If you’ve stumbled across my website, you’re probably aware I’m a journalist.
When I tell people this, it is often followed by some over-the-top reaction, including a flailing of hands and some sort of wary objection followed by a joke about being “careful” about what they tell me, like I’m incapable of having a conversation with them without it being plastered over the front page the next day.
When people think of what a journalist is, they conjure an image of a man in a trench coat and a fedora ruthlessly shoving a microphone in someone’s face and stopping at nothing to get the scoop, but this couldn’t be further from the image I had of a journalist.
I imagined the likes of Carrie Bradshaw, Amelia Dimoldenberg and Natalie Pinkham, strong, beautiful, charismatic and creative women who push the boundaries of the journalism field.
My journey started when I did my apprenticeship in Digital Marketing. I had the honour of working for the National Governing Body (NGB) for Wheelchair Basketball for just over a year. I was given so many fantastic opportunities; not only did I get to travel, meet so many amazing and inspiring people and learn about a brand-new sport, but It also opened my eyes to many other creative roles I had no idea existed.
One of my fondest memories of working there is from the Kit reveal event we hosted before the World Championships in Hamburg 2018. It was such a special event; many major news outlets were invited, and chatting and liaising with journalists was fascinating. I had never expected to experience it, but I loved it.
Blue Peter also came to film at one of our events, and being a small part of something such a large part of my childhood was a dream come true.
Ultimately, I decided that digital marketing wasn’t for me; there were too many analytics and not enough creative freedom, but I could see myself doing and thriving at what I did love.
While I did love parts of my job in marketing, there were a lot of struggles within the role that pushed me to decide not to pursue the career long-term. So many of my colleagues were fantastic, but my relationship with my line manager was complicated. I didn’t feel like I received the support I needed, and that, combined with my lack of passion for a lot of what the job entailed, led to a decline in my mental health that led to me taking a short break after finishing my apprenticeship.
After a short break, I worked in an admin role for a pharmaceutical company, which was a godsend when the pandemic hit in 2020 as it kept me busy. Still, I quickly became bored and unfulfilled, so I investigated alternative employment options.
I was 23 then, and I felt very conflicted about my options. I knew I wanted to pursue a career with more creative possibilities. Still, my previous qualifications and time away from marketing made me doubt my abilities and put me off applying for roles within the field.
During lockdown, I embraced my hobbies; cosplay was at the forefront of my life during the pandemic. I started making TikTok’s in 2021 and gained a hefty following, as well as starting a podcast about books with my friend Maddie (the original YABasic!!)
My creativity blossomed, and it made me start to crave a career where I could let my creativity grow again.
I didn’t go to university when I finished college, vowing never to commit until I was sure I knew what I wanted to do, but honestly, out of pure desperation for a change, I decided to investigate some study options.
I stumbled across journalism by chance.
I was genuinely considering doing a degree in English, as my love and passion for books have been a constant presence for most of my life, but I decided that if a job were what I was looking for, English would not be the answer.
I stumbled across journalism by chance. I was looking at the degrees available at universities that were local to me and saw journalism advertised at the University of Derby, and I was immediately intrigued.
No one had ever recommended journalism to me. I was a very strong English student at school and had a passion for media and sports, and it felt like an obvious career option for someone like me. All the career advisors’ meetings I had in college felt even more useless now as this was the obvious answer to everything I wanted to do.
When it dawned on me that I could do this, I booked an open day at the University of Derby, where I met two lecturers on the course.
They talked me through the course and showed me around the facilities, including radio studios, a full Mac suite, and a curriculum that I loved the sound of, and the rest was history!
I applied when I got home and, a few weeks later, received an offer.
Here I am, coming to the end of my second year.
I genuinely love studying journalism.
It lets me creatively explore my interests and improve my media literacy tenfold. While it can be challenging sometimes, it also makes me happy and excited for my professional future, as the opportunities are diverse and endless.
If you’re considering pursuing journalism, take this as your sign to take the leap and welcome a creative, exciting, fulfilling career.
