Words: Dan Sawney / Images: Christian Anderson

Many people who dream of a job in journalism are deterred by the double whammy of the industry’s impenetrable reputation and the financial crisis that has afflicted newsrooms across the country.

But despite this tough reality there are opportunities for those determined enough to grab them. This Futurising talk, chaired by the Press Association’s Head of Training Tony Johnston, gave advice to an audience keen to know how to go about getting their foot in the newsroom door.

The panel was made up of Ryan Parry, senior reporter at the Daily Mirror, Colette Hume, Wales correspondent for BBC news, and Cara Simpson, senior reporter at the Coventry Telegraph. All three stressed that success comes about as the result of hard work, tenacity and luck.

‘Be prepared to do anything, never say no to anything, make tea and work as much as possible’ was Colette’s advice. She also told an anecdote that highlighted the importance of thinking on your feet and knowing a good story when you see one.

Having accidentally smuggled a can of hairspray onto a flight from Sydney to Los Angeles, in contravention of tight security rules, she realised she had a story on her hands. She got the person sitting next to her to film her giving an impromptu piece to her Blackberry’s camera, wrote some copy on the same device and then filed it on landing. The piece went up on the BBC website and became one of the biggest stories globally that day.

In his 9 years at the Daily Mirror, Ryan Parry has been responsible for some audacious scoops. His undercover intrusions into Buckingham Palace and Wimbledon have caused international stirs, and his career highlights the lengths that a journalist should be willing to go to when looking for a story.

‘Use your initiative and take chances’, he said, ‘If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.’ He said that approaching papers directly with a story is a good way to get your name known and build up a relationship. He also said that it’s essential to apply for any newspaper graduate schemes that are out there.

Cara Simpson spoke from the perspective of someone relatively new to the industry. Having been involved in student journalism at university, she started off at the Coventry Telegraph in the sales department. Her experience of actually selling papers gave her a confident attitude that she carried into her reporting proper. Having worked her way up, she is now a senior reporter and has been named the Daily Mail Young Journalist of the Year.