To heighten the chances of finding a job after graduation, what steps can a prospective student take prior to attending Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism?
Report, write and read. The curriculum is designed to vastly improve your journalism skills and prepare you to work in the news media industry in many different platforms. Students who have done reporting and writing before entering Columbia are likely to leave with more advanced skills. They also will have a writing portfolio that will provide an advantage in applying for post-graduate jobs. You should expect that employers, whether in print companies or in broadcasting, will require previous journalism experience and gauge a candidate’s ability through their work samples. To get started, think broadly about where you might gain experience, such as getting published in local newspapers, magazines or websites. Don’t shoot just for the big, glamorous companies. Study websites in which you have an interest, watch and listen to a broad range of TV and radio newscasts and develop story ideas that fit those companies. Your writing should be journalistic – meaning, reported — and not just a
