Additional Information
Maria Trombly is a foreign correspondent based in Shanghai. According to
Trombly, foreign correspondents come from all sorts of backgrounds. Some have
degrees in journalism or English. Others have studied finance and economics,
business, philosophy, languages or mathematics.
"Anything and everything," she remarks when asked about educational backgrounds.
"Success seems correlated more to energy and adaptability then to background."
Chris Mitchell is a foreign correspondent in the Middle East. He says that
a journalism degree is not a requirement, but it is recommended. He has a
bachelor's degree in history and a master's in communication. He thinks that
getting experience with a small newspaper or station would help.
If you have a particular affinity for a news organization, Mitchell suggests
trying to get a job with them. "Some have started small and worked their way
up," he remarks. "Some started with humble beginnings."
According to Trombly, being able to communicate with new people is a very
important skill. "Sales training is fantastic here. Get a telemarketing job,
or cold calling job, while in college."
One of the best ways to work towards a career in foreign correspondence
is to practice your journalism skills on student newspapers.
If you have an opportunity to travel, try scouting out newsworthy events.
Research a story and submit it to a news source. You might be surprised to
see your name on a byline sooner than you think.