Spring Break
Getting the job done
Professionals share stories about career choices and paths
By: Megan Keyho
Issue date: 4/28/09 Section: News
Even though becoming an author, columnist or spokesman of NASA might seem impossible, the basic standards remain the same. The professionals break it down to competence, experience and passion.
The columnist: What does it take?
"Competence, that is the main thing," said John Kelly, a columnist at the Washington Post. "You have to be good at this, especially in journalism"
Kelly said many young people have a tendency to be shy, and in the journalism world, there is no room for shyness. He said forwardness and directness are qualities that employers look for in journalists, along with a strong enthusiasm for the business.
Ethics are another aspect of the business that cannot be forgotten when pursuing a career in journalism.
"There have been lots of [ethical] missteps lately: Jayson Blair and plagiarism, but even in this freewheeling culture it is a bedrock thing - you can't make stuff up," he said.
As of right now, nobody knows what direction journalism is going to take, and even though it is harder for a young person to break into the business because of the lack of small newspaper businesses, people have the tools, Kelly said. They just have to use them.
Web sites like Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and blogs, whether they are here to stay or just fads, are ways aspiring journalists can get their name out in the field.
"Will these Web sites really amount to something? Nobody knows," Kelly said. "We hope journalism will survive and thrive, but who is going to do it? That is what we have to figure out."
Kelly emphasized self-motivation in journalism.
"Don't wait for suggestions on what to do. If you have the enthusiasm, do it. If you have an idea, do it," he said.
The author: What do you need to succeed?
Larry Heinemann is the visiting writer-in-residence at Texas A&M. He is a novelist and winner of the National Book Award for fiction in 1987. He said being an author is equal parts creative process and business.
The columnist: What does it take?
"Competence, that is the main thing," said John Kelly, a columnist at the Washington Post. "You have to be good at this, especially in journalism"
Kelly said many young people have a tendency to be shy, and in the journalism world, there is no room for shyness. He said forwardness and directness are qualities that employers look for in journalists, along with a strong enthusiasm for the business.
Ethics are another aspect of the business that cannot be forgotten when pursuing a career in journalism.
"There have been lots of [ethical] missteps lately: Jayson Blair and plagiarism, but even in this freewheeling culture it is a bedrock thing - you can't make stuff up," he said.
As of right now, nobody knows what direction journalism is going to take, and even though it is harder for a young person to break into the business because of the lack of small newspaper businesses, people have the tools, Kelly said. They just have to use them.
Web sites like Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and blogs, whether they are here to stay or just fads, are ways aspiring journalists can get their name out in the field.
"Will these Web sites really amount to something? Nobody knows," Kelly said. "We hope journalism will survive and thrive, but who is going to do it? That is what we have to figure out."
Kelly emphasized self-motivation in journalism.
"Don't wait for suggestions on what to do. If you have the enthusiasm, do it. If you have an idea, do it," he said.
The author: What do you need to succeed?
Larry Heinemann is the visiting writer-in-residence at Texas A&M. He is a novelist and winner of the National Book Award for fiction in 1987. He said being an author is equal parts creative process and business.
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