"Getting out of the business" resource thread

Thanks. I thought for years that I would be miserable without being around sports all the time. I learned I'm not.

 

I don't want to start a thread, so I hope this is a good enough place to put this.

Starting the 18th, I will finish my more than 20-year career in sports journalism (radio into TV into radio into newspaper into TV into newspaper and radio, just to name a few career stops), and take a side step into becoming a trade magazine editor.

I will be working from home, setting my own hours and having nights and weekends off for the first time in my adult life.

My poor, poor wife! LOL

Anyway, for some odd reason, my internet craps out when I try to access SJ from home, so don't expect to see me around here much unless I get it fixed. Jeff here has tried and nothing seems to work when my wife, an IT person, can't figure it out also.

Thanks all, I will try to check in now and again!

So, here I go, jumping ship! Weeeeeeeeee *sploosh*
glub
glub
glub

 

Sounds like to me you'll still be in journalism, just a different niche. But good luck with the new gig, and I hope to see you around here in the future. You always seem to provide good insight and proper perspective.

 

Whups...missed the word "sports" before journalism. Thanks!

 

Good for you, spike! And for old time's sake ... U.P. POWER (clap, clap, clap-clap-clap)

 

Best wishes, spike!

 

Good luck in the new job, spike. Enjoy the trade shows!

 

Billy Beane the main speaker at the 2016 Craft Brewers Conf. In Philly.
That said...who wants to meet for beers in Philly in May?

 

This is my final night on the desk, it may be the best feeling in the world, it may be the worst feeling in the world. I just don't know right now. I have spent the last 10 years in this business, and I gave my life to it, and loved it. Now I am ready to move on as a counselor and help people who need healing. I can't thank this community enough for all it has given me for the last 10 years, from jobs to jokes to jabs, it was all here for me when I got up in the morning or when I got to my work computer. Thank you everyone.

 

Counselor, huh? Congrats, PRoy.

Is there an SJ.com bulk discount, relationship therapy or anything?

Enjoy your desk finale.

 

Congrats PRoy.
My last day was almost two weeks ago. Working from home for me is awesome. It's been a great switch.
Thanks to Jeff the admin for finding a fix to get me back in!

 

Posting my experience for anyone interested. What brings me here today is I see applications are being accepted for what was once my dream job. I will not be applying.

I "got out of the business" last year and started a new career in marketing. The day-to-day of my current position is more about fitting into the culture of this particular company and being a competent worker in general. Being willing to take a call and do an interview at the drop of a hat, any time of the day while working for newspapers is not a worthless ability. Simply replying to an email in the evening or on weekends isn't necessarily a requirement, when it used to be all I could do to get a few quotes from a coach. That's not to say my new job is any "easier" – it's harder, if I had to say – but rather just an observation.

Writing and interviewing skills I developed through my seven years in journalism are definitely useful and helped me land the job. Talent in those specific areas (and others) is what will determine promotions. Speaking of which, advancement is perhaps the main reason I needed to switch careers – opportunities that actually made sense for me (i.e. not moving across the country) were basically non-existant at my former company. I have a family, so the normal hours, better pay, better benefits are really nice, but, honestly, I primarily made the switch for me... in hopes of fulfilling my personal aspirations.

I could have waited for the aformentioned "dream job" to open up every 10-20 years and hope they would hire me over other more-qualified candidates or I could start down a new, perhaps more realistic path.

This post isn't meant to be a detraction of newspapers because there's plenty of that here already. It's not meant to urge anyone who might be on the fence to leave journalism. Perhaps I can provide some motivation, if that's what you're looking for.

I used this forum (and this thread) as a resource when making the determination that, for all intents and purposes, I had reached the end of the line in journalism. It was time for something different. It wasn't easy – I scoured and applied for a solid three months (OK, maybe that sounds easy to some of you) – but I am very lucky with where I landed and the opportunities ahead.