Newspaper journalist — Faith Archer

After completing the MA in Law and History of Art at Cambridge University, Faith began temping at a daily newspaper, which started her on the pathway to becoming a freelance personal finance journalist and money blogger

How did you get your job as a journalist?

It was by accident. I was temping while applying for jobs, and ended up covering when the researcher on the money section of The Daily Telegraph was on holiday. I came back to cover another couple of times, and when a vacancy came up, my boss suggested I should apply.

What's a typical day like?

When I was working in an office, I'd start by listening to the radio, checking press releases and scanning the papers for breaking news, ready to discuss what we should be working on that day.

After that, it really varied. I might spend the day writing a feature for the weekend section, but then be diverted to covering breaking news for the next day's paper. I'd then have to hit the phone to get comments on the piece, research or source case studies for a new topic. Sometimes I'd go out for lunch or coffee with industry contacts.

Usually, I'd be out of the office by 7pm, but a couple of times a week, I'd go to work events in the evening - drinks, dinners, awards ceremonies, corporate entertaining and networking.

As a freelancer, I also have to combine writing and creating social media content with running a business, which involves:

• pitching
• invoicing
• chasing payments
• dealing with any IT issues.

What do you enjoy most about being a journalist?

The variety. Although I do return to certain topics, there are always different angles, breaking news, or new products and developments to cover. After 20 years, I'm still learning new things and have loved expanding from written copy to social media posts, blogging, podcasts, webinars, live events and radio and TV appearances.

I'm also really glad it's the kind of job I can do on a freelance basis working from home, so I can be around for my children.

Tell us about a piece of work that you're most proud of.

Some of my content on women and investing has encouraged people to invest and improve their financial futures, so I'm proud of that.

One of my most memorable features, however, was a retired librarian who wrote to complain that her water company refused to install a water meter. She ended up digging a deep hole to locate the water pipe. I've never had a faster or more abject apology from a company after I offered them the right to reply. The photos to accompany the piece, of the pensioner wielding her spade, were brilliant too.

What are the challenges?

The pay as a journalist is not great. Many freelance rates have remained the same for decades. I therefore combine my journalism with copywriting and projects for corporate clients.

What three qualities are most important for working in this profession?

• an eye for detail
• curiosity
• literacy.

How has your career developed, and what are your ambitions?

I started off as a researcher, quite literally making tea for the rest of the team, managing the editor's diary, fielding letters and calls from readers and filing. But once I'd done those tasks, I always asked if there was anything else I could do. I ended up writing short case studies, for example, interviewing people who have used a particular type of savings account or claimed on their insurance.

As I got promoted, I ended up as deputy personal finance editor at The Daily Telegraph, writing, commissioning and editing features on personal finance, and helping train younger journalists. When my boss was away, I also had to decide what should be covered in that weekend's money section, write a comment piece, liaise with the advertising department about how many pages and what size we had to fill, ask the picture department to take pictures and provide the cover image and work with the subeditors to finalise the copy.

I went freelance after I had my first child, which has given me greater flexibility and taken me in directions I never expected.

I would like to write a book and possibly do more TV work in the future, but I'm pretty happy with my working life.

What are your top three tips for becoming a journalist?

• Start writing. Send in ideas and try to get published in your school, university or local newspaper. What are the stories or angles around you that you can cover? Start your own blog or write long-form content on Instagram related to an area you're passionate about.
• Think beyond the big national newspapers to get your foot in the door. There are loads of places crying out for content, whether that's magazines, websites or trade journals.
• Always deliver your best work. Check and double-check your spelling, grammar, facts and sources. If you interview a John Smith and don't check, he is pretty much guaranteed to spell his name 'Jon Smyth'. Submit content that is 'fit for print', rather than expecting someone else to correct your mistakes.

Find out more

• Consider the role of a newspaper journalist.
• Explore journalism courses.
• Read about freelancing.