"Getting out of the business" resource thread

Some good advice here:

http://recoveringjournalist.typepad.com/recovering_journalist/2009/03/laid-off-tips-for-suddenly-unemployed-journalists.html

In fact, some of these you should be doing now, like blogging and using other social media platforms. You need to build your name on your own, not as a byline in a paper.

Start your brand. Be who you need to be to survive a layoff.

And if you want to leave the creative business altogether, look into health care. It's the one industry that isn't laying people off. Rather, up north, it's a labour shortage, borderline crisis.

 

I was discussing this topic with a friend who's part of the scorer's table at my NBA city. In addition to asking about him being part of that, the conversation turned to what his full-time job was and he told me that he works in the Social Security Administration and said they hire often and pay to train you, regardless of age and experience, so he encouraged me to look into it. So far, I filled out an online application, but if this can work out, I will not look back at the sports media industry.

 

Funny thing is, a teacher's pay starts right next door to the poverty line -- and you couldn't even get that job if was available -- which it's not, leaving you stuck in your dead-end journalism "career."

"Career" used loosely.

Someone made some BAD choices following high school. A good college degree in real profession and this bad ending could have -- personally, anyway -- been avoided.

 

That's tough to hear. It's pretty much the complete opposite in Texas. Every school district in the state is looking for teachers, it seems like. And schools in the metro areas pay really well. I have yet to find a school district in the Metroplex that pays first-year teachers less than 40K/year. Insurance is expensive if you're not single, but the retirement system is good and a lot more stable than a regular 401k.

 

I have to agree with pressboxramblin about teacher jobs in Texas. It's always something I've watched...just in case.

That being said, it should be pointed out Dallas ISD did recently lay off teachers and the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) pension trust fund has not been immune to the large market losses experienced during this recession, and the official snapshot of the fund’s value as of February 28, 2009 shows a decrease in overall fund value of more than $34 billion.

As of August 31, 2008, the TRS pension trust fund reported a value of $104.9 billion. Since then, the fund has decreased to $70.6 billion, or nearly 32 percent. This information was released today by TRS in a report they made to the House Appropriation’s Education Subcommittee.

This is the first official notice of how hard the world-wide market has hit the TRS pension trust fund.

 

I've had a couple people direct me to the Society for Technical Communications at stc.org for getting a start in tech writing, which they insist is a lucrative field.

 

One note out of that: don't work in DISD. Didn't know that about TRS. But I'll take my chances on teaching more than newspapers any day.

 

Here's a terrific column which may help you refine/build your resume. Believe what she says:

http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=34&aid=160112

 

Good starting place. Also, check Craigslist for tech writing gigs. I did and landed one. I can't speak for every city, but the money is much, much better here in DC.

 

a good read for inspiration and ideas:

http://www.webinknow.com/2009/03/an-open-letter-to-journalists-you-have-an-amazing-career-opportunity-on-the-dark-side.html

 

I found this to be an interesting read and helpful ... I left the industry 10 months ago and this book really hits the nail on the head as to what it's like to interview for a job these days, especially in non-newspaper industries where your prospects are being decided by a computer scan. The author also answers e-mail quite promptly:
http://www.amazon.com/What-Does-Somebody-Have-Around/dp/0312373341/ref=tag_tdp_ptcn_edpp_url/192-3536764-0557657

 

I began the process, albeit it rather slowly. I went to a job fair for alums and students of my alma mater and submitted my resume to the Social Security Administration and was told they will be hiring sometime in the spring and summer. The job may sound boring, but paid training, great benefits, flexible hours are exciting to me.