Vanessa T

Do something today that your future self will thank you for.

The Professional Freelance Journalism Course proved to be just the sort of platform I needed to launch myself into my current role as a social media consultant. Who knew that it would also lead to me posing questions to Anne Geddes, the internationally renowned child photographer, on HuffPostLive on television in New York!

When I decided to obtain a qualification that would improve my writing skills and give me some credibility, I chose the online course offered by the British College of Journalism because of its convenience and its cost effectiveness.

The writing industry is a highly competitive one. As a freelance writer, there is no shortage of finding paid work but the difficulty is usually finding work that pays fairly and consistently. I started blogging about my floral photography journey in the same year I started the course which was fortunate as I could add images to my pieces while learning to write for various audiences. It also allowed me to extend my skills to portrait photography.

Completing the course gave me the confidence to call myself a freelance journalist and to behave like one by actively seeking out local news interest stories. I started out as an intern doing copywriting at the Marketing Eye (a marketing agency) and also wrote local news interest stories for online newspaper, the Uckfield News.

Relocating from the UK to the USA, I found the skills I acquired through writing various pieces were invaluable for an expat and a stay at home mother in a new country.  Freelance journalism gave me the freedom to work from home while giving me the flexibility to handle my children’s needs. Learning to navigate the numerous social media channels became a priority when writing and sharing stories of interest which became my stepping stone into social media consulting.

I continue to ghostwrite for SEO purposes. Currently I also contribute to the local Dublin Patch news bulletin board in California where I cover stories pertaining to Kuk Sool Won martial arts.

Setting yourself apart from the masses takes hard work, persistence and generally making a ruckus. Social media provided useful channels for me to promote my work and gain further exposure.

I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to all at the British College of Journalism and I know that my future self will be thrilled that I decided to complete The Professional Freelance Journalism Course because my current self already is!

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