Case studies: Correspondent for Reuters: Catherine

Catherine heard about the Reuters graduate programme and thought it sounded like a great way to combine her interest for journalism and aspirations to travel abroad, so applied for it. Her application was successful.

I was interested in journalism from a young age and I was aware that it was important to build up a portfolio of articles to show that I was serious about this field of work. So while studying history and politics at university I also made an effort to write for different papers and magazines. This ranged from reviews for the student newspaper to work experience at the Scotsman. I kept everything I wrote so that I had something to show at future interviews.

I was also interested in an international career path so I made an effort to keep up my languages and I spent my third year of university in Grenoble, France. Then I heard about the Reuters graduate programme and I thought it sounded like a great way to combine my interest for journalism and my aspirations to travel abroad, so I applied for it.

My application was successful and I spent a year as a trainee in London, which involved a lot of time in the classroom learning the Reuters' house style and studying shorthand and interview skills. After completing my first training year in London I was posted to Frankfurt, Germany, where I covered the German stock markets for a year as a trainee correspondent.

Last year I moved to Amsterdam to start my first longer term role as a correspondent, covering the commodity and energy markets. I spend my days doing a range of articles. I will probably work here for a few more years and then I may be posted to another city, in Europe or further afield. I think it's a great job because writing about a country's economy and culture is probably one of the best ways of really discovering it, and I feel like I'm learning every day.