Working as a freelancer abroad

Sick of being a journalist in the Philippines and you plan to work abroad as a freelance journalist ? Here is an excellent entry written by Anastasia Moloney for journalism.co.uk. The site is based in the United Kingdom, so just don't mind the part where the story is advising some tips to UK-based journalists before they work as freelancers abroad. Actually, the tips there could proably work for Filipino journalists too.

How to: Get started as a freelance journalist abroad

Taking the plunge – choosing your country

The country you choose to be your new home should depend on your experience and contacts. If you have few or no contacts with foreign editors and little or no appropriate published articles in your portfolio, then the best option is to pick a lesser-known country like Bolivia, or one with a notorious reputation such as Colombia. China and India are also so vast that prospects are good for motivated freelancers. The most difficult locations to make your mark are generally those places where journalists most want to live such as Paris, Rome, Rio Janeiro, and Buenos Aires.

It is also important to pick a country where you really want to learn the language and are interested in the local culture. If you are not a linguist and find the prospect of learning a foreign language daunting, avoid Serbo-Croat or Arabic and pick Spanish or French instead. Do some research and, ideally, make one or more visits to your destination of choice. Can you imagine getting on with the locals? Will you enjoy day-to-day life once the novelty has worn off?

Read here more.