Applying for a newspaper job

[humphreybc]

So I need a full time job next year for when I finish school, and I need to save up for my trip to the states. I was thinking i'd rather do something that interests me opposed to working in a supermarket or petrol station...

We have this newspaper in Christchurch, The Press - it's pretty big, the city has 400,000 people. I was thinking of applying for a job as a photojournalist, but I have huge doubts that they will turn me away straight away as I have no qualifications. The only thing I could do would be to compose a really good portfolio...

I'm not bad at english and could probably do alright at reporting, but the fact that i'm an 18 year old straight out of high school will most likely turn them off.

So do you reckon it'd be worth compiling a portfolio that would likely interest a newspaper, or should I just flag it away now?

Thanks

[angeleyes216]

You have nothing to loose and id certainly do a portfolio to show them. Everyone has to start somewhere and i dont see why age should be an issue if you do the quality of work they want. Go for it !!! and follow your dreams.
I have done about 5 weddings now..photos in our paper, etc.. i never thought i could do it, but i didnt give up trying and learning.
Best of luck.

Lori
ps i like the photo on flickr holding the keyboard...great shot!!! and you do great work

[k9mom]

Several of my pet biz clients are photogs with the San Jose Mercury News- the major paper which services the San Francisco south bay (2nd only to the S.F. Chronicle). San Jose proper is a little over a million in population. In spite of the size of the demographics and the many awards received by the Merc's creative department, there has been a steady decline in subscriptions in past years, primarily due to the fact most folks either get their news from the Internet now-a-days or from the boob tube (read: televison). I've seen a lot of lay-offs in the past two years, so the photo-journalists who are still employed are the lucky ones. The Merc's photojournalists are strictly photographers, not reporters/writers -- I don't know if that is true in New Zealand or not; it's likely different for smaller newspapers. Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is, here in the states, times are tough for newspapers and most are paring down their staff as opposed to hiring. So if you don't get hired, don't take it too personally. It may well be there are simply more seasoned photographers in the New Zealand job pool who can offer more experience than can you. If, on the other hand, you do get hired, then count your lucky stars! So go for it: It never hurts to try and the worse they can do is say "no"...

[humphreybc]

Okay thanks for that. Now in terms of composing a portfolio suitable for that sort of work, what should I include? Should it be a broad range covering all situations, or should it be more defined to a certain shoot? And should it be artsy, or strictly reporting type photos (or both?).

I don't know much about porfolios.

Oh and PS: What's the difference between a folio and a portfolio??