Interested in being a critic? Want to sharpen your analytic and writing skills? Pick something to critique (food, music, film, books, etc.) and use these tips to practice! 

Career

Practice writing a critique!

Enroll in a journalism class at your school, in your city, or online and explore the different elements of the field. Is this something you would be interested in majoring in?

Education

Take a class in journalism.

Watch author J.K. Rowling speak on the benefits of failure and her advice for facing it and turning it to your advantage. Write down something you're afraid of failing at. How can you turn it to your benefit?

Advice

Overcome your fear of failure. 

Reporters and Correspondents

Collect and analyze facts about newsworthy events by interview, investigation, or observation. Report and write stories for newspaper, news magazine, radio, or television.

Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Artistic

Second Interest High-Point

Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Enterprising

Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Investigative

Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Conventional

First Interest High-Point

Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Social

Third Interest High-Point

Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Realistic

Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed

News Analysts, Reporters and Correspondents

Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations

Media and Communication Workers

Report news stories for publication or broadcast, describing the background and details of events.

Arrange interviews with people who can provide information about a story.

Gather information about events through research, interviews, experience, or attendance at political, news, sports, artistic, social, or other functions.

Investigate breaking news developments, such as disasters, crimes, or human-interest stories.

Receive assignments or evaluate leads or tips to develop story ideas.

Discuss issues with editors to establish priorities or positions.

Check reference materials, such as books, news files, or public records, to obtain relevant facts.

Revise work to meet editorial approval or to fit time or space requirements.

Develop ideas or material for columns or commentaries by analyzing and interpreting news, current issues, or personal experiences.

Transmit news stories or reporting information from remote locations, using equipment such as satellite phones, telephones, fax machines, or modems.

Present live or recorded commentary via broadcast media.

Conduct taped or filmed interviews or narratives.

Edit or assist in editing videos for broadcast.

Write columns, editorials, commentaries, or reviews that interpret events or offer opinions.

Write reviews of literary, musical, or other artwork, based on knowledge, judgment, or experience.

Research a story's background information to provide complete and accurate information.

Establish and maintain relationships with individuals who are credible sources of information.

Review and evaluate notes taken about news events to isolate pertinent facts and details.

Review written, audio, or video copy and correct errors in content, grammar, or punctuation, following prescribed editorial style and formatting guidelines.

Report on specialized fields such as medicine, green technology, environmental issues, science, politics, sports, arts, consumer affairs, business, religion, crime, or education.

Determine a published or broadcasted story's emphasis, length, and format and organize material accordingly.

Take pictures or video and process them for inclusion in a story.

Communicate with readers, viewers, advertisers, or the general public via mail, email, or telephone.

Write online blog entries that address news developments or offer additional information, opinions, or commentary on news events.

Assign stories to other reporters or duties to production staff.

Participate in community events, make public appearances, or conduct community service.

Compact digital cameras

Desktop computers

Digital audio workstations

High definition HD video cameras

Laptop computers

Laser facsimile machines

Microphones

Mobile broadcast units

Multi-line telephone systems

Personal computers

Satellite phones

Television cameras

Video editing equipment

Adobe Systems Adobe AfterEffects

Adobe Systems Adobe InDesign

Apple Final Cut Pro

ESRI ArcView

Facebook

FileMaker Pro

Hypertext markup language HTML

IBM SPSS Statistics

LexisNexis

Mapping software

Microsoft Access

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Office

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Publisher

Microsoft SQL Server

Microsoft Visual FoxPro

Microsoft Word

Online databases

Quark Xpress

Social media software

Statistical analysis software

Twitter

Video editing software

Web browser software

YouTube

Rock Journalist/Senior Curator

Continuing on to Wellpinit, Washington, the Roadtrip Nation team interview Bob Brisbois, Tribal Council Secretary of the Spokane Tribe. The team then heads to Seattle to interview Sylvia Matthews, executive director of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Next they meet with Jonathan Poneman, founder of Nirvana's original label, Sub-pop Records. Also, the team interview Ann Powers, rock journalist and senior curator of the Experience Music Project.

