In recent times, there has been much commentary and speculation on the dire future of journalism. The proliferation of the blogosphere, the rise of social media and the increasing number of ‘citizen journalists’ has raised fears as to what role the professional journalist has in this changing media world.
Luckily for journalists, however, written skills can be easily transferred into other careers or job roles. The decline in journalism jobs does not have to mean diminished career opportunities. There are a number of other career paths that offer alternatives to straight journalism yet utilise the journalists’ skills.
- Proofreading career- Every great manuscript or document has been meticulously checked for spelling, punctuation and structural errors. Proofreading is an essential and integral part of the writing process, and if you have an eye for detail and a way with words then a career in proofreading could be a fulfilling and interesting career path. If you’re interested in a proofreading career, proofreading courses will teach students proofreading marks and how to ensure that documents are accurate, error free and adhere to style guidelines.
- Editing career – Just as all great written pieces are thoroughly proofread, so too are they edited. Proofreading and editing courses can be taken simultaneously at many colleges, such as your local school of journalism. Whether you plan to work with business documents, advertising material or manuscripts, editing can involve copy editing, structural editing and computer editing. An editor’s role is to adapt and edit a text to improve it, and this important role is perfect for a journalist’s penchant for accuracy and love of words.
Proofreading and editing are two career avenues that trained journalists can choose to follow. Proofreading and editing jobs are a crucial component in the writing and publishing process, and utilised across a range of industries. Book companies, government departments, printing companies and businesses use editors and proofreaders to review thousands of novels and other documents every year.
If you would like to turn your journalistic mastery of the written word into another usable skill, then consider proofreading and editing careers.
