If you’re an adventurer and a visionary who wants to work at National Geographic, you’ll be relieved to learn that, in addition to academic qualifications, all you need is competence and desire. If you’ve ever wondered why only professional writers and photographers are allowed to join the NG (or NAT GEO) family, then this article is for you. In this article, e are going to see about How to get a job at National Geographic?
National Geographic endorses applicants having experience and specialization in the subject field of interest. Professional photographers and freelance writers can take this as a leap in their careers to give it the extra edge. You can directly check jobs from the National Geographic partners or can take up a paid summer internship if you are an undergraduate or graduate student under the National Geographic Society. Develop your skills to get a better grasp on storytelling and research, and having any media exposure will be a cherry on the top. The National Geographic Society has a loose assemblage of diverse job listings, from Salesforce Developer to Photojournalism, they have it all.
We will dive into more details about the job listings and requirements below.
PHOTOJOURNALISM
The National Geographic emboldens stories and brings them out using the media, qualitatively enhancing skills and helping in exploring your interests. The NG family prefers experience and quality content that suits their profile the best. An experience of five years submissively raises the chances of the applications getting accepted. College degrees in journalism, fine arts, anthropology, or any diligent degree are preferred, along with photography excellence.
Getting a job at National Geographic is no one-taker. You can start by gaining work experience by applying for various projects and internships before you hit the real deal.
Here are a few checks you need to make for improving your chances-
GO FOR EXPEDITIONS-
Travel, learn and enforce. Travel to various places. Learn to create content. Enforce the resources to bring out the best possible piece of your work.
Work on your skills, build and rebuild your interests. Storytelling through pictures is what you need to master to get a finer grip on your subject.
CREATE A PORTFOLIO-
The NAT GEO looks for individuals having different kinds of work experience in photojournalism- from underwater photography to capturing landscapes- there’s no end to it. Create your blog. Research on the kind of content NAT GEO looks for and be considerate of what you want your viewers to view.
You can have a look at: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/society/our-focus/
CATCH THE EYE-
Your passion and dedication will always guide you through. National Geographic is very passionate about employing people who take their job and interests passionately. Stand out from the rest by listing out unique skills that you possess, show how you are trying to make a difference. You can start by nailing various noteworthy projects or by accounting your name into bigger brands.
You can join an online photography course, go for a National Geographic expedition or take up internships under LinkedIn.
SUBMISSION PROCEDURE FOR PHOTOJOURNALISM-
You can submit your resume via the National Geographic website or LinkedIn. However, if they are interested in your work, it may take a few months to hear back on acceptance.
Make sure you stand out from the crowd when applying for a position at the NAT GEO as there is a lot of competition.
JOURNALISM JOBS
After photojournalism, journalism jobs take up second place in terms of demand and work profile at National Geographic. Journalism jobs have a high demand for people having history, political science, economics, science, journalism, and mass communication as their educational background.
If you are a freelance writer and take interest in traveling and blogging, then trying up for a brand like National Geographic will give you the boost in your career.
Having a check at the below-mentioned points might help you in nailing a job at the NG-
- Learning/ Knowing multiple languages.
- Expeditions and exploring different places and storytelling with your skill in creative writing will enhance your opportunities.
- Having experience in high-profile journalism jobs will bring your application to the forefront.
- Apply to different publications. Building a name in this industry and getting known for your work will help you be out of the blue.
- Communication is the key. Knowing to communicate with your audience through your work will allow you to explore the arena in the field.
- The basic notion of journalism in National Geographic is to channel your thoughts via storytelling—observing and describing stories based on natural inputs around you.
SUBMISSION PROCEDURE FOR JOURNALISM-
You can apply for a job under journalism via the National Geographic website.
Here are the steps that you can follow-
- Open the National Geographic website. Scroll to the bottom.
- Under the ‘JOIN US’ list, select ‘Work at Nat Geo’
- Sort the page according to your preferences.
For listings, click here:
https://ngs.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/ngs_external_career_site
DIRECTOR, SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
The Director, Software Engineering is assisted with the responsibility of CRM applications, custom-built digital products, websites, and data analytics. One is asked to lead the development, look for maintenance and support of a broad portfolio of products. Mentoring, directing, and training teams on engineering best practices, enhancing standards, and solution patterns to assist strengthen the technological portfolio are just a few of the criteria for the Director, Software Engineering position.
You will need to bring in the following to be a part of the NG Team-
- Collaboration with on-site and off-site teams to develop and launch high-quality technical goods.
