Each Thursday, I’m highlighting a work-from-home job or
business.
Job Description:
A journalist researches and writes articles for newspapers, websites, magazines
and other publications, both print and online.
Education: A
bachelor’s degree in journalism or a related field is preferred, but not always
necessary.
Skills: The
ability to write a variety of stories (features, news articles, op-ed pieces,
blogs, etc.) using good grammar and punctuation.
Job outlook: U.S.
Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) finds that “employment
of reporters and correspondents is expected to decline moderately by 8 percent
from 2010 to 2020. Declines are expected because of the consolidation of news
organizations, [and] a decrease in readership of newspapers...” Check out the BLS
Occupational Outlook Handbook for more details.
Possible employers:
Journalists might have a tough job outlook, but there is still work available
for good writers. Join LinkedIn journalism and writers groups, and check out
job boards like journalismjobs.com
and Craig’sList for leads.
Preparation:
Check out these organizations for more information on the field, and potential
job leads: National Press Club, Online Journalism Review, the Society of Professional Journalists, and the National Association of Independent Writers and
Editors.
Get your foot in the
door: Make a list of publications you want to write for and query them with
story ideas. Follow up with a phone call.
Testimony: For a
year, Bethany worked from home as a
freelance journalist from her Sheffield , Ala. ,
home. She wrote for magazines and had one client who gave her regular
assignments, spending between fifteen and thirty hours per week on the work. While
she enjoyed setting her own hours around other activities, family trips, and
holiday obligations, she eventually made the decision to go back to an office.
“I went back to an office job because of insufficient
income,” she explains. “Freelance journalism was too irregular to depend on.
Some months, I would have a paycheck every two weeks; other months, there would
be one very small check and a huge check the following month. Of course, the
less I was able to work, the less money I could make. Time was always an issue.”
Until next time,
Sarah
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