How to get a job on Autosport

This video is part of a Masterclass from Multimedia Journalism: A Practical Guide focusing on on what consumer magazines have to offer newly qualified journalists. It features Simon Strang, Autosport's online editor. You'll find the full Masterclass package here.



First off, says Simon, you should get a solid grounding in journalism on a local newspaper.

And develop your knowledge of the sport: “You have to know your subject, and way beyond just Formula 1. You need a passion and a drive. It’s the least 9 to 5 career imaginable and unless you are totally committed you won’t make it, because you are competing with plenty of people who have that level of commitment.”

In contrast to FourFourTwo, there is much less opportunity for untried and untested freelances to win a commission. At Autosport, they tend to work with a band of writers they have known for a long time and who have great experience.

So how can you get a look in? Try to get a work experience stint on the title.

Simon says: “You need work experience, and to make it work for you.

“Pitch in, make sure you are memorable, not just someone skulking in the corner of the office."

It's young journalists who get noticed who they think of when a vacancy arises.

As Simon explains in the video, Autosport really invests in the young journalists it takes on.

They start on the national desk which, Simon says, in football parlance is like the conference league; it covers the sport at a grass roots level.

There they meet the drivers and engineers who will progress up the sport. They get to know them and build a relationship that will be hugely valuable when they move on to cover the more senior levels. A relationship of trust will have built up.