Liam Coleman is putting pen to paper and building his dream career in journalism, thanks to a master’s and his well-connected tutors at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU).
Liam (on the left) on graduation day with football buddy Josh Hunt
After studying English Literature and Journalism at undergraduate level at DMU, Liam enrolled on the university’s NCTJ-accredited Journalism MA, which he graduated from in 2015.
With a solid foundation behind him, Liam landed a job as a trainee journalist at the Loughborough Echo, a weekly newspaper, and is enjoying getting to grips with the varied roles of a journalist.
His days consist of interviewing, reporting, seeking out stories, attending events and taking photographs to accompany his weekly articles.
The 22-year-old said: “Without my course I would never have been able to get the job that I have at the minute.
“Now that I have a job in journalism, I have also realised just how well my course has prepared me for this role.”
Liam attributes his successful interview at the Loughborough Echo to his experience as a freelance writer for The Football League Paper, a specialist newspaper dedicated to all 72 football league clubs.
Enjoying a night out in Leicester!
He puts the opportunity down to one of his tutors, saying: “I started freelancing for The Football League Paper through one of my tutors and this experience is what ultimately helped me through my interview for my job now.
“I report on football matches from the Championship through to League Two, interviewing managers and players and writing an ‘on the day’ match report to be published the next day.”
One of Liam’s favourite aspects of his MA was the Practical Journalism module. He also values the NCTJ-accredited exams in media law, politics and government, shorthand and reporting, calling those skills ‘essential for any role in journalism’ and admitting to using them on a daily basis.
Say 'football'! Liam's to the right of the goalkeeper
He particularly enjoyed learning shorthand, saying: “It felt like I was learning my own secret language, and people always comment on it whenever I interview them.
“It’s a necessity because there’s no way I would I be able to remember everything someone said when I interview them without it.”
Liam also fully immersed himself in the university lifestyle at DMU by playing for the men’s football team for four years and spending time as a manager of the men’s third team, which also helped him with his career.
He said: “I played in the first team in my final year and would write weekly match reports for the sport section of DMU’s Demon Media, which I also used in my NCTJ portfolio and in my portfolio when applying for my current job.”
Posted on Friday 12 August 2016