Kirstie's job log: 39

The story so far... Kirstie gave up her job in sales to pursue her dream of a career in journalism with a Masters at Westminster University.

Going fast

My three weeks in the north have finished and I’ve left Liverpool, and headed back to London for the next part of the course. Not long left till it’s over!

It’s hard to believe it’s almost over already, it seems to have gone by so quickly! This time last year I was only just thinking about applying for the course on the off chance that I might get it, and not really expecting anything to happen. Now I’m here, I’ve finished the first term, done three weeks work experience, made it through my law exam (though I’m still waiting on the results) and I’m starting to know what I’m talking about a bit more.

The first couple of days back at uni all felt a bit strange: apart from the one week we had to get ready for my law exam and reporting week I haven’t really been here since before Christmas. It’s been great to see everyone and hear about their strange and interesting experiences on placement, and everyone’s realised that the classes last term did actually teach us things (even though it felt like it wasn’t!). We all seemed to manage to cope in a real newsroom. So everyone seems a lot more confident.

The only problem now is that the weather is miserable: after the snow had gone, the horrible rain came! It means going out and about in London getting stories and interviews is not as much fun as it could be. However, I’ve also chosen a new module - travel journalism, which it seems (if you know what you’re doing) can result in essentially free holidays. I’m already planning on getting in contact with people about an article on Barbados!

The one class we’ve had so far has been very interesting; the lecturer used to write travel articles for The Times, and still works freelance. She no longer writes about the cheaper holidays though and doesn’t seem to stay anywhere less than a four star hotel! She seems to want us to do well, and at the moment is helping us pick a destination we’d like to write about (and visit) before we try and apply to the tour operators!

A twin-track, double-barrelled approach

For the moment, I’ve decided to stick with both broadcast journalism and written journalism. I can get to all the classes without a problem, they seem to be scheduled so that there’s a chance to do that. I’d like to learn a bit more about radio; the work experience was fun but I felt I didn’t know enough to be trusted on the really big stories and the expensive equipment. If this term goes well then I might try and do another placement over Easter.

Even though we’re only a week into the second term, it seems as though last term is going to be easy compared to the work we’re being given to do this term. I already have three practice news stories to write, a longer documentary to start thinking about and researching, many blogs to catch up on (I haven’t done anything since before Christmas!), and an essay on my time in Liverpool, including everything I did, to finish.

Now we’re into the final few weeks, everyone is starting to think about the next step: getting a job. Most of us have huge loans which we’ll have to start paying back after a few months of the course finishing, so there’s no chance of waiting around till something comes along. So with that in mind, last night I officially applied for my first job, although it was very rushed because the deadline was that day!

It’s strange to be back in the same position I was three years ago, signing up for hundreds of job sites and hoping that sooner or later the right job will just appear on my screen. I think I’ve learnt a bit after the last time though, and I’m not going to take the first thing that’s offered to me just because it’s a wage. Unless, of course, the first job I’m offered is the right job!

Read my previous blogs 

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