The journalism jobs market is still difficult and likely to stay that way for some time. What that means is every time you apply for a job, you’re competing against a large number of people. 

You’ve been to university, got a journalism qualification of some kind and done some work placements. The problem: so has everyone else.

The common solution is to spend more time tweaking the CV: adding new things, rearranging the layout, sticking it on LinkedIn. But this is a 20th century solution to a 21st century problem.

Everyone else has a CV, but not everyone has the initiative to see the new publishing opportunities in front of us all, and to start something. Launching an online magazine, for example, and building a small, loyal community around great content. Or running a series of talks or events, or making that documentary. Read more

When it comes to journalists enjoying a close relationship with listeners, viewers and readers, it's hard to beat local media.

Tell a story well, or badly, and you'll soon hear direct from your audience - whether you're out walking the same patch tomorrow or just standing in the chip shop queue.

So it's not surprising that our teams in BBC English Regions have been embracing the immediacy and connectedness of social networking for some time - from Look North on Facebook and Dean Jackson's The Beat on Twitter, to newsgathering experiments like BBC London's award-winning deployment of Crowdmap during 2010′s Tube strikes.

But until now there's never been a unified document for BBC staff bringing together these activities and our plans to push them forward. ... Read More