Career Development specialist, Lekan Otufodunrin highlights lessons from the career accomplishments of a female journalist in 2020 and suggests what journalists should do in 2021.
In case you missed it, below is what Elfredah Kelvin, a journalist based in Port Harcourt, River State shared online on December 31 titled ” OVERVIEW OF INCREDIBLE 2020″ about what she accomplished in 2020.
*Over 11 grants from different organizations (within &Outside Nigeria)
“Multiple fully funded events (online&Offline) * 4-Fellowship ( within&Outside Nigeria)
*While enjoying Freelancing; Got 3 full-time job offers. Rejected two. Very proud of the job I accepted.
* Eight months deal in Dakar, Senegal on issues concerning Niger Delta region.
* Invited and got paid as a facilitator for a 2-day program.
IT WASN’T EASY. GOD’S GRACE WAS JUST TOO SUFFICIENT.
In the year 2020 when Coronavirus disrupted our lives and work in many ways than we envisaged, it’s incredible that Elfredah accomplished so much in her career.
Rather than giving up on 2020 and leaving her career to chances, if any ever comes, she must have been more than ever be determined to succeed and maximize every opportunity she got.
I knew Elfredah who is a now a Reporter @GazetteNGR since her fellowship year in the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism Female Leadership Reporters programme.
She was hungry to learn. She was determined to overcome her limitations. She refused to be discouraged by the lack of commensurate pay for her work and hustles. She refused to see herself as a local reporter and dared to seek opportunities where many, with even better qualifications and experience, would not attempt.
She maximized every opportunity like when Media Career Development Network offered token data support (N1-5,000) for journalists to participate in webinars.
She was very appreciative of the offer, participated in a webinar and wrote a very insightful report which was the condition for getting the support.
I can imagine the sacrifices she must have made as a married woman and mother to meet the demands of the various assignments she has to do in her workplace and other programmes she has participated in.
If she had listened to discouraging comments of some colleagues who must have thought she was unnecessarily ambitious, she wouldn’t have come anyway near how far she has come from being a local reporter to being a journalist reckoned with nationally and globally.
Despite the challenges in our industry, there are many opportunities waiting for those who don’t easily give up. What is important is to strategically try hard and smart enough and be satisfied you have done your best even if you don’t get what you want.
In 2021, let it not be that you believe that you can’t make better career progress beyond the level you are now. Don’t get too worried about the second wave of COVID-19 and be expecting the worst in your career.
Among other steps, you must take, redefine your career goals in the light of the rapidly changing media landscape and have a work plan on how to achieve your aspirations.
Be honest about your limitations, including relevant skills and qualifications you don’t have and plan how to acquire them. If your progress will depend on the skills and qualifications, stop wishing about getting them, get them now.
Apart from enrolling for regular courses, there are free online courses and training you can participate in.
There are numerous free online resources for anyone hungry for knowledge.
READ ALSO: FIVE WAYS JOURNALISTS CAN TAKE CHARGE OF THEIR CAREER
You will also need to widen your horizon and networks. The circle within which you operate and your mentality is crucial to how much progress you can make in the profession. Be inquisitive, seek relevant information and belong to networks that can advance your career online and offline.
In whatever you do, be innovative and think about new and better ways of doing your assignments and projects. Keep tab of global best practices and don’t be contented with how things have always been done. Use new technology to improve your output.
Audit your areas of coverage and be sure you are not covering only a part of what you should be reporting or writing about. Find new experts to quote and let your audience get a sense of new perspectives in your content.
One last point, ensure maximum visibility for your work and accomplishments. Don’t be too modest to deny yourself necessary acknowledgement for what you deserved to be known and rewarded for. Work on your online presence and be searchable for your expertise.
What happens if the situation in the media don’t getter and there are fewer opportunities. That should be the least of your problem. Always remember that when the going gets tough, only the tough gets going.
If Elfredah succumbed to the Coronavirus fears, she would have written about HORRIBLE 2020 and not INCREDIBLE 2020