Breaking in part time

From personal experience, I'd say a part-time gig at a big shop can be a great way to go.

I wasn't breaking into the business, but my second job, after spending several years at the AP mostly pushing agate, was at the Denver Post.
I spent 2-plus years there and did just about everything. Technically, I was a 32-hour per week desker, agate the specialty. But since I was in the building, they also threw all kinds of stringer assignments at me. Mostly preps at first.
At a big paper, there's lots to do and as long as you prove yourself capable of handling the assignments, they'll just keep tossing you stuff until you make a really major screw up. Between stringing and part-time desking I was often working 50 to 60-hour weeks and making enough to live a pretty happy life.

The big break for me when I first got there in '97 was the Broncos going to the Super Bowl. The Post was doing a special section every day for a week and ASE was looking to me to fill space with stats, factoids, capsules, etc.
Lots of research and light writing.

As far as getting a full-time gig there, I probably would've had to wait several more years or settled for a straight desk job. I wanted neither so I moved on.

But the two best things I left with were: A) a quality education. I've never worked at a small shop, and I'm not knocking them, but it would seem that it COULD be hard to learn from the people around you _ especially when you're working on a two- or three-man staff.

B) I had front of the sports section clips from one of the 20 biggest papers in the country, not too mention the SE of said paper tossing me a strong recommendation.

So that's my 2 cents.

 

how many jobs have you landed because of your school-boy chums?

 

That might be a little bit overblown. But you're only in college once. It can't all be about networking for your professional life.

 

None, but I'm in my first job out of school and got this one through my part-time connections at the paper (as previously mentioned). Actually, it's more likely that I will help some of them find a job (I stayed near the school and most of them want to get back here). But, much as this site is a way to find out how things are run across the country, I have learned a lot about how things are run in different parts of the country. Making contacts isn't all about getting a job, at least for me.

I still think a combination is the best way to go. I learned a lot working on the school paper and I learned a lot working at the metro, but I learned different things at both places.

 

shottie - i must disagree. high school is the time and place to have nothing but a good time. folks should focus on building their futures in college first, then concentrate on having a good time, esp. in their final two years.

 

so, you basically have no foundation to support the claims that your college network will assist either you or your school-boy chums at any point in time?

 

I didn't have "a good time" in high school, therefore college for me was about having a good time. I worked on the school paper's staff, drank (sometimes like a fish) with my colleagues and learned a helluva lot more about myself in those two years I was on that staff.

Rushing into the working world, which I did right out of high school, is NOT what it's cracked up to be.

 

I think I would reiterate what everybody else is saying here. Breaking in as a part-time worker can be very beneficial, but it can also hinder you. I broke into the business as a part-timer while still going to college. Two years after I finished college, I was still a part-timer. Everytime I'd go talk to the editor about a full-time position, he'd give me some shit about budget and the money just not being there. But they were completely happy with my 30-36 hours a week work with no benefits. Eventually, I just left the place for the first full-time gig I could take.

A good friend of mine (who has since left the business) also broke in as a part-timer with no experience or college education. He was a part-timer for probably six years before they finally offered him a full-time gig and it was only because it was a position nobody wanted and his desire to be full-time trumped the overall crappiness of the job. Anyway, the problem was that he didn't get a very substantial boost in pay after becoming full-time. All they did was raise his hours to 40, give him benefits and allow him to take two weeks vacation a year. After the money taken out for insurance and what-not, he was back down to what he was clearing as a part-timer. He eventually got a nice raise, but it wasn't until two years after he was full-time.

I would definitely proceed with caution and sit down and talk to the editor/sports editor about the position. Is there room for advancement? How soon would you be qualified for a full-time job? Will you be getting any benefits? Will you be required to work holidays (some papers don't give part-timers off on holidays)? Just make sure you hear the answers you want to hear before jumping in head-first.

Good luck.

 

I agree with you on the socialization aspect of working on the college newspaper. In terms of clips and their quality, it can vary greatly depending on how stringent the editors are on the college paper.

In the end, doing journalism is like any other skill. You get better the more you do it, especially if you have someone helping you along the way and you're willing to listen.

 

What claims? My first post said I made good contacts, never once stating that it would advance my career. In my second post I said that I might be able to help them out, I never once said that it would trully help me advance my career.

Why such hostility? Did you have a bad experience with the college paper? Are you ignorant enough to imply that doing both (which is the route I have suggested throughout this thread) is a stupid route? Sure worked out alright for me. I purely made comments, did not imply to be an expert on the subject, just made comments. That's allowed on message boards, right?

And yeah, I know I'm young and don't post here so I must be a moran or something, right?

 

0-2 slo-pitch down the middle.

 

Isn't that an inside joke around here? Maybe I'm too much of a newb, but I see that used a lot ... It was supposed to be a joke.

Anyway, I'll stop bogging down the thread and move along.