Work experience is one of those things that you know you should be doing, but have no idea how to start. Atleast that’s how it felt for me, scrolling on LinkedIn questioning how on earth my peers were getting placements, what job applications were they seeing that I wasn’t?

That’s where the big lesson is, these opportunities are virtually never advertised. People get them by cold emailing and messaging editors.

Newsrooms are fast-paced, chaotic environments, editors usually don’t have time to sift through official applications, but many know the struggle of breaking in to the industry and what to offer a helping hand to the future generation of journos.

Treat a work experience application as a pitch, instead of selling a story you’re selling yourself, but fast.

How do I find opportunities

The dreaded word, networking. Unfortunately journalism is a web, everyone knows everyone, so if you get in one place it makes it so much easier to get in elsewhere.

But don’t worry, this doesn’t mean those horrific networking events you see on TikTok, network online through LinkedIn (X/Twitter is dying, if not dead for journalism), show off your work regularly and send connections to editors and journalists at publications you respect and would like to work for.

When you build up some experience at student papers or local titles, send a few a message quickly and politely explaining that you’re an early career journalist looking to gain experience and that you love the output of the given publication. Adding in one or two recent articles of theirs that spoke to you can really stand out!

The most important thing here is to KEEP IT SHORT. Editors are busy, and I mean too busy to read most emails. If your message is more than ~250 words, chances are it’s not getting read.

Keep it short, who are you, what do you want, what can you bring to the table, goodbye.

What are some publications that offer work experience?

Short answer, most. The majority of newsrooms will have an editor who’s willing to take you on to help you out (and to get an extra set of hands on their more menial tasks).

That’s not the most helpful though, so here’s a list of some of the places myself or people I know have done work experience at:

• The Times
• The Sunday Times
• The Times (Scotland)
• Prospect Magazine
• The Daily Express
• The National
• Edinburgh Live (most of Reach’s ‘Live’ titles)
• Glasgow Times
• Sky News
• The Telegraph
• GB News

Here are a few publications that offer work experience through applications:

• BBC (‘First Steps’)
• Financial Times (Prioritise students studying for NCTJ)
• The Herald (Prize for winning their Student Journalist Awards)
• Reuters
• Politico

Here are some entry-level freelance roles that can act as (paid) work experience, they are often advertised but also often available to people who ask!

• BBC Studios (Runner)
• ITV/Sky election stringer (during an election)
• Channel 4 (Runner)
• BBC Studios/Channel 4/ ITV (Production assistant)
• The Sun (Casual reporter)