let them fall into interest with you as person, not someone looking for job. Then, they will offer you the job :).

Rules are simple - never hesitate and work on improving your skills. When you will manage to find a job, and you will be writing for bigger website, it will launch a chain reaction and you will become professional modern journalist.

I think you already know the answer to this question. Becoming journalist in the modern world leads to becoming problogger. From there, you might expand your career for other titles like Mashable or New York Times. But you have to start somehow and don't think you will be writing for paper magazines, as this ain't gonna happen.

The future lies in the Internet. As soon as you will realize this, you will start working on your journalist career.

From blogs to bigger websites, to huge titles like New York Times. You think it's impossible? Oh it is, and it's quite simple. All you need is to start your work with blog - and then, it will go on and on... That's how you become a journalist these days.