Making a career of the unknown

Suzanne Locke – studied journalism, cut my teeth @ Sky News, Yahoo and Gulf News – now self-employed freelance journalist and content

strategist

THE GOOD OL’ DAYS

JOURNALISM THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY

• Local newspaper work experience - typing on triplicate carbon paper ‘folios’ - one per paragraph• Amstrad green screen computers at university… and for all exams• Subbing by measuring out point width print headlines (m = 2pts, i = ½)• More work experience @ Lynne Franks PR for London Fashion Week -

photocopying!• Interviewing - offered free ‘work experience’ (slave labour) from a new

magazine with so little budget they were blowing up inflatable chairs • Devastated when turned down for a job at Concrete & Sand Monthly• Always wanted to be journalist since three – but I assumed in print…

THE GOOD OL’ DAYS PT II

65% OF JOBS IN WHICH PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN WILL BE EMPLOYED DO NOT YET

EXIST•Digital marketing specialist, Android developer … Zumba instructor. Less than a decade ago, none of these jobs existed. •My career did not exist when I was still at university.•Be flexible, be open.

MY CV – A TIMELINE• Journalism degree, City University, 1992-1996 (including year at Bordeaux university)• Temping for a year - mostly non–career related e.g. P&G• Editor for consulting department - Gartner Group, Egham, Surrey, 1997 - 1999• Journalist, skynews.com, 1999 - 2002• Editor, skymovies.com, 2002 - 2004 (+ Sky One, Oscars, Ents site)• Editor, Sky Showbiz, 2004 - 2006• Editor, XPRESS/ Digital Media Development Manager, Gulf News, Dubai, 2006 - 2007 (+ radio sites,

portal)• Online Editor/ Digital Development Director, MEED (Emap), Dubai, 2007 - 2010 (+ Events, MEED

Projects) - 2007 - 2009• Editor in Chief, Yahoo MEA, Dubai, 2012 - 2014 (+ South Africa)• Head of Content, Souqalmal.com, Dubai, 2014 - 2015• CEO & Content Director, Locke Digital, 2015 -

WHAT DO YOU NOTICE?

• I struggled to find a relevant job from university and temped• There are gaps (travelling) and overlaps (additional projects)• I went overseas• I went travelling• I took advantage of opportunities!• I strayed out of editorial• There’s progression in roles and titles

MY STRANGE CAREER PATH

• FELL into Sky in the early days of digital - late 1998.• ENQUIRED ABOUT SKY MOVIES - and ended up heading up skymovies.com.• ASKED FOR MORE RESPONSIBILITY and expanded skills into product

management and people management, different types of digital content (events, database sites, subscription sites), social etc.• RANDOM THINGS I got involved in - translating a Y2K presentation for

French, resizing all the images on skymovies.com, Edinburgh TV festival, doing a survey for Insead University, speaking at electronics event in Dubai…• SMALL PLACES teach a lot. I learned as much at MEED and a start-up (where

I had to do everything for myself) as in big corporations like Sky and Yahoo.

WHY AM I TELLING YOU THIS?

• Be active, be curious, put yourself forward. I always got my jobs through contacts. Coffees, LinkedIn - people WANT to help you!• Pivot. I did this by proof-reading, product management and now

content marketing. • Make your luck by being open to new things. This has given me

‘hybrid’ skills that are currently unique for a journalist.• Everyone is useful and has a story. I post queries on Facebook for

article case studies and comments. I gave the FT’s Mrs Moneypenny my CV after interviewing her for an article.

JOURNALISM TIPS

• Get it’s and its, you’re and your right – there are few sub-editors any more!• Understand primary and secondary sources e.g. Wikipedia vs BBC• Yes, you need some maths - calculating % tells scale of story and is often

your intro/ headline• Read about the industry (Poynter, Nieman Lab, re/code, Guardian Media)

and keep on top of new trends and social tools• Learn to touch-type - avoid RSI • Learn shorthand - you don’t want interview subjects reading your notes• Be prepared to work very hard – I once did a 22-hr shift

WHAT ELSE?

• Think about your CV email address, not funnygirl22@g.com!• Please spell-check your CV! • Check your public social media account yourself.• Do work experience/ internships - treat them as seriously as a job.• Going overseas can be a boon - less competition, emerging markets

experience - but you can fall behind in digital too.• Dress for the next job.• Be nice to people both above and below you and never burn

bridges.

AND REMEMBER…

Your dream job may not exist yet.Persevere.Pivot.Flex.