I am a trainee journalist. I don't have a background in politics and I definitely can't write in shorthand, writes Natalie Whelan.
The good news for me and other graduates is that this is irrelevant because we can film and edit video reports, conduct live radio two-ways and upload blogs.
Gone are the days of specialism in print, broadcast or even online. Today's journalists must be multiplatform wonders and those who fail to adapt to these new expectations will find it increasingly difficult to compete.
Technological developments and a change in how the public consumes the media - not to mention tighter budgets - have created a culture within which the modern journalist is expected to be equally at ease cutting footage in an edit suite as they are answering phones in the newsroom.
On any given story, today's journalist could be expected to record the footage - in some cases without a crew - do a radio interview, write up copy, come back to the office to edit the pictures, not forgetting to file a story for the website. To many established journalists this may seem like a mammoth task, but for today's graduates it is the minimum entry requirement.
These new expectations in journalism make great reading for the accountants because one employee can do the job that would have previously taken three or four, but is this good news for journalism?
By lacking a particular specialism, are today's journalists in danger of sacrificing quality by spreading themselves too thinly? Are we willing to trade in excellent print journalists and broadcasters who have honed their craft for years in exchange for cohort of adequate journalists who can multi-skill? Do we have a choice?
It would appear we do not. Today's multi-skilled journalists have adapted to their environment - we record our interviews so we don't require shorthand and the wealth of information available online has replaced the need for a wealth of background knowledge in certain fields. Many established journalists are now being trained in additional disciplines to compete with the new kids and once they get to grips with the technology even the most hardened hack will be able to produce a podcast.
Some things will remain the same regardless of generation - journalists will always find themselves running late to meet an interviewee and the pressure of looming deadlines is universal.
But with any luck, there will also be the desire to seek the truth and tell the story in an informative, yet creative manner. As long as the new journalist holds on to the values of previous generations, the future of journalism is in safe, multi-tasking hands.
Natalie Whelan is on a work placement with MediaGuardian and is about to graduate from a three-year broadcast journalism university course
