It's not just feather sharks that are attracted to journalism. Often a professional from any other industry can build a successful career as a correspondent. In addition, cooperation with various editorial offices can ultimately become an effective part-time job that allows you to develop as a journalist without interrupting your main activity.
The editors of many publications are actively recruiting specialists for freelance work. First of all, this is due to economic benefits - the editorial office optimizes the costs of creating a workplace, renting extra square meters, as well as electricity. In addition, the freelance correspondent receives funds only for the completed material, which is also financially beneficial to the media.
Freelancers are often considered to be journalists from their main jobs in other media. Often, employees are thus lured from one editorial office to another. Long-term work as a full-time correspondent in a successful newsroom serves as a good recommendation for other media outlets.
An additional plus will be the presence of a certain specialization of a journalist. For example, significant experience in writing information materials on economic topics will increase the chances of a positive response in a publication specializing in financial news, etc.
Frequently, freelance work is provided to journalists who work with analytical materials, the preparation of which does not require a daily stay in the office, meetings during business hours, etc. The analytical journalist prepares materials based on information that is publicly available. For this, the specialist must have specialized education and knowledge in the field in which he works.
Going directly to the search for possible jobs, you should first make a list of editions and find their coordinates. After that, it is necessary to send a resume with an indication of work experience to each of the addresses. The availability of recommendations from the editorial offices with which the most effective cooperation has been established can significantly increase the chances of getting the coveted place. The package of documents should also include a portfolio - examples of published works with an indication of the edition and date of publication. In the event that the material was written under a pseudonym, then an official letter from the editor-in-chief should be attached to it, which certifies the authorship. In the cover letter, it will be appropriate to indicate the preferred topic, working hours and the level of expected salary.
