ADMIT it…the journey to that all important job in journalism is daunting to say the least.

But it doesn’t have to be…

According to The Times Deputy International Editor, Jayne Gardner, there’s still a way for budding journalists to stand out amidst the vast oceans of CVs sent to papers every day.

Jayne said: “First thing’s first, you have to make sure your CV is in order. By this, I mean when you come to listing what you have done, make sure that you put all the most relevant at the top.

“It’s amazing how many people say they want to be journalists – yet the first piece of work or experience is completely unrelated to a journalism position!”

With jobs so sparse and competition so intense, Jayne suggested a more unorthodox way of getting that all important “break”.

She said: “You have to create your own chances these days – it’s not good enough to fire over a CV to a paper and hope for the best.

“Always try and make a phone call to the paper – try and speak the news editor if you’re interested in being a reporter, or the chief sub if you want to work in production.

“They will normally be very busy, so give yourself 15 seconds to tell them all about you. Emphasise qualifications, work experience and tell them just how much you want it.

“If you feel that you’re not getting anywhere, then ask if you can come in for some unpaid work experience – it’s a great way to build up your CV. But make sure you are not just serving the tea – even though it’s a great thing to learn!”

When asked what the most important characteristics of a good journalist are, Jayne answered: “You must be prepared to get rejected from places. If you give up after the first hurdle then you need to think about finding another career.

“Leave your ego at the door – the bigger the ego, the smaller the talent. And be resilient  – just because they say no once, does not mean they will do it again.

“If a door slams in your face, try them again in a few weeks – you never know what could happen!

“Although it’s tempting to fly off somewhere, forget about a job for a few months and hope everything is OK when you get back, in reality you could be doing something more productive.

“When you graduate, take a few months to build a up a solid CV – maybe even get a weekend job to get some funds coming in. When you have done that, you can jet off knowing that when you get back, you will be in a great position to start hunting for jobs.”

Here are my five tips to job success.

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. Find 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!”

Do YOU have any advice for budding journos?

Leave a comment below.

Jayne Gardner is the Deputy International Editor at The Times.