This week we caught up this week with The Car Girl, Alexandra Straub, an Automotive Journalist from Vancouver, Canada. In her glamorous career, she travels to exiting places to test drive impressive cars including SUVs, luxury vehicles, and sports cars. In addition to being an automotive journalist for seven years, she also hosts a cable show called “Shifting Gears” that airs in the greater Vancouver and Calgary areas. On her blog, The Car Girl’s Garage, Straub keeps people up to date about what’s happening in the automotive market.
My Colleges and Careers: What is your job title / description?
Alexandra Straub: I’m a freelance Automotive Journalist so I test drive cars and write reviews. I sometimes also write automotive news to let people know what’s going on in the automotive industry.
MCC: Describe a typical day on the job.
AS: It is a very part-time gig so I usually write from home. If I’m on the road, I’ll write in the hotel or if I have someone driving, I’ll type away in the passengers seat. I usually sit down with a bowl of buttered popcorn and munch away as I search for inspiration.
MCC: What is the most rewarding part of being an automotive journalist?
AS: There are a lot of rewarding aspects to my job. If I had to pick one it would be that I have the opportunity of testing new cars every week. Whether I’m driving a $10K subcompact or a $100K luxury sedan, each week is different and that keeps things interesting.
MCC: What advice would you give a student considering automotive journalism?
AS: Be patient!! If you don’t get the job of your dreams right off the bat, keep trying. These kinds of jobs don’t come around very often but if you’re dedicated and passionate you’ll find your way. Send copies of your work to different publishers or online auto sites just to get a feel if you ‘have what it takes.’ If one person rejects you, again, keep trying. Also, be prepared to have a second or third job.
MCC: What is most challenging about your profession?
AS: When I’ve driven the same car more than 15 times, and there haven’t been any significant changes, it’s hard to come up with something new to say. Sometimes I also suffer from writers block so I can stare at my computer for hours with not even a word on the page.
MCC: In what way did your education prepare you for your career?
AS: I have a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in English Literature. A lot of writers out there are terrible with grammar, but I don’t! I’m just being cheeky. But it’s true. Learning the basics of grammar and sentence structure are so important to good journalism. It pains me to read a review that uses “their” instead of “they’re” or “your” instead of “you’re.” Drive me crazy!!!
MCC: Are there other fields related to automotive journalism that students may want to consider?
AS: Journalism is so broad and so specific at the same time. One style of writing might be great when writing about cars but a catastrophe when it comes to breaking news. Try everything you can possibly get your hands on. Freelance for various industries and get your name out there. Becoming a great technical or creative writer in one field can generally transfer over to the automotive field relatively easily.
MCC: Are there recommended continuing education opportunities for your profession?
AS: Taking creative writing workshops or any kinds of writing courses is always a great asset. I’m not sure if there are any specific courses directly related to automotive journalism but I encourage people to always be willing to learn something new!
MCC: What misconceptions do people have about being a automotive journalist?
AS: A lot of people think that driving around cars is easy work. It’s not. Yes, I drive great cars but I also have to photograph them, shuttle them around AND write a review. It’s time consuming work and can often times be very arduous.
MCC: If you could do it all over again, would you still become a automotive journalist?
AS: Absolutely. Even though I am just freelancing at the moment, I love what I do. I will keep doing it until cars don’t exist any longer!!
MCC: Thanks, Alexandra, for sharing your terrific insights about your career as an automotive journalist!
Wouldn’t you love to have that job! If you’re interested in pursuing a career in broadcasting and journalism, you’ll need to earn your degree in writing and consider a degree in broadcasting to start an exciting career. If your dream job is conceptualizing and designing cars, consider a computer aided design technician program and launch your dream career today!
Keep up with Alexandra through her blog, The Car Girl’s Garage at http://thecargirlsgarage.blogspot.com/
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