Latest NCTJ careers guide published to inspire the journalists of the future

The latest edition of the NCTJ’s careers guide has today been published, and aims to encourage people from a range of backgrounds to consider a career in journalism.

The handy guide, which is sponsored by the Financial Times, is on its way to almost 3,700 secondary schools and colleges across the UK and is full of valuable advice from journalists in a range of roles.

Abbie Scott, deputy managing editor of the Financial Times, said: “Whatever types of stories you want to tell, at the Financial Times we believe that journalism is the most exciting and rewarding job you can have.

“We are proud to work with the National Council for the Training of Journalists, and help underline the importance of gold standard journalism training in our industry.

“We want students from all backgrounds regardless of ethnicity, religion and sexuality to feel welcome in our newsrooms and have successful journalism careers.”

The guide has also been supported by advertising from the following organisations: Bournemouth University, Cision Jobs, City of Liverpool College, Daily Mail, Darlington College, Leeds Trinity University, and The School of Journalism from News Associates.

Huffpost UK journalist and former Journalism Diversity Fund recipient Nadine White is this year’s cover star, and explains why she wanted to become a journalist.

Nadine, who studied at News Associates in London, said: “I decided to venture into journalism to help be the change I wanted to see.

“But my passion for journalism has never been just for me; it’s very much for communities like mine – and everyone who wants to learn more about the world in which we live.

“That’s the key reason why I report so heavily on marginalised perspectives.”

Features of the booklet include what makes a good journalist, how social media skills can come in handy, and how to use data to uncover stories and bring them to life. The guide also features easy-to-navigate listings of all NCTJ-accredited courses, which are a cut above the rest.

Emma Robinson, the NCTJ’s accreditation manager, said: “By sending this careers guide out to schools and colleges, we want to reach out to students about the exciting prospect of studying on an NCTJ-accredited journalism course and starting out in their chosen journalism careers.

“This guide features a whole host of NCTJ alumni and students who, by achieving or working towards the Diploma in Journalism, have opened the doors to a whole range of careers in the media sector.

“This shows that students on NCTJ-accredited courses are more appealing to employers looking for multi-skilled recruits who know the fundamentals of journalism and can already operate to professional standards.

“Employability is the most important feature of all our courses and that’s why we want students to choose the right journalism course to have the skills, knowledge and aptitude to succeed in a newsroom.”

The guide is now available to read online here.

If you would like to request print copies, please contact Sarah Kenny, marketing and communications manager.