Career Path Of An Independent Writer And Editor As A Freelancer
Kathryn's career path began with extensive involvement in their college newspaper, culminating in a paid editorship where they "wrote columns, wrote news stories, uh, helped with layout, um, and graphics." After further newspaper experience and a seven-year stint as newsletter editor and photographer for Knob Hill Foods, a Central California grocery chain, the professional transitioned to a decade-long features writer position at the Monterey Herald before embracing freelance writing.
Journalism, Writing, Freelancing, Newspaper Industry, Features Writing
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Kathryn McKenzie (Kathy to my friends)
Independent writer/editor
Self-Employed
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
No graduate programs
Creative Writing, Journalism
Arts, Entertainment & Media
Creative
Honors Student
Video Highlights
1. During college, Kathryn worked for the student newspaper, gaining experience in writing, editing, layout, and graphics. This hands-on experience provided a strong foundation for her later career.
2. After college, Kathryn completed an internship and then returned to the student newspaper for another summer, solidifying her writing skills and career focus.
3. Kathryn's diverse career path included seven years as a newsletter editor and photographer for a grocery chain, demonstrating adaptability and the ability to handle multiple tasks. This experience broadened her skills beyond newspaper work, before transitioning back into the field and later into freelancing
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college? Please include any internships or jobs you had before your current role.
In college, I spent a lot of time working for the daily student newspaper. It was a really great experience, very student-led and a lot of fun.
I became one of the paid editors my senior year and really enjoyed it. I wrote columns, news stories, and helped with layout and graphics.
After college, I did an internship and then went back to the same newspaper for the following summer. I was very immersed in writing for newspapers, focused on being a features writer rather than hard news. I liked talking to people and finding out about them, which seemed like the right path for me.
Before my current role, I've had many jobs, but most of my work life has been for newspapers. I also spent seven years working for a grocery chain in Central California called Knob Hill Foods in the eighties and nineties.
There, I was their newsletter editor and also worked on some advertising. It was interesting to approach writing from a different angle. I was a one-man band, writing all the stories for the monthly newsletter, doing all the photography, and mailing it out.
Then, in 1995, I had the opportunity to get back into newspapers. I spent 10 years as a features writer for the Monterey Herald, a daily newspaper in Monterey. After that, I decided to freelance, which is what I am still doing.
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