Advice on journalism jobs, work experience and opportunities for students and other newcomers.

There's plenty of info and advice about work and opportunities for journalism newcomers and student journalists around right now.

• The Independent has launched a competition to find student columnists.
• And there's an interesting guest post on the poor standard of journalism job applications over at Fleet Street Blues.
• And Jon Slattery has stumbled across Dole House Blues, a new blog from an unemployed student journalist.
• Meanwhile, there's also some tips on interviewing from students at Journalist Works that are worth a scan.

My advice to newcomers applying for work and jobs in journalism is:

Getting work experience and opportunities:

• Work experience pays off.  It's a bit like doing a week-long interview.
• Don't just aim for the big names you've always read.  Niche brands offer loads of opportunities - and you can often get stuff published.
• Actively blog and tweet about your interest areas. You might get noticed.
• When doing work experience volunteer for everything. Make the most of every opportunity.

Applications:

• Get the basics right: spell names correctly and double-check everything.
• Take a look at the title and/or site you're applying for.
• Tailor your application and CV to what the ad is actually asking for.
• Don't say 'I have very little experience'. Tell them what you have done and tell them why it's relevant to the role on offer.
• Include or link to any relevant cuttings/articles/blog posts.