Why Job Candidates with Journalism Degrees Make the Best Content Marketers
Journalism majors are the best candidates for content marketing roles, but they’re rarely recruited for them.
Job descriptions for these positions often require a communications, marketing “or similar” degree, but employers should be actively recruiting candidates with journalism degrees if they’re hoping to generate revenue with content marketing. Here’s why.
These candidates have developed the rare gift of being able to tell a meaningful story that moves readers to take action. Sound like a good quality in a candidate you expect to drive demand and lead generation?
When it comes to marketing to different audiences and personalizing your content, there’s no one better to help you navigate these waters than a candidate with a journalism background. They’ve written movie reviews for Chicagoans, retirement tips for the aging community, feature stories on that suburban influencer and so much more. They inherently know how to tailor their message, and can help drive your segmentation efforts.
Well before journalism students even graduate college, they learn the value of time management and meeting deadlines. If their article isn’t completed by its due date, it doesn’t run in the student paper. Can you think of many people in your own company who produce high-quality work on time?
Speaking of the student newspaper, if your candidate has held any role at their college paper, it’s a good indicator that they’re proficient at project management (and can adapt quickly and work well as part of a team).
As the news editor — and later, managing editor — of Loyola University Chicago’s Loyola Phoenix, I spent countless hours in the basement of the student center working with a team to put together an award-winning newspaper. More than any class, this job taught me the true value of teamwork, leadership and problem-solving.
And, on more than one occasion, it taught me how to deal with the inevitable corporate fire drill. Just hours away from deadline, we’d hear sirens on campus and run out the door to investigate what would soon become our new front-page story. Each time, we pivoted, reprioritized and worked under pressure to get.it.done.
It takes collaborative problem-solving and quick decision-making to work as a student journalist, so if one of your candidates has held a role at their college paper, hire them — or at least strongly consider doing so. These skills are what turn decent candidates into content marketers who will make a big impact at your company.
Not only have journalism students developed the work ethic of role-model employees, but they’ve also learned social skills that are critical for building relationships with key stakeholders across your business.
As a content marketer, it’s essential to build rapport with leadership, sales, operations, product development and many other functions within the company. Student journalists are skilled at this, having spent the bulk of their education learning how to effectively communicate and listen during interviews, how to be patient when waiting for sources to respond and how to maintain relationships with sources even after the story has published.
Rarely will you find a “doer” who will come to the table with their own ideas and manage to execute them. Candidates with journalism degrees have learned the value of a good pitch and have an innate ability to think outside the box.
So when you hire someone with a background in journalism, you’re getting more than an employee. You’re getting a leader, an innovator and an idea machine. A partner who will take your content marketing efforts further than you ever imagined.
After all, they’ve (unknowingly) spent years honing the skills that make excellent content marketers, and they should be at the top of your list when recruiting and hiring for these roles.