Wellpinit - Seattle

If I can just ask you kind of a general question, why writing? >> Why writing? I believe in the whole Freudian psychological thing about this. What made you feel like a whole person when you were like five years old is gonna be the thing that you want to do. I think, for me, I was a really ,really nerdy kid and had so friends and stuff. So I read a lot and that was the world that accepted me. The world of novels and the world of magazines and the world of all of that stuff. >> Going into college you said you were an English major? You wanted to write? >> I always wrote. >> You always wrote. Was there any pressure from say, family or whatever, to do something else? >> I shouldn't probably say that I never really listened to my parents. [LAUGH] I just did my thing, but yeah, I guess my dad would say like you should be an accountant or get a teaching certificate, it was always get a teaching certificate, which isn't a terrible idea. I think the thing is, are you willing to be poor? Are you willing to accept this idea of what they call dedicated poverty, which is like you weren't born poor maybe, but you are willing to eat nothing but Ramen noodles for three months solid, or you're willing to get all your clothes from bags on the street or whatever. That's how I did it when I was making no money. >> You spoke a lot about, you said anxiety and now you're confident and I'm going to take it to be that when you start, you're not confident. I know I'm in a position like that now where I have low self-confidence in any of my ideas. I come up with ideas daily and everyday I'm like this will never happen, I can never do this. Basically, what I'm asking is how do you overcome that? Is it in time, is it knowing that you love what you're doing? How do you get over the self-confidence issue? >> I think one thing is being able to take failure, that's really important. I think once you live through a few like very deep, painful rejections, that helps. It's good to fail. It's good to be rejected and it's good to have that morning after feeling. It's like when you break up with somebody, and you're like [SOUND] I'll never love again, but you do. >> Right now, the way I'm feeling is just like I've done as much almost, I have a year left, I've done as much as I can in school. I've tried to find the best professors who can tell me how to write. I've tried to write as much as I can, I've tried to get my foot in the door at a few different magazines, and do this. Then someone will come along, look at my family, I'll just go back for some holiday and they'll be like so what happens when you graduate? Something probably, I mean, something will to fall into place and there's just nothing definite. It sounds so great now because we can sit in your office and talk about it but it's scary, because I'm scared. >> A lot of kids would come to me when I got older and was working at the New York Times, and say how do I become a journalist? How do I get into Spin Magazine, or how do I do this? These people, they'd be like 25 years old, and I'd be like you don't need to get into Spin, or whatever now. Why don't you go and play a little bit and go and write for some alternative weekly in some cool city in America, or start your own zine, or have a blog, or do something like that and learn who you are. Because if you don't learn who you are first, then you're just gonna be like everybody else. I think especially when you're young, it's got to be about the ideas and stuff like that. It can't be about the career stuff. Your 30s are for your career, seriously. Just try to not even think about that. I think don't have a plan. Don't have a plan, throw the plan out. Be determined, but don't plan. >> Right. >> So, be focused to the extent that you're focused on your own work, your own love of what you believe in yourself. But don't have that focus be external. It has to come from within. >> [MUSIC] 

Confidence

Failure

Individualism

Planning

Interview

I think for me I was like a really really nerdy kid and like had no friends and stuff. So I read a lot, and that was the world that accepted me. You know, the world of novels and the world of magazines and the world of all that stuff. I think the thing is, are you willing to be poor? You know, are you willing to accept, um, this idea of what they call dedicated poverty? Which is like you weren't born poor maybe, but you're willing to like eat nothing but ramen noodles for three months solid, you know, or you're willing to get all your clothes from bags on the street or whatever, you know. I mean, that's sort of how I did it when I was making no money. And learn who you are. Because if you don't learn who you are first, then you're just gonna be like everybody else. 

Dedication

Ann Powers Highlight

A lot of kids would come to me when I got older and was working at the New York Times and say how do I become a journalist? How do I get into Spin magazine or how do I do this. And these people would be like 25 years old and I'd be like you don't need to get into Spin or whatever now. Why don't you go and you know play a little bit and go and write for some alternative Weekly in some cool city in America. Or start your own zine or have a blog or do something like that and learn who you are. Because if you don't learn who you are first then you're just gonna be like everybody else. I think especially when you're young it's gotta be about the ideas and stuff like that. It can't be about the career stuff. Your 30s are for your career, you know? Seriously, it's like just try to not even think about that. I think don't have a plan, you know? Like don't have a plan. Throw the plan out. Be determined, but don't plan. 

Determination

Exploration

Values

Be Determined

How do you get over the self confidence issue? >> I think one thing is being able to take failure, that's really important. I think once you've lived through a few very deep painful rejections, that helps. It's good to fail. It's good to be rejected, and it's good to have that morning after feeling. It's like when you break up with somebody, right? >> Yeah. >> And you're like, I'll never love again, or whatever. >> [LAUGH] >> But you do. 

Self Confidence Is Built From Failures

Going into college you said you were an English major, right? And kinda wanted to write? >> Mm-hm, oh I always wrote. >> You always wrote? Was there any pressure from say, family, or whatever, to do something else? >> I shouldn't probably say that, I never really listened to my parents. [LAUGH] I don't know, I just did my thing but yeah, I guess my dad would say oh, you should be an accountant or get a teaching certificate. He was always like, get a teaching certificate. Which isn't a terrible idea. I just, I think the thing is are you willing to be poor? Are you willing to accept this idea of what they call dedicated poverty? Which is like, you weren't born poor maybe, but you're willing to eat nothing but ramen noodles for three months solid, or you're willing to get all your clothes from bags on the street. [LAUGH] That's sort of how I did it when I was making no money. 

