"Getting out of the business" resource thread

I'll look into it. I figure going the harder route might pay off in the long run though

 

Just remember, there are 10 kinds of people in this world ... those who understand binary and those who don't.

 

Remember one assignment from a programming class way back when. Needed to build a beer mug that was filled with a random amount of "beer." Had to also create one bubble with a random size that appeared in the beer. Also had to build a button that caused the bubble to rise by a certain amount when clicked,. The bubble then had to pop when reaching the top and have another bubble of random size appear.

Subsequent assignments added on additional mugs, and each bubble rose by some random amount, so you had several events you had to account for.

 

Looking for perspective from anyone who has made the switch from newspapers to marketing.

With our copy desk likely to be downsized (if not outsourced out of existence) in the not-too-distant future, I'm thinking of applying for an "assistant editor" position with a small but growing marketing company in the area. The company has been around just a few years but already has a reputation for excellent work. According to the job ad, a journalism/copy-editing background is the biggest requirement (to the point that expertise in AP style is emphasized).

My guess is that the pay won't be anything near what I'm earning now, although I'm willing to sacrifice a bigger paycheck in favor of greater job security (if the job ad is any indication, benefits are as good or better than what I have now). Also, I'm wondering if I'd even be a viable applicant at my age (late 50s) -- based on staff photos on the company website, the workforce is almost entirely under 40. But I figure there's nothing to lose by applying -- worst things they can do are say no or ignore the application. And just maybe, they can benefit from the perspective of someone with more than a few gray hairs.

If you have made a similar transition, what are your thoughts? Is it worth it to apply? Can a lifetime copy editor do this job?

 

There are all kinds of roles under "marketing" -- from designing and creating campaigns to editing what the copywriters churn out. If the ad stresses the editing part, go for it.

Some thoughts:

Don't have to make your age clear in your resume. Don't put your graduation dates or first job at McDonald's.

For this position stress fixing copy, engaging readers, looking at the whole design -- photos, headlines, display, etc. Making content clear and easy to read. Try to frame what you do as they would see it and not just in newspaper terms.

 

Marketing was what I first jumped to when I left the business and I've been doing it ever since. I was a writer, not an editor, so the positions I've been in rely heavily on creating content. I've always felt like I had job security, and I've even been promoted a few times. Also, the skills I picked up working in newspapers made parts of working in marketing a breeze. You mean I get a week to write 400 words instead of 15 minutes in my car while borrowing McDonald's wifi? Yeah I think I can handle that.

I can say that a strong editor would be invaluable to a lot of marketing teams. I was never the strongest editor, especially in comparison to the people at the paper who actually did it for a living. But the fact that I know when and why to use a semi-colon blows some minds around here. A lot of marketing writing is truly awful and would greatly benefit from someone with a keen eye for making copy make sense and flow better. So in that regard, you can probably apply with some confidence that your skills would be useful.

As for pay, I'm surprised you say you think you'd be taking a pay cut. Then again, I have no idea where you are in your journalism career. Personally, I never broke 30K as a writer. So when my first marketing job offered over 40K, I about fainted. Even if you do have to take a pay cut, I'd be willing to bet that not only the job security, but also a better work-life balance (hours, stress, etc.) would make it worth it.

I would definitely apply. It can be a great job, especially if you end up on a great team. You'll be surprised how, when you aren't surrounded by other writers and editors, most people don't know shit about writing and truly need the help of someone like you.

 

Ace and Ty: Thanks for the thoughtful responses and excellent advice.

 

When I was in HS, we got sent to some big regional math and engineering competition and I was the only one to medal from our school. My big break? The entirety of the computer competition was just converting hexadecimal numbers to regular and back, and I was one of about three from the region who was familiar with it.

 

I did my Computer Science undergrad in three years - one at community college, two at the local U - while still working in newspapers.

The math isn't that bad - you're basically going to take up to Calc II, and then something beyond - Linear Algebra is popular, because a lot of 3D graphics programming depends on matrix manipulation. And then you'll take one (or two) Discrete classes.

Rick for sure wants a CS degree. I graduated with a 3.98 and had my choice of nearly a dozen job offers out of one career fair.

And - as I've learned in the last year - developers have to write tons and tons of documentation. Writing and editing experience was a huge, huge asset for me in the eyes of potential employers.

 

Well, I got accepted into a program to receive my teaching credentials even though I don't have a degree in education. So, assuming that goes well, I should be teaching come fall.

 

I did this a few years ago, and am in my fourth year of teaching. PM me if you have any questions.

 

Wrapping up my first semester. I was worried about taking a full class load, but I've been bored to tears most of the time. This shit's designed for 19-year-olds, and what a 19-year-old thinks of as a lot of work is basically a part-time job.

If anyone is crazy enough to major in journalism these days, I'd recommend they clear out a few slightly-higher math and science classes anyway. This is gonna take me a lot longer than I'd like just because I have to go back and pick up everything from College Algebra onward.