The first thing that you should know is that you do not need a degree in journalism to get a job. In fact, there are some old school editors who will not hire individuals with a journalism degree because they do not have these degrees themselves and they do not want to bring in people who are more qualified than they are. This has created a unique culture within these newspaper organizations where people from all sorts of backgrounds can get jobs in newspaper writing. Even though this degree in journalism is not necessary, you will need a bachelor's degree of some sort and this degree must have been in a program that required plenty of writing and research. An example of this would a degree in English or media relations, as there they have a similar scope, but are not as intimidating as a journalism degree.
Once you have your initial degree, you can submit an application to the editor, where you will want to include any writing experience that you have. An important part of feature writing is to know how to format the articles, so make sure that you have researched this before applying. One way to get your foot in the door is to apply for another position within the organization and then work your way up to a writing job. This will also give you the chance to ask current reporters questions about their craft so that you will be more prepared when you finally get your opportunity.
Once you have a job at the newspaper, make sure that the editor is aware of your career goals and offer to cover stories for other reporters who are unable to. Editors love people who are able to write on a variety of different topics, so become available at all times to write on absolutely anything. There will be times when the paper is short on reporters and they will eventually need your help, so simply wait for your opportunity and work on your writing ability while you do so.
The more you are able to help, the more opportunities you will get in the future. This means that you should make sure that you are available at all times and do any writing that you are offered. If you do this on a continuous basis, the editor might eventually put you on his or her writing staff permanently. Newspaper writing is not an easy job to get into because there are relatively few positions available, but if you make yourself readily available once you get your foot in the door, you will find that opportunities will eventually arise for you to take advantage of.
Feature writing is extremely competitive, so you will have to do what you can to make yourself stand out above the rest. Do not be afraid to speak highly of your abilities because confidence can take you a long way in this industry. This is not to be confused with bragging, but knowing that you have the ability and using that ability to provide the best articles possible is exactly what these papers are looking for.
You must also learn to be very thick skinned, as you will have lots of criticism throughout your career. Do not let this criticism get you down because every reporter experiences it at some point. Simply continue to write the stories the best way you know how and you will eventually achieve success and will be loved by the majority. It is impossible to have everyone love everything that you write, but if you can stay popular with the masses, you will find that you will succeed in this industry.
