Hi, we are expatriate indians currently working in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. We recently secured our Canadian PR visas. My wife is a journalist - she was with the Times of India, Ahmedabad, for a couple of years. she's been working at a senior editorial position in a media organisation in Dar es Salaam for the past six years. What do you think are her chances of getting a job in the same field in Canada? Is there anything she can do sitting in Dar to improve her chances of securing employment in the same field?

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Atulgs

i worked in this field in canada and have many friends struggling to make a living at it. at one point it was basically a skill one had (being able to write well) and no special qualifications were required. in fact, many working journalists today only have a high school education (yes, that explains a lot).

however, an MA in journalism was introduced ('94 or so) and employers now require it, even though existing staff members do not possess such a qualification.

you can go to a print media publication if you have a good portfolio and try to find a job but believe me, thousands are doing the same thing. everyone is working for peanuts hoping to build up a portfolio to acquire a real job but as the years go by, they realize it is a forlorn hope.

technical writing and editing are very dynamic industries but are very demanding. the work can be tedious compared to the print media industry. you won't be covering and researching stories but editing the same types of texts over and over and ... you get the idea.

good luck whichever route you choose. if you don't have a formal background in journalism you can do one by correspondence from the LONDON SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM, but i think a canadian MA in journalism is the industry standard. email me if you require more info, as i work in this field, albeit overseas.

Thanks Chris!

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Atulgs