Looking for a new career means I must find ways to apply the skills I’ve honed over decades of journalism and to explain how they would be useful to potential employers.
So, let’s talk about just a small sampling of those skills and what they mean.
- Understanding and adhering to deadlines: This is a big one, especially for any journalist who worked for a newspaper or a scheduled broadcast. There is just no excuse for missing deadline. The paper will be printed, and the show will go on as scheduled. You can’t have an empty page or dead air. You just can’t.
Journalists will work late. We will work the phones. We will get creative. But we will not make things up or fudge the work. We know our reputations and the reputations of our employer are at stake each time we hit “send” or go on the air. So, what do we do? We get it done.
- Communications: That is the essence of what we do and who we are. We understand language and the written word. We’re careful how we use it and respectful of its power. We’re masters of good grammar, spelling and punctuation. We cherish expression.
- Creativity: Again, this doesn’t mean we make things up. It means we figure new and different ways to approach assignments. Sometimes this means we must find a new angle on something that’s been done before. Other times, it means we figure out how to shake loose information someone is withholding or find alternative sources of information.
It also means we come up with ideas that will engage our audience or accomplish some other goal. How do we hold a public official’s feet to the fire? How do we do an interview with a reluctant subject? How do we find subject matter experts? How do we find credible sources of data? How do we take a dry topic and make it entertaining, engaging and still reliable?
- Subject matter experts: Speaking of subject matter experts, journalists often fill that role after covering the same topic over time. We are the people who learn the subject and all its intricacies. We gain the knowledge to explain it. We immerse ourselves and we absorb it. And if it’s something we haven’t written about before, that’s not a problem. We study it until we understand it and can explain.
- Talking and listening to people: We’re curious. We want to know what interests other people and how they approach life. We want to help them tell their stories through us. We love asking questions and following up after we hear the answers. Our loved ones might find this annoying sometimes. (Why do you ask so many questions?) But in the workplace, this is a valuable quality. We understand our coworkers and clients and we help them connect to others.
- Studying: We’re professional students. We get an assignment, go out and learn it and then explain it to our audience. We are not intimidated by new things. We are not boxed in by what we already know. We’re adaptable and open to new ideas, different software systems and organizational requirements.
- We care: Most of us became journalists because we want to make a difference. We’re passionate about what we do and about doing it right. We give a damn about the quality of our work.
That’s my initial take on my journalist skills. It’s just a snapshot, though. It should give a good overall picture of the kind of employees we are.
If you’re a hiring manager or a recruiter, I hope it’s clear how much of an advantage a journalist can be to your company.