me: the ultimate dream job

I went through some of my email archives this afternoon and came across the following email reply from the National Geographic Society. I was 18 then and at one of the key crossroads in life. I had bravely asked them what does it take to be one of theirs as a writer or a photo-journalist.

Despite their detailed and good-willed advice, I now remain as far as I have even been in taking the necessary steps to be part of them. Yet till date, I still deeply respect this organisation for its ideals and the work it accomplishes. It will remain my deepest honour to one day work or contribute to its signature "yellow frame" in any smallest way -

As a by thought, do you think Michael Yamashita needs a companion/ assistant or something anytime soon?

********
December 27, 1999

[My name…]

[My name…]@hotmail.com

Thank you for contacting the National Geographic Society.

Vacancies on our editorial staff are few and usually filled by men and women who have had quite a few years of experience in the newspaper or magazine publishing fields. In preparation for such work, many of our writers have made a thorough study of the sciences, journalism, and English, and in some cases have knowledge of several languages. A solid academic background and a proven record of success in one's chosen field are most important. However, because we

Cannot know a person's particular talents nor assure employment after a Completed course, we do not encourage gearing a career or educational program specifically toward employment by the Society.

The Dow Jones Newspaper Fund publishes two booklets for aspiring writers: "Journalist's Road to Success" ($3), and "Newspapers, Diversity and You" (free). These outline college journalism programs, recommended courses of study for journalism majors and sources of scholarships and other financial aid.

They also offer advice on applying for media jobs and mapping out a career path. In addition, the Fund sponsors the Editing Internship Program for college juniors, seniors, and graduate students. The address for the Fund is Box 300, Princeton, New Jersey 08543; telephone 1-800-DOW-FUND or 1-609-452-2820; fax: 1-609-520-5804; e-mail: newsfund@wsj.dowjones.com; website:
www.dowjones.com/newsfund

Another good source of career information is the American Society of Magazine Editors, which each year sponsors forty to fifty summer internships for college juniors preparing to work in the field of journalism. Announcements concerning the program are sent to departments of journalism or English in schools throughout the United States. The address for the American Society of Magazine Editors is 919 Third Avenue, New York, New York 10022; the telephone number is 1-212-872-3700.

Our photographers have educational backgrounds in a variety of disciplines. Most majored in subjects other than photography, although all took photography courses along the way. Our editors and photographers agree that it is important to complete a degree in a discipline other than photography. The most common majors were journalism, anthropology, sociology or psychology, the fine arts, and the natural or life sciences.

From the magazine’s viewpoint, we seek balance and an eclectic blend of interest, abilities, and photographic styles in the freelance photographers we utilize. All of our photographers are driven by a curiosity and desire to share what they find with others. They are able to work comfortably and intimately with people in a variety of situations.

In a stylistic sense, the type of photography for which we most often look might be described as a classic Magnum style. That is, images which work on various levels; images which the viewer can study for a period of time, constantly discovering new insights.

We also desire photographers who possess an extraordinary ability to portray physical geography. What is most often overlooked by photographers submitting work to us is that we also value highly the ability to portray, in an extraordinary fashion, social geography as well.

It is also true that the difficulty for a photographer attempting to break into the Magazine is, quite simply, that the competition for our assignments is especially keen. Desire and drive count, but professional photography is a competitive business, and for every successful photographer there are dozens looking for work. Training can only help to fine-tune a natural eye, and although a prospective photographer may have a true passion for the art and craft, if he lacks that eye no amount of training or desire can compensate.

Many people must be content to be advanced amateurs rather than professionals. We are, I suppose, in the enviable position of being able to select from the world’s best photojournalists. The fact is that the majority of our assignments go to the relatively select cadre of staff, contract, and freelance photographers.

Normally, our freelance photographers have at least five to ten years’ experience as photographers with other publications before coming to us. Some come as photojournalists from newspapers or magazines. Others come out of different specializations such as wildlife, underwater, nature, or aerial photography.

We provide one internship in photography each year. The intern is chosen based on portfolios we receive. Portfolios may be in the form of slides, prints, clippings, or any combination, in color and/or black and white. The GEOGRAPHIC discourages sending large and elaborate packages or oversized prints.

Applicants should concentrate on content, professionalism, and journalism not salesmanship. Work should demonstrate technical proficiency, lighting skills, and ability to interact effectively with subjects. Send materials to: Susan Smith, Associate Director of Photography, National Geographic Society, 1145 17^th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036. Portfolios and supporting documents are only accepted between December 1st and January 31st. All applicants receive notification by early March.

You may be interested in taking a look at our August 1995 issue of National Geographic, which contains an article entitled “National Geographic Photographers.’ You also may be interested in our books on photography. Please visit our online index for a listing. (Use as your search term.) The index is at http://www.nationalgeographic.com/publications

Our website includes quite a bit of information on our photographers as well.
You can find it at http://www.nationalgeographic.com/media/photography

There is no academic affiliation that will guarantee you a job in either field at the Society, but I hope this information is helpful.

Sincerely,
CL Str0ud
Research Correspondence