Journalism is a unique profession. It’s constantly evolving, forever changing, perpetually growing and conforming to the society it serves. If you want to be a good journalist you have to stay on top of the thing, keep your finger on the proverbial pulse.

There are several ways you can do that.

You could go back to school and get a master’s degree or a doctorate, but that’s pretty expensive and we journalists aren’t known for our vast wealth.

You can take advantage of training programs put on by your local chapter or your region or your state’s press association. I took part in a fantastic open records/open meetings webinar that the Alabama Press Association hosted. The association’s lawyer taught the class.

There’s a vast wealth of information online and in books published about the craft. Poynter’s NewsU is a great online source for top-notch classes and webinars, free or cheap or otherwise. (www.newsu.org)

And speaking of Poynter, you can sign up for one of their on-site workshops or seminars. They aren’t exactly cheap, but they’re well worth the investment. Plus, hey, the institute is in south Florida…on the beach…you see where I’m going here, right? And nothing comes close to a Poynter experience (all right…media bias, anyone?). (www.poynter.org)

These are just a few suggestions. There are many more options for the continuing journalistic education. Whatever path you choose, you can never go wrong in furthering your knowledge base, your education, and your skill set. A guy I wrote a profile about once told me, “If you’re going to quit learning, you might as well just die.”

The Generation J committee is here to help young journalists flourish and compete in a news business that can be intimidating at times.

Whether it is how to craft a resume, tips on how to interview for jobs or sharing experiences on what it is like to be working in an ever-changing newsroom, Generation J wants to help you.

But, to do that we need some feedback. As the incoming chair for the committee I have lots of ideas rolling around in my head but those ideas will only be helpful if you-fellow young journalists-find them that way.

Now is your chance to flood our YouTube channel or my inbox, Twitter feed, voicemail, Facebook wall, etc. with ideas, thoughts, and even rants.

Be creative and think outside the box! In the age of technology I truly believe anything is possible and there is a way to make almost any networking or learning opportunity happen.

Happy video blogging and I am looking forward to listening to your ideas and helping them become a reality next year!

Lynn Walsh is an investigative video journalist for Texas Watchdog, a nonprofit online news organization that focuses on government transparency and government accountability.