Conservation, history, green living and local self-sufficiency are the priorities for these volunteers.

All | Jessica | Laura

Tuesday Feb 02, 2010

Finding my career through volunteering

I lost count of the times people told me: 'Journalism is so competitive.' 'You'll never make it,' they might as well have said.

This week I'm glad I followed my heart, because I've just been given two more commissions to write articles for a national publication about what I love: the environment and green food production.

It's interesting at the turn of a new decade to look back and see how the decisions I've made carved a path to where I am today. I decided in 2005 after years of doing jobs where I felt unmotivated, that I needed do what I felt passionate about if I wanted to be happy. I decided journalism was for me: I love writing and I love to learn and to share my knowledge with others.

After finishing my degree and a journalism course I worked unpaid in various publications for almost a year, filling in the gaps with part-time temping jobs. Although the hours were changeable and pay varied from month to month, I decided it was worth it to pursue my dream - this was now the only thing I was willing to settle for.

Trying out things that I was interested in gave me invaluable experience, and contacts. Even in 12 months volunteering has focused my career ambitions.

Last January I applied for an internship at The Ecologist magazine. I wasn't sure, when they finally called me up with a month-long full-time slot, whether I wanted this. Luckily friends told me just go for it, I hadn't done environmental stuff before and it would show I'm adaptable. After all, my degree was in nutrition. Good advice, I thought.

During that month I uploaded archive articles on The Ecologist's website about anything from deep sea fishing methods and their impact on fish stocks, to the often toxic chemicals used in furniture and textiles production. I was hooked. What these people were writing about felt like what I wanted from life, it felt like by highlighting these issues these writers were really making a difference. After that there was no turning back.

After I'd finished there an old journalism lecturer sent out an email about a communications internship with the London Cycling Campaign. I'd done some work for them a year or two before, and liked what they did so I called them up and went along for an interview. I spent the next six months working one day a week as their newsletter editor interviewing people, writing news stories and uploading articles on the website. It was great experience, with amazing people. Through this work I made a contact at the Guardian and ended up writing a piece for their Bike Blog. After 11 months of working for free this was my first paid article.

I loved the idea of writing freelance: the fact you can choose what to write about, and for whom. I had been pitching story ideas at various publications for months, without success. It was really daunting and the 'Thanks but no thanks' weren't easy to deal with. Finally, last month I pitched a couple to The Ecologist, and they were accepted. It finally started to feel like all that work was paying off.

If I hadn't developed such a passion for the environment through my volunteer work I wouldn't have found out about the events and projects I am now writing about (I won't give the game away until they're finished, though). The various groups and events I have got involved in have made for good writing practice, even if no-one accepted the articles!

I remember thinking towards the end of last year: wouldn't it be amazing if I could be paid to write about all these amazing projects, and suddenly, it's happening. I know it's early days still and there's a long way to go, but it feels like a really good start.

The same people who said: 'You'll never make it' will probably say: 'You're lucky.' After all that hard work, though, I know different.

Posted by Laura ( 10:00 AM )
Link to this post Comments[5]