Working for a newspaper is an exciting and rewarding opportunity. If you are interested in starting a career at a newspaper, you need to first decide what it is you want to do. There are many different jobs available and they can be sorted into two main categories: Admin and Journalism. All Newspaper Jobs will require post-secondary education. For admin jobs, you will likely need at least a business diploma or similar credentials. For journalism-related jobs, you will need a journalism degree or related degree such as media or communications.

Some of the jobs that are available at a typical newspaper operation include:
News writer
Interviewer
Editor (there are editors for each department and the head editor)
Data entry clerk
Sales
Administrative

If you are looking to do work for a newspaper, but prefer to work on a freelance or contract basis, you can pitch your local newspaper with a column idea. Education helps with this but all you really need is a good idea and some writing skills. If you are selected to write a column, it will usually run once a week or once a month depending on the needs of the newspaper.

Once you decide what you would like to do and you get the education required for that position, it’s time to start looking for work. If you would like to stay near your hometown, start with your local newspaper. As you are just starting out, you may need to start at a smaller community newspaper as a paid or unpaid intern to get some experience. Once you have some experience under your belt, you will be more likely to get a position at a bigger newspaper.

All newspaper jobs will require some training as every office runs things differently. Once you are settled into your new role, you may want to move up. Due to the fact that every position works in coordination with every other to create the final project, it’s a good idea to learn as much as possible about what goes into the entire operation. This will give you a better chance of securing a higher position down the road.

The most important thing to know when aiming to work in journalism is the public wants their news and they want it as it’s happening until the event is over. This means you will need to always be on your toes to meet tight deadlines. The best thing about working in journalism is helping the public at large stay informed while the finished project that you helped bring to completion is seen by thousands or even millions of people.