# PTE HCS #5: Career Entry Strategies for Aspiring...

Highlight Correct Summary #5 - Level 2 - Feeds Reading + Listening

> You will hear a recording. Choose the paragraph that best summarizes it.

- A journalism qualification is essential for employment, and paid internships are usually the main pathway into newspapers because they provide financial support and guaranteed long-term roles for beginners.
- Successful journalists mainly need strong academic results and specialist degrees, while school magazines and short, unpaid internships have little impact on hiring decisions compared to formal education.
- Employers in journalism value practical experience more than theory, so students should write for a school magazine, try editing, seek internships to learn modern skills, and build a portfolio of published work to improve their chances of being hired.
- Modern journalism employers prefer candidates with technical qualifications in web design and photography, and they usually hire those who focus on digital skills rather than writing stories under strict deadlines.

## Answer

Employers in journalism value practical experience more than theory, so students should write for a school magazine, try editing, seek internships to learn modern skills, and build a portfolio of published work to improve their chances of being hired.

## Explanation

The correct summary accurately reflects the speaker's emphasis on building a portfolio and gaining diverse, practical experience over formal qualifications alone.

What to watch: You hear that employers want "practical rather than theoretical knowledge," followed by school magazines, editing, internships, and a portfolio. The correct summary lists all of these steps. The digital skills option is tempting because web pages and pictures are mentioned. But the speaker presents them as skills internships teach, not as a hiring preference.

## Hints

- Focus on what the speaker suggests doing to build a professional profile.
- Look for the option that highlights practical work like editing and writing over theoretical degrees.

## Transcript

You can get a good qualification in journalism, but what employers actually want is practical rather than theoretical knowledge. There's no substitute for creating real stories that have to be handed in by strict deadlines. So write for your school magazine. Then maybe try your hand at editing. Once you've done that for a while, start requesting internships in newspapers in the area. These are generally short-term and unpaid, but they're definitely worthwhile. Since, instead of providing you with money, they'll teach you the skills that every 21st century journalist has to have, like laying out articles, creating web pages, taking good digital pictures, and so on. Most reporters keep a copy of every story they've had published from secondary school onwards. They're called cuttings, and you need them to get a job. Indeed, a few impressive ones can be the deciding factor in whether you're appointed or not. So start creating a portfolio now that will show off your developing talent.

[Practise this question with the exam timer](https://testmigo.com/pte/practice/highlight-correct-summary/career-entry-strategies-for-aspiring-journalists) - [All Highlight Correct Summary questions](https://testmigo.com/pte/practice/highlight-correct-summary)