Press

55 editors and senior journalists responded to our survey. We asked them what they look for in job applicants.

This is what they said:

• 67% would not consider an applicant who did not have the NCTJ* (Preliminary Certificate you take with us)
• 87% said they would like trainees with multi-media skills
• 82% said their website was their publication’s biggest area of growth
• 80% said they would recommend a course like this one offering both traditional NCTJ print qualifications and new multi-media skills

*National Council for the Training of Journalists

“What I want is journalists who have a complete understanding of ways to use multi-media alongside printed text” – Marc Webber, Deputy Editor, Sun Online

“Multi-media is a massive part of the industry and there is a real need to have online skills” – Julia White, Daily Express Online

“Trainees ideally need both traditional skills and multi-media skills” – Steve Vaughn, Deputy News Editor, The Evening Standard

“It’s absolutely essential for wannabe journalists to be NCTJ-trained” – Peter Lyndsey, Editor Hastings Observer

“Given the choice, we would always opt for NCTJ and the traditional skills of law and shorthand, but the more skills somebody is able to acquire before applying for a job, the more attractive they are” – Chris Walker, Liverpool Echo

“The biggest bug of all is the issue of 100wpm Shorthand. If people don’t have it, we’re not interested” – Malcolm Hoddy, Keighley News

“Multi-media combined with traditional skills – it’s the way forward for people who are looking to enter the field” – Saffron Pineger, Kensington and Chelsea News