As a budding journalist, you already know you need great writing and research skills and attention to detail. But before enrolling in any journalism courses, here are five essential skills you’ll need to succeed in your career.
Digital literacy
Digital literacy is essential in any career. But for journalists, it’s a new way to uncover and evaluate sources of information.
You’ll need all your critical thinking skills to spot disinformation and fake news and maintain the credibility of your work. Being digitally literate is a skill that every aspiring journalist should have.
Confidence
Being bold and self-assured can get you started on your career. After all, you’ll need the confidence to ask the right questions and get your sources to open up. Confidence relies on being meticulously prepared and assured of your skills and research.
While even the best journalism courses like these https://schoolofjournalism won’t teach you confidence, it’s something you can build through experience.
Curiosity
Another important trait is curiosity. Throughout your career, you’ll cover diverse stories and topics, and curiosity will drive you to seek more exciting information.
Being curious lets you ask the right questions and look beyond the obvious. As a result, you’ll create compelling content that people want to read, and you’ll always find something interesting and engaging in your work.
Interpersonal skills
Good interpersonal skills are vital to establish solid relationships with the people you work with, and they’re critical when you’re interviewing sources and want to build rapport.
Being an effective listener and communicator will help you build trust and get deeper insights into a story. You’ll also pick up on the kinds of details that make all the difference to your copy.
Persistence
Journalism is challenging. It requires dedication, determination and persistence, to overcome the obstacles in investigating stories and getting your copy to the public. If you’re serious about getting into journalism, being persistent is an essential skill.
The takeaway
The right combination of soft and hard skills will set you on the path to success in your journalism career.
