FleetStreetBlues has been running a series of guest posts on breaking into journalism with advice from those in the know, from wizened old hacks to young journalists who have just got a foot in the door themselves.

With advice such as: “Put dreams of being a Guardian columnist aside for a while. It’s not the time to be snobbish.”; “Read papers (including local ones), pay attention, learn to speak on the telephone, spell correctly and dress smart.” and even “take up plumbing: the pay is better, and there’s always work.” - this is one series you can’t afford not to read.

Read the full series here.