- Demonstrated success in developing highly scalable solutions, such as web applications, APIs, mobile apps, and data products.
- It is necessary to have prior experience with agile software development methodologies and agile modeling approaches.
- Excellent writing and oral communication abilities; able to successfully communicate with both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Without official authority, demonstrated capacity to influence cross-functional teams.
Who can apply?
Undergraduate degree holders in Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering or in similar fields.
Type of Experience:
6-8 years of professional experience in designing, implementing, and maintaining distributed, cloud-based architectures that include asynchronous messaging using message brokers such as Amazon SQS, Kafka, RabbitMQ, etc. Experience with container-based programming leveraging Docker and Kubernetes is preferred, as is a solid understanding of at least one major JavaScript component-based architecture framework.
For more info, go to:
https://ngs.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/ngs_external_career_site/job/Washington-DC/Director–Software-Engineering_R894-1
COORDINATOR, STORYTELLING
Storytelling makes up the larger group of the narrative. This team works on enhancing and expanding the organization through journalism, mapping, web content, photography, and many more. As a coordinator, you will be asked to assist in the development of presentation materials, board reports, weekly summaries, and other activities in support of the storytelling group.
The necessary skills as a Coordinator, Storytelling include:
• Dedication to detail, as well as the ability to comprehend and prioritize diverse demands from various team members.
• Microsoft Office and database software expertise.
• Proven ability to track and report on a large number of projects.
• You must be self-directed, creative, well-organized, and motivated.
• Must be able to be flexible, multitask, and collaborate effectively with others.
• Experience with MailChimp is a bonus.
• A working knowledge of budgeting and legal jargon.
Who can apply?
Anyone having a Bachelor’s degree or any equivalent degree is preferred.
Experience:
2+ years of experience in media, storytelling, public relations, content strategy, or a similar industry.
For more details, click on:
https://ngs.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/ngs_external_career_site/job/Washington-DC/Coordinator–Storytelling_R888
5) MANAGER, SR. ACCOUNTING
The Manager is in charge of accounting and assessing the Society’s investment activities, which includes the Society’s participation in National Geographic Partners. The job will assist with month-end management reporting, board and external reporting, and will engage with tax to ensure uniform reporting throughout the Society.
The requisite skills and expertise are as follows:
• Technical research and GAAP interpretation skills are exceptional.
• This position requires exceptional business/financial analytical, sophisticated problem-solving, and written and spoken communication skills.
• Strong computer skills, especially Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel) and corporate financial accounting systems
• Advanced Excel knowledge is required.
• Working knowledge of the Workday ERP system is a huge plus.
Who can apply?
Anyone with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, preferably with a CPA designation.
Experience:
A minimum of 8 years of accounting and general ledger expertise is required, as well as 3 years of managerial experience.
For further details, click on the link below:
https://ngs.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/ngs_external_career_site/job/Washington-DC/Manager–Sr-Accounting_R813
PAID SUMMER INTERNSHIPS
National Geographic offers summer internships to Undergraduate and graduates from recognized universities. The applicants must be US-based and must be authorized to work in the US. National Geographic encourages young applicants to be a part of their work culture and practice the relevant skills.
All the internships are paid and the program usually runs for 10 weeks. It typically runs from June through August. The internships are posted in mid-January on the official website of National Geographic. You will be allowed to work on one or more projects based on your interest and on how well you organize your work.
For more info, click here:
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/careers/internships/
AVERAGE PAY SCALE:
| JOB LISTING | AVERAGE PACKAGE*(Per day/year) |
| Photojournalism | $400-$500/ day (estimated) |
| Journalism | $66,000/ year (estimated) |
| Software Engineer | $101,000/year (estimated) |
| Sr. Accounting | $116,564/year (estimated) |
| Internships | $15/hr (estimated) |
*Bonus not included. Varies accordingly.
The National Geographic Society has a large network of employment openings. We just looked at five of them in this post. Checking out the official website and looking through the job ads based on your preferences and requirements can help you make a more informed decision.
*All the jobs are valid for US applicants only.
EXTERNAL LINKS:
- Official website: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/
- All the magazine’s covers were published from 1888 until the year 2000: http://www.coverbrowser.com/covers/national-geographic
- Archived National Geographic magazines on the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/NationalGeographicMagazineCollection/mode/2up
TIP:
Even if they don’t meet all of the requirements, National Geographic encourages applicants to apply for positions. Despite the checklists, relevant skills and experience stand out. Don’t be disheartened if things don’t work out the first time. Make errors and learn from them!
