NCTJ - Where did you do it?

[Brighton Breezy]

I just got offered a place at Brighton College doing an NCTJ in Newspaper Journalism and I know lots of people on here have already done it, just wondering where they did it and what people think of the course at Brighton.

 

[fatboy]

I did it at Brighton.

It was well good; I am a fully qualified journalist.

I used to work in a call centre but now I make tea at The Argus.

 

[Storer68]

Highbury College in Portsmouth.

it was alright for getting in to the business - well it got me a job

tho the pay was so crap i left soon afterwards

 

[eastlondonseagull]

Storer, when were you there sir? I did my PTC at Highbury, finished in 1996. Bloody good laugh. Have been a humble, low-paid magazine hack ever since.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Don't wish to put a dampener on any would-be Students Of Journalism out there, but might I humbly suggest that your time would be far far better spent just writing stuff and hassling editors to get it printed. Hate to say it but NCTJ ain't worth jackshit if you can't write.

 

[eastlondonseagull]

Papers don't usually let you near a computer unless you've got your NCTJ under your belt first.

But for magazines, work experience is the most important thing. I did my PTC (Periodicals Training Council) course, but it didn't really get me a job.

My work came from doing (unpaid, unfortunately) work experience. I made the tea and opened the post at Maxim for six weeks, they offered us a few little bits to write, liked what I did and it slowly snowballed from there. Before long I had features and other mags under my belt and the rest is history. My mate Ross Brown, features editor of FHM, started off as a workie at the mag. He worked in Selfridges' Toy Department and had no journalism qualifications at all.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Papers don't usually let you near a computer unless you've got your NCTJ under your belt first.

But for magazines, work experience is the most important thing. I did my PTC (Periodicals Training Council) course, but it didn't really get me a job.

My work came from doing (unpaid, unfortunately) work experience.

So your first paragraph - even without me having to point out that local papers will take just about any arts review you care to submit - is complete bolleaux, as you yourself point out in paragraphs two and three.

NCTJ? Just say no, kidz!

 

[Beach Hut]

I did my learning at the University of Life

 

[eastlondonseagull]

Not bollocks at all Tom. Yeah, local papers will take reviews and stuff, if good enough, but if he wants to become a proper newspaper reporter, then he'll probably have to have an NCTJ, to learn journalism law and all that stuff. A newspaper's not going to send a teaboy to report on a murder trial.

For magazines, it's completely different, you just need to be able to write, no qualifications needed.

 

[bigfanofcullip]

Thankfully few would-be journalists will be reading this thread and taking Tom Hark's advice. With the greatest of respect if you want to be a newspaper journalist you should be doing the NCTJ. If Tom Hark didn't and got a job in newspaper journalism via the route he suggests then he's been very fortunate indeed. Work experience and being a contributor is a great way of starting and getting your name known but you won't get anywhere hassling an editor (a news editor maybe). But the long and the short of it - as eastlondonseagull says - is that without an NCTJ you won't get taken seriously for a permanent position.

Can't speak for magazine journalists though.

 

[eastlondonseagull]

Dead right Bigfanofcullip.

 

[Bobby's Gull]

Might be doing an NCTJ, down at Brighton Uni starting in Oct. So is it or is it not a waste of time?? Also looking for work experience if any lovely person would like to offer me some!

 

[Gwylan]

I did the Postgraduate Periodical Journalism course at the London College of Printing. Excellent course, which included some work experience at the Cricketer.

Fine for magazines but if you want to work in newspapers, then you're going to have to get your NCTJ.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Thankfully few would-be journalists will be reading this thread and taking Tom Hark's advice. With the greatest of respect if you want to be a newspaper journalist you should be doing the NCTJ. If Tom Hark didn't and got a job in newspaper journalism via the route he suggests then he's been very fortunate indeed. Work experience and being a contributor is a great way of starting and getting your name known but you won't get anywhere hassling an editor (a news editor maybe). But the long and the short of it - as eastlondonseagull says - is that without an NCTJ you won't get taken seriously for a permanent position.

Can't speak for magazine journalists though.

Fair do's

I just don't think that taking an NCTJ course should be confused with having the ability to write. Forget what i said up top all you would-be students of journalism. If you're going to be reporting murder trials, council meetings and the like, then, yup, NCTJ is the way to go. If you want to be a MAGAZINE journalist on the other hand, listen to your Uncle Tom...

 

[Bobby's Gull]

No offence THPP, but you've made me feel really worried now.

 

[eastlondonseagull]

 

[Beach Hut]

No offence THPP, but you've made me feel really worried now.

Why - do the course you believe in, don't just take someones opinion

 

[eastlondonseagull]

Bobby's Gull - what sort of stuff do you want to write?

 

[Bobby's Gull]

Bobby's Gull - what sort of stuff do you want to write?

Mainly sport, but I'd quite happily do anything just to get started out really.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

No offence THPP, but you've made me feel really worried now.

Sorry mate, don't listen to me, I was just pointing out... well, it's all up there on the thread. It's probably a damn good qualification to have on your CV and I'd guess it's a darn sight more interesting college course than some.