A journalist investigates stories, gathers information, and presents credible stories to the public. Some journalists do not present their researched stories, and will instead leave that to reporters or anchors. You will find journalists in all forms of media including print, television, radio, and now also social media and other platforms online. While the presentation of the stories/news may slightly change for each medium, the tasks for journalists remain pretty much constant.
If you want to be a journalist, you will most likely be required to have a bachelor’s degree, at the least. Most employers would prefer it to be in a relevant field such as journalism or mass communication. Apart from a degree, recruiters will be looking for experience that will show your skill in investigating and presenting stories.
We will show you some strong sample resumes that highlight the above, and highlight some skills and action verbs that you can use to strengthen your resume.
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You most probably will have experience in one medium of media or will have your eye on one medium of media. But that doesn’t stop you from creating a general journalist resume; especially if you are looking to transition from one medium of media to another.
This resume is a strong general journalist resume. It concentrates on the applicant's extensive experience in researching stories and gathering information; a skill that applies to journalism in all media mediums. It also shows a strong educational background in journalism, which is a necessity in the journalism field.
In journalism, being able to showcase the stories you have researched and written is as important, if not more important, than your resume. So as you get experience, be sure to compile all your strongest stories into a portfolio for recruiters to have a look at alongside your resume.
As the name suggests, print journalism presents stories in the written word. That may be through newspapers, magazines, or any other print format both off or online. Print journalism is a fast-paced career where stories will need to be researched and ready for print in short time spans. This is especially true if your docket requires constant and consistent output. A print journalist, as well as all other journalists, also need to create large networks and maintain relationships in many industries to have a wealth of sources of information. Communication skills are therefore essential.
This resume does a great job of quantifying how much work the applicant can achieve in a limited time period. It also highlights the applicant’s established network which is a journalist’s currency.
Show how many articles you can write in a time period or how many stories you have developed in your previous position. It’s an easy way to impress recruiters and show your potential value addition to their team.
Being able to show that you started as an assistant and worked your way up shows that you are a committed professional. Include all journalism experience from your days in university as well.
Broadcast journalism is the investigation and presentation of stories by electronic methods. This might be by radio, television, or the internet. As a journalist, you may or may not be tasked with presenting your story to the public; these tasks may be given to the reporters in the organization. This form of media also requires a lot of collaborations with multiple people in a media house from the inception of a story idea to its presentation to the public. Because of this, strong communication and collaboration skills are very necessary.
This resume does a good job of clearly stating what technology the applicant is experienced in. The applicant also quantifies their successes and output in their previous position. This is an effective way to impress recruiters and highlight your potential value addition to their organization.
Because of the electronic nature of this form of media, it is beneficial to extensively list all the technology you are experienced with. Try and find out what technology your desired media house uses to make sure you include that to your list (if you are indeed experienced with that technology).
Broadcast journalism requires more than just writing. For the story to be presented to the audience, it must be recorded and edited as well. If you have experience in any of the roles involved in the production, be sure to list them.
Broadcast news analysts, also known as anchors or newscasters, present the news to the public. Their responsibilities include reading the news, interviewing guests, facilitating panel discussions, doing lead-ins for reporters, etc. They are essentially the faces and voices of the news. Behind the scenes, they will still work on stories and scripts as well; just like other journalists.
To make your broadcast news analyst resume stand out, you will want to show that you would be a good presenter of the news. So include any performance experience or news anchor experience. You will also have a heavy workload in this position so you want to be able to show that you can handle large workloads as this applicant has done in this sample resume.
Show recruiters that you are a seasoned journalist, in front and behind the camera, by listing the number of stories you have done. Make sure to follow this with a portfolio with your best and most acclaimed stories.
To thrive in this position, you need to be a seasoned presenter who is calm under pressure and can communicate effectively with your audience. To highlight this skill in your resume, be sure to add any previous presenting experience or training. If you can include the size of your audience, it will look even more impressive to a recruiter.
