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December 19, 2012

How to get a trainee job at… Thomson Reuters It’s tough, but there are jobs for the determined

By Camilla Turner

Global news agency Reuters takes on around 15 journalism trainees each year globally from about 2,000 applications.

The application process opens in September and closes mid- December (this year’s deadline closed last Friday), with trainees starting the scheme the following September in the company’s newsrooms in London, New York and across Asia.

The training programme runs for nine months and involves about two months in the classroom and the rest of the time rotating around the different news desks for hands-on, practical experience.

Trainees are guaranteed a job at the end of the programme if they meet the required standards.

Here, global head of editorial learning Belinda Goldsmith tells Press Gazette how potential candidates can give themselves the best possible chance of being successful in their application and land a job at Thomson Reuters.

What tips would you give to aspiring journalists?

Read widely. Read Reuters.com and other publications that excel in business journalism.

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Look at how stories are written and find out when you don’t understand.

Use your network. Getting a break in journalism is tough but there are jobs to be had for people who are determined to become journalists.

Persistence and ingenuity are both skills that journalists need to show.

What does Reuters look for in a trainee?

We are looking for smart, motivated people who are passionate about international and financial news. They need to prove a commitment to journalism during their years at university and through work experience, internships or published work.

Trainees do not need to have studied journalism at university or college as we view graduating in subjects such as economics, history, and international relations can be as beneficial.

Fluency in other languages and financial literacy is an advantage.

Does everyone who applies need to be a university graduate?

The trainees we take on are not only university graduates, but also people who may have been working for several years.

Someone with a specialist background in law, medicine, computer science or accounting, could be a good fit for the programme as Reuters caters for groups of niche professional clients and is expanding into data driven journalism.

Applicants are expected to write well in English and to be interested in financial journalism with a working knowledge of the markets, monetary and fiscal policy, and show an eagerness to learn more about this fascinating area.

A visual eye and multimedia experience can also give applicants the edge 

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