We’re looking for new writers at The Tab: Here are nine reasons why you should join our team

I’ve genuinely adored my two years so far at Durham. I’ve made some incredible friends, got really stuck in with college sport and even stepped into a boxing ring – I’m pretty confident in saying that I’ve taken every opportunity this incredible city we all call home for three years has thrown at me. And despite all of this fun, the part of my university experience that will stay with me longest is writing for The Tab Durham.

We’ll be hosting an open meeting at The Library Bar on Saddler Street next week, on Monday 7th October at 7pm. There are also rumours of the first Tab social of the year after it!

We’re looking for new writers for the upcoming academic year, and there are so many reasons you should join our team: Here are some of my favourites.

1. You don’t need any experience

I’d never written for a publication until I joined The Tab Durham in January 2024. Just four months later, I worked my way up to the role of Editor-in-Chief. Experience does not matter at all to us – it is great if you have it, but if you’re keen and curious then we will give you all the training you need to be a competent, ambitious and brave journalist.

2. It looks really, really good on your CV

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Whatever industry it is that you are looking to work in, a major employer like The Tab looks superb on any CV. This summer alone, some of our team interned at The Telegraph, Sky, Bloomberg and GB News. Our recent graduates have gone on to work in consulting, law, parliament and journalism at the highest levels. You will gain skills beyond just writing – you will become an effective communicator who understands how to pitch and present ideas with both confidence and competence.

3. You’ll learn all of the Durham gossip and news first

Okay, fine, this one is a bit obvious. Not much needs to be said, who doesn’t love knowing the ins and outs of Durham gossip and news before it even hits the mainstream? YOU can be the person that breaks important news to the entire student body, that’s a pretty cool feeling.

4. It’s a great way to make friends outside of your social circle

We’re a wide ranging team and we all get on well – we have a really large range of people from a mixture of colleges and social groups writing for us. I found it to be a really nice, and not at all forced, way of meeting people in different colleges and years that I never would have otherwise interacted with. We also hold socials every few weeks that encourage team bonding and a fun atmosphere to celebrate our hard work and get to know each other better as mates.

5. We have a full-time team in London who are on hand to help

The Tab is written by students, for students. Some of these students happen to have graduated and work full-time in our London office, now working for our UK team and helping uni teams when needed. This is helpful for a few reasons; they can teach you how to thrive as a student journalist, you have a legal team behind your work and you even have the potential to gain internships.

The Tab also gives internships to some of their most committed student writers over easter and summer holidays – these are a great way to build up your CV and gain some professional experience in journalism.

6. Everyone you meet in Durham has read your writing

Call me a narcissist, but this feels pretty class. Writing big news pieces that attract 10s of thousands of viewers means that there’s a pretty good chance that the stranger you bump into in Jimmy Allen’s has read your work. Do they recognise your name? Probably not, but they have absolutely read your writing at some point. I found this a little daunting at first, but it’s a superb way to make a name for yourself and also gives you an opportunity to make a real difference to your uni community.

7. We’re bold, cutting-edge and fiercely independent

The Tab doesn’t bow down to trends, we set trends. In our 15 year history we have always called out bullshit, held authority accountable and provided news that students actually want to read about. We are independent and provide content on merit that appeals to our localised readership. We publish stories and investigate incidents that others are too scared to; we are the boldest student publication in this country and never take no for an answer.

8. It can be a really useful way of improving your academic writing

While our style and tone is normally a bit different to a summative, any writing is really useful for getting you into the knack of writing. Writing for The Tab will also improve your ability to stick to deadlines and help you learn to manage your time effectively.

9. You will become an exceptionally versatile journalist

We write about EVERYTHING Durham. I came into The Tab only looking to write about sport (which is still my favourite section) but have since grown to genuinely love writing fun features and breaking news stories.

You can write about as many topics as you want, we will not confine you into a box. Learning to work with digital media and editing software is another perk of The Tab, and is one of the reasons why our writers are so employable upon graduation.

So, come to our open meeting at The Library Bar on Monday 7th October at 7pm!

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