Entry Level Sports Reporter

1990s.

Time was, my 401(k) tripled in a calendar year, too.

 

People are going to jump on this, but it's truer than the negativists want to face.

 

Who is paying your college tuition?

 

A lot of people don't have to pay for college. I didn't. If my daughter had gone to college, she wouldn't have.

 

Adam, I used to think that way eons ago. While it's nice to see your dreams come true, it would be even better if you could pay for the popcorn while at the show.

 

That's a great dream to have and to work towards.

But life circumstances can change in one day. Keep your eyes open and have a backup plan. Because at the rate the newspaper, and media industries are going, the money won't take care of itself.

 

Don't get into this business because you love sports. If you love sports, stay a fan.

Get into this business because you love reporting and writing. Sports are just a conduit for great stories, but good reporters and writers can find a story in any area of life.

 

It's important that you want to be involved in reporting and writing first. The sports is a bonus.

You need to be versatile. You need to ask yourself, "Could I handle working newsside for a year or two to get where I want to get?" I did, and I was as crazy about sports as you, and I'm betting I had more experience coming out of school.

 

Very good advice. I'll gladly join the choir of those who say "learning how to write news will help you write sports," because in the case of my career, it's the truth. And I know there's been a couple of stories that I dealt with in the last few months that I don't think I could have handled without some newsside experience. Especially true when you're at a smaller paper, when you may be called on to pitch in when there's breaking news. Knowing how to break down the option is of little help in those situations.

 

Ha... your first line said it all. As someone who did graduate from college and does have college loans that have built up, it's not that easy. And the only reason I made a snarky remark was more in terms of relocation and the like, which most people can't afford out of college. Many places that hire do try to hire from within or from near the area so they don't have to deal with relocation at all. That is the disconcerting aspect of it.