Every so often a recent journalism grad asks about breaking into this business.

I deeply valued such tips and guidance when I was starting, so I always try to answer.

Replied to one today, and figure I'd put this out there for any others who might also be pursuing this work.

(Caveat: There are many roads to many different jobs in writing. This is merely the one that worked for me.)

1. Get news experience. No matter your dream job, get some experience calling, interviewing, and researching. This is the foundation for everything.

Prove you can do that, other doors will open.

Want to write about fashion? Great. See if your college or local paper could also use help on the police beat or covering student/city government.

Skills you learn there will be helpful as you later pursue stories in fashion, sports, entertainment, politics, etc

Reporting is the key, at least at the start.

Criticism and personal takes are wonderful, but there are a surplus of people offering POVs on the internet.

Harder to find (and more valuable to editors) are writers who can conduct interviews, gather research, and craft analysis.

If your goal is to write criticism or opinion, that’s wonderful. Go for it!

Developing a reputation through reporting on that field is one avenue to be getting paid to share that perspective.

Then you're not just an opinion writer — you're an expert.

2. Identify your dream job. It'll take you a while to get there. Remember that. This isn't an instant recipe.

Find smaller outlets that are more accessible to entry-level writers. Then write for them, but do the kind of stories you would pursue if you were at that #1 outlet.

Once you develop a reservoir of clips, start looking for the next rung — the outlet that has a bit more prestige, pays a little more — and use your existing work to open the door there.

It's journalism, so the money is never going to be what you hope, but you CAN make a living.

So that's the way up through local papers, weeklies, and smaller online sites.

Maybe you find you like one of those places and start climbing the ladder internally. That's fine! Goals change. Keep your mind open.

Pursue what makes you happiest. Go where you are valued.

My goal was to be a news reporter. I worked as an editorial assistant at @AP. As I proved myself, the editors trusted me with more responsibility. For a few years I specialized in parachuting into breaking news stories.

Criminal trials. Accidents. Elections. Protests. Wildfires.

Working in Los Angeles, a company town, I picked up a few entertainment assignments. I loved it.

When a position opened up to cover movies full time, my editors knew I could cover wildfires and protests. Those combined with a few decent entertainment clips got me the job.

But I didn't join @AP hoping to become a film writer. I always loved movies and books and TV (who doesn't?) but that wasn't a goal.

Entertainment became the main event only after years of covering news. Others have a different path, but that was mine.

3. If your goal is to start your own site or publication, you still want to work as an employee somewhere for a few years to learn the work, make mistakes & strengthen your skills.

Working with a team of fellow writers under sharp editors will be a constant source of education.

Think of it as an apprenticeship as you prepare to break off and start your own project in a few years.

You'll also be able to keep your eyes on exactly what journalism will look like then, too. The field is changing rapidly. The way readers consume information is evolving.

Stay ambitious, but learn what you need to learn on the job for a couple years and you'll be in a stronger position either to begin your own operation or to leap off into that dream position at another outlet.

The key word here is "years." Again, this doesn't happen overnight.

Although the business itself has gone through quite a metamorphosis, journalism is still fundamentally the same. It's just delivered differently.

Readers still exist. They still want good stories. Editors want the stories that not just anyone can report and write.

4. Don't be a pushover, but always look out for colleagues.

It's good to be competitive, but I have made friendships and been helped by other writers who had nothing to gain from being kind to me. I've tried to behave the same way.

Make allies. Help newcomers. Be decent.

When I was laid off by EW last year, one of the nice things was getting messages from former colleagues who said I had been helpful or kind to them when they were starting out.

Apart from being personally meaningful to me, those people also helped me get back on my feet.

Those former assistants or interns became senior writers or editors at other publications, and a few mentioned me to their higher-ups as someone worth hiring.

Others vouched for me to mutual friend journalists who became my new colleagues. It helped a lot.

I remember all the writers and editors who went out of their way to help me find my way in this business.

I also remember the ones who were petty and unnecessarily awful.

Your reputation as a journalist matters a lot, not only regarding readers but also with co-workers.

Similarly, when you're starting out, be comfortable with criticism. Stand up for yourself, fight for that lead you love, but be aware that there is a lot to learn.

Get a rep for being a huge pain and the rungs on that ladder start to get awfully far apart.

The business is cutthroat enough. We writers don't have to be with each other.

We get further if we help each other climb. So ask for advice, and be willing to give help when you can.

So to an aspiring writers out there, take this advice, run with it, add to it, and pass it on to another recent graduate when you are established someday.

If anyone reading this has questions, hit me now before the coffee is done and I unplug...