As an entry-level journalist, your first resume is a crucial stepping stone in your career. It's not just a list of past experiences, it's a ticket to your dream job. In recent times, the journalism industry is hunting for fresh talent equipped with digital skills, multimedia content creation, and social media savviness. So, when crafting your resume, remember that it needs to transmit this modern outlook. Furthermore, journalism is all about storytelling. Instead of just mentioning your qualifications, make your resume a compelling narrative of your journey and potential.
Use your education section wisely; don't just list your qualifications. Highlight any coursework or academic projects relevant to journalism—like a college newspaper article you wrote or a podcast you produced. This will show your hands-on experience, even if you haven't had a formal job before.
It's no longer enough to just be a great writer. You should highlight any digital skills you possess, such as blogging, video production, or social media management. These are the tools of the modern journalist, and companies are on the lookout for these skills.
An entry-level journalist will have many of the same responsibilities as all other journalists. You will most likely be assigned stories by your editor and will need to investigate and write the stories within a given deadline. You may also be tasked with assisting more seasoned journalists with their stories.
This resume highlights the applicant's wide experience in media, from news anchor experience to adverts and radio host responsibilities. It also shows a very strong educational background in journalism. These would both be attractive to a recruiter.
You might be applying for this position straight out of college. If you are, include all journalism-related experience you acquired while in college; from your time at the college tv or radio station to your work in the college newspaper or newsletter. After all, journalism is journalism whether you are in college or not.
Most journalists will have a bachelor’s degree in a journalism-related field. If you have a journalism-related degree, be sure to list it. If you have also completed any further training or received any certification, be sure to include that as well. Remember that you can always find online journalism courses that you can complete and add to your resume to bolster your chances of getting that dream job.
As a hiring manager who has recruited journalists at top media companies like The New York Times, The Washington Post, and CNN, I know what makes a journalism resume stand out. In this article, you'll find tips that will help you create a compelling resume that showcases your skills and experience as a journalist. These tips are based on real-world examples from successful journalism resumes.
Employers want to see that you have strong writing and reporting skills. Make sure to:
For example:
Wrote a series of investigative articles on corruption in local government, which led to the resignation of two officials and won a regional journalism award.
A summary on your journalism resume is optional. Your resume itself is already a concise overview of your skills and experience, so you don't always need an additional summary. However, a well-written summary can be beneficial if you want to provide additional context or highlight details that may not be immediately apparent from the rest of your resume.
For example, if you're a career changer and your past experience doesn't directly align with journalism, a summary can help explain your transferable skills and passion for the field. Or, if you're an experienced journalist with an extensive career, a summary can help distill your most relevant qualifications.
Keep your summary concise - aim for a short paragraph, around 3-5 sentences max. Avoid generic soft skills or corporate buzzwords. Instead, focus on your unique value proposition and the specific skills and experience that make you a strong fit for journalism roles.
When writing the work experience section of your journalism resume, focus on showcasing your most relevant and impactful experiences. Highlight your skills and accomplishments that demonstrate your ability to excel in a journalism role.
Use strong action verbs to describe your responsibilities and achievements, and quantify your impact with metrics whenever possible. Tailor your work experience section to the specific requirements of the job you're applying for, emphasizing the experiences that are most relevant to that position.
The education section of your journalism resume should be concise and highlight your most relevant qualifications. This section is especially important if you are a recent graduate or have limited work experience. Here are some tips to help you craft a compelling education section:
A journalist’s resume should emphasize the applicant’s strengths in investigating stories and in engagingly presenting the stories. Using the right action verbs can ensure that recruiters take note of your ability to do both tasks effectively.
The following are some action verbs that would be particularly effective for a journalist’s resume.
For a full list of effective resume action verbs, visit Resume Action Verbs.
There are very specific skills needed to be a successful journalist. On one side you need to have incredibly strong communication skills You will need to be able to investigate a story and get the data you need from sources, effectively interview subjects, and engagingly present the stories to the public.
On the other side, you need to have strong investigative skills. You need to be able to find relevant information, interview sources, and collate all information in a non-biased manner.
Add these relevant skills to your skills section to impress recruiters.
You can include the above skills in a dedicated Skills section on your resume, or weave them in your experience. Here's how you might create your dedicated skills section:
This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Journalism job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more 'important' it is.
Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.
