Travel Writer, Journalist, and Comms Consultant: Rachel Ifans

Rachel Ifans

BA English and French Comparative Literature, 1994

First job:

Editorial Assistant at VNU Publishing in Soho (1994)

Advice for current students:

Having worked in comms for years, I know how important good relationships are, especially now that I'm self-employed. Lots of my current work comes from existing relationships with editors and stakeholders in companies, and from ex-colleagues who contact me for writing or comms support.

Ambitions for the future:

I would like to keep writing, and would love to publish my first novel. It was longlisted in the Women's Prize for unpublished fiction last year, and I'm now at the stage of sending the manuscript out to agents.

Travel Writer, Journalist, and Comms Consultant. I write for The Independent, ipaper, BBC.com/travel, Euronews, National Geographic, Glamour and more. I work for clients like Costa Coffee, Primark, Ecotricity, BUPA, and Nominet. I also publish my own travel writing about France.

Describe your current role and what attracted you to it.
I'm self-employed so my work is a juggle of corporate communications and content writing and journalism. As a journalist, I write about things I love: travel and running. Earlier in my career, I wrote about anything anyone asked me to, but in the last decade, I decided to focus on my true passions.

What’s your favourite part of the role?

I love travelling in France and writing about my travels. It's very challenging and competitive to get commissioned for an article in the national newspapers, websites, and magazines these days (what with dwindling budgets and fewer pages dedicated to travel), so when I come up with a great hook and land a commission, it's a wonderful feeling.

What are the key skills you learnt at Warwick that have helped you with your career to date?

I did French and English Comparative Literature at Warwick so my knowledge of France and the French language have certainly helped enormously. More generally, doing an English degree has helped with my written and communications skills.

Did you have a specific career path in mind when you chose to study at Warwick?

I wanted to be a journalist, and I got my first job as an Editorial Assistant in 1994 in London.

What top tips do you have for Warwick graduates who would like to work in your sector?

Write as much as you can. Set up your own channel and write, write, write, whether it be for a hobby, a passion project, or for money. I have found that Substack is a wonderful platform for writers. It makes it easy for individuals to publish their work, and it is uncluttered by ads and marketing bumph.

What does a typical day look like for you?

It very much depends what deadlines I have on the go. First thing in the morning, I run. Usually, 45-60 minutes to wake me up. Then I go to the desk in the attic and start writing. I am a quick writer – from years of experience with deadlines – so I never let a blank page stall me. I might be interviewing a runner, writing a feature on a recent trip to France, or dreaming up what are hopefully compelling pitches for new travel commissions. Pitching is often a black hole of zero response, but it's a great feeling when you land a commission. Then the travel planning starts! In the evening, I might work on my novel.

What ambitions do you have for the future?

I would like to keep writing, and would love to publish my first novel. It was longlisted in the Women's Prize for unpublished fiction last year, and I'm now at the stage of sending the manuscript out to agents.