By Paul Briden
At the beginning of a course which she hopes will propel her into the exciting world of magazine journalism, Heather Findlay is optimistic. It’s also the end of a year that has seen quite a turnaround for her with some great achievements and experiences.
She wrote a book in 2008, entitled Insuperable, before working on the college magazine at Brockenhurst College where she achieved excellent A-Level results.
Heather said she originally wanted to be a vet, but discovered she had a talent and enthusiasm for writing, which inspired her to move towards journalism. She started, however, with creative writing; as well as her book she has written poetry and given live performances of her work.
With a diverse range of interests including fashion, interior design, art and photography, Heather is keen to keep her options open, but she cites publications such as Glamour, Company and Good Housekeeping as examples of the type of journalism, which she could see herself working in.
In the short term, she has secured future work placements with BBC Homes and Antiques, BBC Country File, Cardmaking and Papercraft magazine, the Evening Post (Bristol) and the Bath Chronicle. Her work with the Salisbury Journal has already secured her a weekly placement and she hopes to gain paid work through at least one of the publications she has arranged a voluntary place with.
When asked about her ‘dream job’ Heather described her niche interest as a fascination with France, French Canada and French culture and said her ideal position would involve writing for a publication aimed at English residents of a French-Canadian city such as Quebec, perhaps featuring news and cultural articles.
She said “I’m very optimistic about the future, I would like to show that you can get a good job in journalism without necessarily going to university if you put in the hard work.”
FACT FILE
Education:
2003-2008 – South Wilts. Grammar School, Salisbury.
2008-2010 – Brockenhurst College.
Present – Currently studying for an NCTJ Diploma as part of Bournemouth Echo’s Up-To-Speed Journalism course.
Career:
2008
- Empire Magazine, London.
2009
- GalvaniSE Newsletter (Charity Newsletter).
- The Brock Mag (College Magazine).
2010
- Salisbury Journal (Weekly Newspaper).
Tags: alternatives to university, Bristol, British Broadcasting Corporation, Brockenhurst College, France, Good Housekeeping, Heather Findlay, Journalism, journalism courses, journalism degree courses, journalism student, Québec, the Bath Chronicle, the Evening Post, the Salisbury Journal, Up To Speed Journalism