Are friends/family shocked at your salary?

I think the word you're looking for is hobbies.

 

Exactly. What a difference 10 years can make in a person's perspective.

 

I had a professor in college who sold me on journalism as a career. I should have listened to all the people that told me she was blinded by her love for the business and never told you about the low pay and the shitty hours.

As much as I loved the business, I feel like I set myself back six years in my life pursuing a degree and career in journalism. When my paper threw me out on my ass I decided to go back to school and now my journalism degree is basically useless toward my masters in education.

 

No, it doesn't worry me a bit, because I know that their mindset is not mine and mine is not theirs. Waylon speaks of wondering what he's doing with his life at high school and college games and looking forward to the things he is supposed to hate. That's his mindset, and it is what works for him. Good for him, he's got every right to live his life the way it works best for him.

My mindset is not the same. Even covering high school girls basketball between two weak teams and getting home at 1 am, my thought at the end of the night is usually along the lines of, "How lucky am I that I get to do this?" I know what works best for my own mindset, and this is it. If that means I don't get paid much, that's the sacrifice I'm willing to make.

 

I think a lot of us would be not so quick to criticize you if the business model wasn't so fucked up right now. When a lot of us were 21, the business was healthy and you could look forward to having a job you liked a lot (I won't say loved) because you would get raises and would get promotions and would get opportunities to move up or move to bigger papers. Not so much anymore.
Again ... are you comfortable making the same amount of money you are making now 10 years from now?? I know guys that at 26 or 27 are making less than they did at 22 when they first got hired. What the fuck do you say about all that??

 

Well, I'm glad that at 21 you know exactly how you'll feel for the rest of your life.

Good luck

 

NightHawk, I won't try to dissuade you because, at 21, you won't be dissuaded -- and that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Just know: It's OK if your views on this subject change as you get older, because they almost certainly will. You'll figure that out yourself, though. Doing what you love is important, but so is paying the bills. Not sure what your living situation is, but struggling to get by every month gets old real quick. What you're willing to sacrifice at 21 may not be what you're willing to sacrifice at 26. Again, a lot of us have been in your shoes. Don't be so quick to blow that off.

So, keep your passion, keep your optimism -- but more important than any of those: keep your eyes and ears open.

 

Well, yeah, I'm not dumb enough to close any doors. If things do change, I'll do what's best for me then. But that's something I'll have to find out on my own. Right now, I can't ever see myself not wanting to do this job as long as I can make a living at all with it. That could change, of course, and if I do lose my passion, I'll find another job.

I know what I can live on. I can handle that scenario.

 

My family and friends are surprised I still have a job in this shitty business. I rarely get to see them, and when I do I'm either stressed from working or having to track a possible story.

Now I've grown tired of the sacrifices - low pay, long and late hours, high stress, too much time away from family and friends. It took some time, but personally no perks make up for what I sacrifice on a daily basis. It's not worth it anymore to me.

As for the youngsters who feel so blessed to have this job: I doubt you'll feel that way when you're getting paid less and expected to do much more - including some things you're not trained for and others you don't want to do - and get paid the same or even less every year you keep the job.

And that's if you're lucky to not be laid off before that.

One of the tough parts about growing up is realizing that sometimes being a responsible provider take the place of fun in your life. You'll learn that more as you get older.

 

Lots of grownups, unfortunately, tend to forget to also have fun in their lives, in the stress of trying to be a responsible provider.

Being responsible should NOT "take the place" of fun in your life. That just makes a person miserable.

 

Well, I'd rather have a job I don't love and see my family and friends than have a job I love and rarely see my loved ones.

My original wording was not clear. Should not have said "take place of." I believe having a job that allows you to be responsible to your immediate family should be more important than having that fun job. I'm fine with waiting to have fun away from work - something hard to find right now because of how much I'm working now.

 

Great, but the mental aspect of it? You can stand working for people who will never give you a raise probably the next 5-10 years?
Even fast food chains give the kids a raise if they stick it out more than 3-4 months.