David writes his own future in Denmark

David McQuilling was able to take advantage of a truly unique opportunity to work at the Copenhagen Post with help from a Graduate Development Scholarship.

The money he received went toward funding his travel and accomodation costs which enabled him to stay in the Danish capital for two weeks in May 2016.

Once there, David was thrust into the centre of operations for Denmark’s only English language paper, taking part in editorial meetings and pitching and writing his own stories. 

He was even given the responsibility of writing two cover stories, which involved him attending two major Beer Festivals in the capital, interviewing a host of sources before writing up an extended article that occupied the front pages of the publication. 

The experience of writing to tight deadlines on a daily basis has been of huge benefit to David’s writing style and has further ignited his passion for journalism. 

“Being out there and doing something real has taught me how interesting and downright challenging being a journalist can be,” he explained. “It reminded me why I am here doing this in the first place and that is probably the biggest thing I have taken from the whole experience.” 

Working as part of the team, David was able to gain a real insight into what day to day life as journalist was like, and was able to pick the brains of his colleagues on how he could improve and stand out from the crowd. 

“We went for drinks after work one night which gave me a great sense of the camaraderie and allowed me the chance to have a good chat with Ben, our editor. We talked about Journalism, how we got into it and how things are going,” he added. 

“He gave me some good pointers on how to get my foot on the ladder.” 

David says that he has gained a huge amount from the placement and that is has reaffirmed to him that journalism is a viable career that he would like to pursue. He also paid tribute to the Futures Fund and its donors and stated that the placement would not have happened without their support. 

He concluded: “I would like to personally thank the committee for helping me undertake this fantastic opportunity. 

“During my time at The Copenhagen Post, I experienced another culture, met several important contacts and boosted my portfolio with a series of strong stories. None of this would have been possible without Futures Fund support.”

Article written by Journalist graduate Matthew Shevlin.