Choices

Money & Financial Security

Dedicated Poverty

A writer is a person that deals with ideas. It's not the same kind of physical. One thing I've learned a lot about musicians just over the years is that it's a very physical, kind of technical thing. It's a lot about how big are your sinus passages [LAUGH] you can sing. Or it's about how big are your hands, you can be a good guitarist. Or it's about what's the room like if you're gonna have a great- &gt;&gt; Yeah. &gt;&gt; So it is not so much about their minds. &gt;&gt; Right. &gt;&gt; Writers have a different kind of gift and it is just as valuable. And when you meet more of your hero musicians that you love, you will discover that they admire your gift. &gt;&gt; Right. &gt;&gt; And that's a very rewarding thing. When you find out that somebody you adore thinks that there were thing they wish they could do the most is describe what they do, and they can't describe what they do. They don't know how to put it into words, and that's what you can do, then it becomes like wow, you get empowered through that. 

Fulfillment

Talent

Dealing With Ideas

You still have your love of music and you found it. And you kind of coordinated it with something else that you really love doing as well. How does that feel? How great is that? &gt;&gt; It's good. And it's something that I've learned a lot. And I also say this a lot. The thing is, what I say when young women say, well, what do I do? How do I enter the music business? There's lots of ways to be in the music business. I was just on tour with Tori Amos, because I'm doing a project with her. And there were 40 people on that tour. There are three musicians. Whats the percentage of musicians to everyone else? There's the tech guys, the sound guys, the lighting people. The catering staff, the stylists, the personal chef, and the aromatherapist. &gt;&gt; [LAUGH] &gt;&gt; The management. All of these different roles that you can play that keep you around the music. 

Opportunity

Music Business

I think again it's like you've got your family asked saying what are you going to do with those. I was lucky to be in San Francisco and not New York where writing for like even The Voice for many years seemed like impossible goal, you know, seriously. It was just like so beyond I didn't even consider it. I didn't even worry about it. It's not like I picked up the New Yorker and thought well, maybe one day or whatever, you know, I mean. I just would write for whoever asked me to. Some scene, you know? Like something, wow. You like Nick Drake? You want to write something? And I remember writing for this one thing, and the guy didn't even, not only that he didn't pay me, but he didn't even let me keep the records because he was getting paid, the records were his payment. So I got nothing, you know, but I've just got to do it and got to have it out there. So I just, you know, that may sound like wow, what a horrible nightmare scenario, but it was just fun to always just be doing it. And don't let anybody tell you, gee if you're not in Spin by the time you're 23 you're a loser or something. I mean Vice magazine is a great example, there's always gonna be a new thing too. It's like wherever you live, if you stay in New York or you choose to go somewhere else, find the people who are doing the thing that feels like what you like and and just be part of that. Be a founder. Be a founder, not like the millionth person who's worth for something. Starting something is good. 

Goals

Societal Pressures

Be A Founder

How do you overcome that? Is it in time is it knowing that you love what you're doing? How do you get over the self-confidence issue? &gt;&gt; I think one thing is being able to take failure. That's really important, I'm sure in lots of fields, people have been telling you this. Or not even failure, but just non-action, like 90% the ideas you have will never get outside your notebook or your head. And that's cool. It's okay. I mean look the musical about Iraq that I want to write this past year never happened, never will. So part of it is like that's all right. It's like there's millions of ideas. Ideas are inexhaustible. It's not like, you're going to have 25,000 in your life. [LAUGH] You can have as many as you like, so that's one thing that's really important. And then I think once you've lived through a few like very deep painful rejections, that helps. I mean when my book came out, Weird Like Us, which is this book I wrote a couple of years ago, the very first reviews were quite negative. I seriously just remember sobbing so hard I never thought I was gonna ever be able to even function again. And now I'm so grateful that I wrote that book and that people have enjoyed it. So it's good to fail, it's good to be rejected, and it's good to have that morning after feeling. It's like when you break up with somebody, right, and you're like [SOUND] I'll never love again, or whatever. But you do, and then you can go out to coffee with them a year later and it's all right, and you're like why? Why did I ever love them? Whatever, so it's the same feeling. &gt;&gt; Yeah 

Ann Powers

Rock Journalist/Senior Curator

Videos

Ann Powers

Milestones

Education

Career

Career Roadmap

My work combines:

My work combines:

Journalism

Music

Being Creative

Interviewed By

Destination Unknown