There’s more to motor careers: Automotive Journalist

We’ve all heard the phrase ‘do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life’. While there’s no denying that Jack Evans has grafted hard to get where he is today, the automotive journalist has successfully combined his passion with his profession in an exciting ten-year career…

When did your interest in cars begin?

Oh, I’ve always loved cars - ever since I was small. Once I got a little older I’d read every car magazine I could get my hands on and, like so many people my age, I grew up in the glory years of Top Gear - though I’ll always say that it’s outlets like Autocar and Pistonheads which I felt shaped my interest in everything four wheels.

What attracted you to automotive journalism?

I hadn’t always planned to try and get into automotive journalism. I’d always leant towards English in school - maths wasn’t my strong suit - and then it just clicked. I wondered why I couldn’t combine my interest in cars with wanting to get out and write.

I still went to university and did a more general English degree. Still, during my time at uni, I started to get as much work experience as I could at the major car mags while trying to write about cars whenever I could.

How’s your career developed so far?

I think one of the best words to describe my career so far is adventurous. I started with Blackball Media nearly 10 years ago and ever since the day I managed to wangle my way into the office as an Editorial Assistant, I’d say that not a single week has been the same.

I’m not a good person for routine and I get itchy feet very quickly, so the variety of outlets that I get to write for coupled with driving different cars each week means that I never feel stale.

What has been the pinch-me moment of your career?

Phew, I’d say that I’m pinching myself most of the time - I’ve never taken for granted how utterly wild this job is in reality. One of my most memorable situations took place quite early in my career while photographer Johnny Fleetwood - who I count as one of my best friends today - and I were getting photos of a Mazda for a feature shoot while the Northern Lights dappled away in the sky above. It’s something I’ll never forget.

What’s the most challenging part of your job?

I think that we live in an incredibly interesting time for the car - you could argue quite a turbulent period - so I feel that we in the media have a crucial job in explaining to readers how they’ll be getting from A to B in the future.

Is there anything that you wish you had known about the job when you started?

Honestly, I went into automotive journalism pretty green. There’s nothing I’d change, being able to look back, but what I’d say to my past self is to appreciate every little adventure, no matter how small. This isn’t one of the best-paid industries in the world, but as far as satisfaction goes, I couldn’t think of anywhere better to be.

How should someone get into automotive journalism?

In my experience, you can’t put a price on getting out there and speaking to people. Whenever people ask me how I got into my job, my response is usually ‘by just being annoying’. I stand by that. I was turned down for plenty of roles, but I kept applying for work experience, kept picking up the phone to speak to people and wrote whenever I could.

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