[1] The science degree. No, it’s not necessary, but my point was that, of all the degrees you can do, a science degree will open up a few more areas to you that would otherwise remain closed. It increases your employability. A bit. Other qualifications may do this – but science is the one I have seen most often in actual job ads.

[2] Pester power. Yes – there’s a fine line between persistence and pestering that’ll just irritate people. But err on the side of persistence. One of the things that will separate the real potential journalists from the kind-of wannabes is the ability to keep plugging away in the face of indifference. It’s a key journalistic skill after all.

[3] The “news industry”. Best advice is to think of the media and journalism as wider than this. It goes against the grain for a lot of journos, but actually the only way to stay in – paid – work is to diversify and think laterally.

In my case, it would seem that I have pretty much done all of the above (minus the science degree – but really, is this necessary?) which is relatively reassuring to see. Although as you point out, even for those of us who have done all this, it still isn’t always enough to secure a job. And you will be surprised (or maybe not) to hear that most of the students in my NCTJ course have struggled just to find work experience, let alone a full-time paid job (paid? what’s that?)! Some of us are beginning to think that paid jobs are outside our capability and it is especially hard to know where to draw the line and when to stop working for free. The state of the news industry is very discouraging for certain students who come to think that their skills are not worth a salary. This is wrong and qualified young students should expect to be paid, however low the salary (we all know it isn’t what attracts them to the jobs in the first place).This is another indicator of just how difficult it is to enter the job market at the moment.

One of the things that have worked for me in the past is to insist until you get an offer. Although this sounds obvious, students tend to give up after sending one email if they do not get a reply. When I was looking for work experience, I have found that the more I called, the more I was considered. Journalism students should not be shy and expect editors/ prospective employers to look at their applications. They are probably flooded with them anyway. Students need to make themselves known in the industry and by individuals and, in my (humble) experience the best way to do that is ring, ring and ring again.
In general I have been most successful when proactive and waiting around for the perfect job ad (usually once a month) will not get you anywhere. It’s about contacting people and obtaining experience (however short or seemingly insignificant) by whatever means, even if it is one day a week, on a work shadow basis or any other alternative.

http://www.plenty2say.com

Incidentally, my degree is in Physics and I’ve spent 30 years in the media as a reporter, editor and publisher.