SO, you’ve finished college and probably think…what now?

Sure, they idea of staying in, turning on the Playstation 3 and trying to complete as many games as you can may sound appealing, but in fact, now’s the perfect chance to go and grab that career you want to.

So, we got back in touch with Jayne Gardner, Deputy International Editor of The Times, to get her top five checklist of what needs to be done to get that job.

Let’s get hunting…

1. Plan out two months at a time – “When you finish college, to many people just ring around and before they know it, they’ve over-booked themselves,” says Jayne.  ”Make sure that you spend time making a plan. Highlight the papers you WANT to work for, the reasons why, and then ring up and convince them to take you in for some work experience.”

2. Myth-breaker – work experience leads to a job – “Not necessarily,” says Jayne. “Just because you do well there does not mean you’re guaranteed a job at the end of it. Make sure that you always have a backstop in place and prepare for the worst.”

3. Follow these steps – Step 1: The Phone call – “Right, contrary to what a lot of people think, sending a CV to apply for a job in journalism is not the best way to do it. Ring up the paper, introduce yourself, and try and get in that way. If not, ask them if you can send a CV over. They will remember your name if you’ve bothered to ring them up before-hand.”

4. Step 2 – The CV – “Get this right. Put all your most recent at the top, with a brief description of what your job was next to it. Coming next week is a CV template, to help you get it perfect.”

5. Step 3 – No waiting around -” So you’ve sent off the CV, and there’s now that painful wait while you await the outcome. Wrong! Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Apply around, do this process as many times as you can. Fidn out what dates they can offer, then pick and choose what is best for you.

“A lot of people are put off by the idea of working for FREE, and true, it does not ALWAYS mean there will be a job at the end of it. But in this day and age, it’s almost a must for students to do. It shows employers that you REALLY want to be a journalist – and not just someone who is in the job for money.

“Whatever you do, keep your head up, enjoy it, and know that this time next year, you’ll be in the job you love.

“Happy hunting!”

HARLOW college has been awarded the best NCTJ magazine course for 2010.

The college beat-off fierce competition from FIVE other accredited magazine courses to nab the top spot. The coveted honour of being named the best journalism course in the UK went to London-based training provider News Associates.

Detailed exam results for all 68 NCTJ accredited courses will be published on the organisation’s website later this month.