Any Ideas - daughter had 4 rejections

Janeyjaz

Thank you very much Beanie and well done - what a brilliant story

Janeyjaz

Thought I'd let you know what she has decided - she is going to apply through extras to Northumbria for a journalism course and live at home

spark911

I applied for 6 unis, including Cambridge for law.

Got 5 rejections before 1 offer :A

lzzwzz

Janeyjaz wrote: »

Thought I'd let you know what she has decided - she is going to apply through extras to Northumbria for a journalism course and live at home

She'll love it. Northumbria is a brilliant university!

Ianna

I know this is an old post but bear with me. Is your daughter sure she wants to do journalism? If so why is she doing English? She'll be one of eleventy billion english graduates pushing for a journalism job. Would a relevant degree and relevant work experience not be better for her?

English graduates are ten a penny and IME they often leave uni, panic because their degree's not directly relevant to anything except teaching and so try and get into associated fields like journalism and publishing. She really, really doesn't want to be yet-another-english-graduate.

Competition for graduate jobs is fiercer than ever. Why would an employer even bother interviewing someone with an irrelevant degree when they've got loads of applicants who've done a relevant degree and therefore have shown a commitment to the subject, proven level of related knowledge and proven understanding of the related theory? If she really wants to do journalism and really wants to do English then that's her choice but she really, really needs to get some good work placements, volunteer work and internships that will make the employer invite her for interview rather than just dismissing her degree as irrelevant and throwing her application form in the bin.

Remember as well when looking at Uni information they are trying to sell you a product so take what they say with a pinch of salt.

melancholly

Ianna wrote: »

I know this is an old post but bear with me. Is your daughter sure she wants to do journalism? If so why is she doing English? She'll be one of eleventy billion english graduates pushing for a journalism job. Would a relevant degree and relevant work experience not be better for her?

English graduates are ten a penny and IME they often leave uni, panic because their degree's not directly relevant to anything except teaching and so try and get into associated fields like journalism and publishing. She really, really doesn't want to be yet-another-english-graduate.

Competition for graduate jobs is fiercer than ever. Why would an employer even bother interviewing someone with an irrelevant degree when they've got loads of applicants who've done a relevant degree and therefore have shown a commitment to the subject, proven level of related knowledge and proven understanding of the related theory? If she really wants to do journalism and really wants to do English then that's her choice but she really, really needs to get some good work placements, volunteer work and internships that will make the employer invite her for interview rather than just dismissing her degree as irrelevant and throwing her application form in the bin.

Remember as well when looking at Uni information they are trying to sell you a product so take what they say with a pinch of salt.

did you read the posts just before yours?! the OP's daughter has decided to do a journalism course and not english?!

Ianna

melancholly wrote: »

did you read the posts just before yours?! the OP's daughter has decided to do a journalism course and not english?!

I obviously didn't or I wouldn't have posted my response. My desire to help out overcame me, I'll make sure I never do that again. Thanks for pointing it out to me in such a friendly and constructive manner.

melancholly

oh well, with dripping sarcasm like that, you're more than welcome *saintly smile*

Ianna

melancholly wrote: »

oh well, with dripping sarcasm like that, you're more than welcome *saintly smile*

lol :beer:

digsby202

Ianna, I agree with part of your post but also disagree with some of it.
My daughter is at Cambridge studying English and wants to go in journalisim. She is the editor in chief of on one of the 2 student newspapers and I would say about 75% of the editorial staff are English students with a desire to enter journalisim. She put herself in a very strong position becoming editor at such a young age (19) and on such a prestigious newspaper. She has been headhunted, as have some of her staff, by national newspapers and the two biggest broadcasting companies in the country. They are interested in her degree but more so by the experience of editing the newspaper and the internships she has done over the last year.
Her passion for English and her ability to write put her in this strong position. On her last internship she was submitting work which needed little or no editing, this was because of her grounding in English.
On leaving Cambridge she will probably go to University in the USA to do MSC in journalisim, but to get there she needed the English degree.

I work in an office someone who graduated from Univeristy last year with a journalisim degree, and working in Admin is her first job.

I just think to give yourself the best possible chance in what is a competitive industry it would be worth considering a degree in English then post-grad in journalisim.

Love d