How I Got My Joband other stories

by

Joanna GearyWeb Development Editor, The Times

Background picture “Open Tattered Book” by “Playingwithbrushes”http://www.flickr.com/photos/playingwithpsp

Used with permission under Creative Commons License

Chapter One

Unrealistic Expectations

5Newsreader

12War correspondent

14Reporter with helicopter and super-

human boyfriend.

16Political correspondent… maybe

18 Slightly going off the whole

idea…

20 International development expert

22Journalist for BBC Radio

23Newspaper reporter

Chapter Two

“You were our second choice”

The Scott Trust Scholarship

“Thank you for your request for feedback. Unfortunately, the judging panel can not remember which candidate you were. This is probably indicative as to why you were not successful.”

The Sutton Coldfield News

“We felt it better to take a candidate who had already had NCTJ training. You would have been our second choice.”

The Birmingham Post & Mail Trainee Scheme

“It came down to four, but the editors could only take on three trainees. You were just pipped at the post, I’m afraid.”

The Solihull Times

“We were very impressed, but we have had someone volunteering for us for quite a while now anda we feel we should give them the opportunity. You would have been our next choice.”

Chapter Three

The Phone Call

“Would you like to swap a week of work experience at the Birmingham Mail for a trial on the business desk of

The Birmingham Post?”

December 2004General Business Reporter

March 2005Enterprise Editor

August 2007Media & Marketing Editor

•Launched in 2007

•Founded by Pete Ashton and Stef Lewandowski

•Whooped my ass.

Chapter Four

The Blogging Years

I’m not quite sure how it will work, but I hope it will be a mash up of those things that interest me: sustainability & the environment, the creative industries in the West Midlands, Birmingham politics and (tentatively) the future of local and regional newspapers. Strange mix, but I’ll never know if it will work until I try. It can’t possibly be less successful than my attempts at floor laying.

I sit on the floor surrounded by badly cut pieces of laminate – the casualties of my hopeless attempts at DIY.This, I guess, is as good a time as any to start my own blog.It is something I’ve been mulling over for some time. There are thoughts and events that occur during my job as a regional newspaper journalist that I feel need a forum. I hope this blog is it.

Floored

Chapter Five

Minding My Own Business

Chapter Six

The Tweet

Chapter Seven

The Job

- Business news focused

- Event planning

- New technologies

- Engagement strategy

- Website development

- New products

THE END?

joanna.geary[at]thetimes.co.uk@timesjoanna