Scott B.

Entertainment Editor
Happy to mentor
Happy to be contacted

About me

Scott B.
Politics
Politics
Undergraduate
Halifax
2010
United Kingdom

My employment

Entertainment Editor
BuzzFeed UK
United Kingdom
Advertising, marketing and PR / Journalism and publishing

More about Scott

LGBTQ+

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A day in the life of a Entertainment Editor in the United Kingdom

How I looked for work

I was working at The Times on social media (non-journalism role), but being keen on entertainment and journalism, I kept submitting freelance posts for The Guardian, Radio Times and others. I also kept up blogging.

How I found out about the job

National press

The recruitment process

I met with one of the editors who noticed what I was writing and we discussed how compatible it could be with BuzzFeed. This led to a job interview, a trial and then a full staff writer role.

My career goals when I graduated

I really wanted to keep the chatty style I wrote at the back of York Vision going as long as possible in a paper or website, so I knew that I wanted to do it full time. However, I didn't expect that I would actually get a journalist job. It just basically came about.

My career history

Worked at The Times in their social media team, had work experience for different magazines, worked at one time for a charity and marketing company.

What has helped my career to progress

Having perseverance, working during weekends and evenings when I was in crap jobs pitching and writing articles, using TWITTER (so underrated).

Courses taken since graduation

None

How my studies have helped my career

It really didn't. I did politics at York but I have never thought that much about it post Uni, I guess it just taught me skills of being analytical and believing that people say quite a lot of nonesense.

What surprised me about my career so far

That you can get something in the area you want if you make sacrifices with your time and ask a hell of a lot of advice from the right people. You can get ahead by using social media for your job, and to find out who works in the area you really want to work.

Where I hope to be in 5 years

Not dead.

My advice to students considering work

KEEP EVERYTHING YOU WRITE OR PRODUCE AT UNIVERSITY, such as newspaper journalism or radio shows - the earlier you start on your portfolio the better (and you'll also get the nostalgia blues when you leave University). Also, get on social media to showcase your work.

My advice about working in my industry

Don't do work experience in journalism for the sake of it. Use work experience to learn how the organisation works, and then pitch pitch pitch to them the moment is over for paid work. The earlier that you make money freelance in journalism, the more beneficial it will be for your career later on. And the more likely you will get a full-paid job in it.

Contacting me

Ask me about how best to use work experience, how to pitch and find editors for your work, how to social media to find jobs in a non-desperate way.

What I do

I am the Entertainment Editor at BuzzFeed UK

Skills I use and how I developed them

Journalism, being able to interview someone within a set amount of time, pitching, understanding an audience, social media. I developed these skills merely as a result of trial and error, with additional alcohol at times.

What I like most

The fact that no day is the same, being part of big events and the national conversation and adding to it, the fact that it does sometimes make a difference to people's lives, that you get to get closer to important things

What I like least

The hours sometimes can be a real pain, you always are as good as your last article, the competition and egos can be fierce.

What surprised me most

That you don't need to have journalism formal training to get in (although it does helps if you are going into a specialism like investigative journalism), you don't even need to spell or use grammar correctly (I have dyslexia so nothing I write makes sense 100% of the time).

Next steps...

If you like the look of Scott’s profile, the next steps are down to you! You can send Scott a message to find out more about their career journey. If you feel you would benefit from more in-depth conversations, ask Scott to be your mentor.

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