Leaving journalism, means adopting a new language.
PKG, lede, VSOT, B-roll, copy editor, scanner traffic, MMJ, and so many other words and acronyms journalists are familiar with are simply foreign to many people outside the industry.
When crossing into communications, marketing or PR roles, or creating your own side hustle, those phrases don’t often translate to the new world you’re about to enter.
BUT the work behind them does.
These are your transferable skills.
I had a reporter who just had their last day in a newsroom reach out and share, “I read job descriptions and I know that I can do the job, but I struggle to articulate that.”
It’s a common feeling for any journalist looking to make the leap out of the business. Whether it’s a planned exit or a forced one.
SO, here’s what you need to know – changing your language improves their understanding.
When Leaving Journalism You Must Reframe Your Experience
Example 1:
“As an MMJ, I wrote, shot and edited my stories under tight deadlines to appear on nightly live broadcast”*
Better:
“I’m a highly experienced short and long-form writer across broadcast and digital platforms specializing in complex and emotional content while managing various deadlines”
Example 2:
“Worked daily with photographer/editor/graphics team to generate engaging and visually interesting content for all platforms”
Better:
“My collaborative skills across departments helped to develop ideas to create visually unique storytelling elements for broadcast and digital reports”
Connect Your World to Theirs
When writing your updated resume or when participating in interviews with recruiters and hiring managers, use language they are familiar with.
That way, you connect what you know – with what is in the job description. How do you talk about that? The examples below are not meant to have an exact correlation but to show how you can adapt to their environment.
Nonprofit
News director → Executive director
Sales department → Fundraising
Graphics department → Volunteer services
Creative services → Government relations
Business
Sales department → Business development
Assignment desk → Customer service
Creative services → B2B
News team → Comms/marketing team
Paint Your Picture
The idea here is not to say one news department is the equivalent to one in an organization but to show how you can draw parallels to the organization you’re speaking with.
Example:
“I frequently worked with our sales department during our community campaigns to ensure we were balancing sponsor expectations with news goals, similar to how I would imagine your communications department works with your fundraising/business development team to recognize partners and highlight the work being done together.”
The point is, adapting your language can make the difference in demonstrating your transferable skills to the recruiter or hiring manager.
It’s packaging all the same skills you have as a journalist, but now talking about it in a less industry-specific way and broadening your skillset to new opportunities.
You want to make the jump to a new industry? The most successful and best way to start is by talking about your skills in a new way.
