I asked Karen, a prolific food and nutrition writer, to tell me a bit about her career path and why she chose journalism.

Karen says:

Being a dietitian is my third career. So by my third time around, I figured it was pretty important to get it right. That’s why I didn’t follow the traditional dietitian route by working for a hospital or starting my own private practice. While I loved nutrition counseling, it seemed to leave out what I was best at – writing.

Instead, I decided my real calling was to become a food and nutrition writer. But without any training in journalism, my friends and family were skeptical to say the least. Still, when I want something I’m probably the most driven person around. So I chipped away at it from the bottom up (and when I say the bottom I mean writing for my daughter’s kindergarten newsletter). Just goes to show what a ton of motivation and hard work will do.
 
Ironically, my lack of training is what pushes me most. Because I don’t have a degree in journalism or haven’t worked on the staff of a magazine or newspaper, I know that my competition is tough. But I do have one advantage. As a dietitian I have the training to translate complex science into accurate, easy to understand information for my readers. No journalism degree can do that.

Follow her at  http://twitter.com/KarenAnselRD.