I was laid off Friday, now what do I do?

The best place to look for college / university jobs is to just look up the 'career' sections of the ones local to you. Pretty much all public schools have to post their jobs for a set amount of time. The one I got was on ZipRecruiter, but I had already applied to it beforehand because I was signed up for new job postings with that school already. (Not sure if that helped me in the hiring process, but it couldn't have hurt if they saw my application before the 'flood' from those sites.)

 

CoSida jobs

 

Same applies for media relations jobs with pro and minor-league teams and sports organizations. You need to approach them and apply to them specifically. Find out who the contacts are in those departments, reach out to them and talk to them about your interest. Some sports -- MLB in particular comes to mind -- also have good communications/media department internships, for which, at age 25, you could probably still apply.

Job hunting is A LOT of work. It's a big reason why, eventually, people sometimes call a halt to it, and settle for something they never thought they would have done. But surprisingly, even doing that can wind up working out OK.

I also have, oftentimes on here, suggested applying for the myriad city and county jobs there are, almost wherever you are, or want to be.

 

Here's another thing: contact every person you know, ever met, crossed paths with, slept with, wanted to sleep with, bought a beer for, met at a wedding or anything else. Tell them you're looking and if they know of anything in the areas you're looking into to please let you know.

Don't worry about being "that guy" contacting someone. Just do it. You never know when someone might have a line on a job.

 

I was the engineering and computing senior communications coordinator at my last full-time job, and I didn’t know dick about most of the research stories I wrote before the reporting. If you can interview someone, you can do the job.

I made too much money and got whacked in the first round of mass layoffs three years ago last month. It came from high above; my two immediate bosses looked like someone kicked their dog.

I left the office and got stoned at a friend’s place.

 

I'm sorry to hear about your layoff, but the first graph is bang-on. We all have skills that we don't realize apply outside of this awful profession. I was an Internet copy writer for a few years at the beginning of the 2010s (history might repeat itself, who knows). Like you, I didn't know jack shit about anything I was writing about. But all I had to do was do enough research to write 500 words. It's no different than reading up on a couple prep teams you've rarely if ever covered, or writing a feature about the local midget who is a bullrider on the weekends. It rebuilt my self-esteem to know my skills transferred elsewhere.

 

Another thing to consider.

There is no "one size fits all" guideline to this, NB.

What works for some might not for others. Demographics count. Reputation, ahem, counts. Timing is still critical.

What I can tell you is the way the suits do this still pisses me off.

Bad.

 

I love this. You could be Bill Murray (and who wouldn't want to be Bill Murray?) and write the screenplay for Stripes 2.0. Of course, basic at 36 could be murder.

The bottom line is you're nowhere near over the hill. I veered from a reasonably successful career in music to an even more successful one in journalism after going back to college at 34. Reinvention is part of the deal now, and that is a great age to do it.

 

Driving down the street the other day I saw an EM-50 Urban Assault Vehicle. Looked just like it including the color. I began looking for Winger, Zisk, Louise, Stella and Sgt. Hulka.

 

I got out two years ago on my terms. I still freelance here and there - covering high school games and helping with season previews.

I went from 22 years of sports reporting/assistant sports editor/evening news editor to human services. I became a case manager for adults with developmental disabilities. I didn’t need a social worker degree. I was surprised how happy the trio of managers who interviewed me were with my communication skills - thanks to my journalism degree and years in the field.

It’s been one of the most rewarding changes in my life. Mind, body and soul, I am feeling better every day. Don’t give up. You will find something out there. And no matter the city or town you end up in, touch base with a local paper and offer freelance services that don’t conflict with whatever job you land. There are days I miss the newsroom, but then I remember my biggest passion was being out in the community, interacting with the public and getting to know the people around me. I’m doing that in my new job, and still getting a chance to write more as a fun outlet than one of work.

 

Heard layoffs are rampant again at newspapers. Anybody have a list?