Breaking into the Business. What to do?

Boyz -

I'm guessing you have no desire to be homeless and you'd like to do things like own a car, provide for a family, buy clothes and, oh, I don't know....eat and, well, if you'd like to do those things maybe you should take a look at carsalesman.com because that is an industry which will enable you to do those things with little experience necessary.

 

If were a car salesman or working at Wal-Mart, I'd get a big bottle of sleeping pills.

 

I get this e-mail from time to time from young folks.

First of all, I'm sorry. You're unlucky to be a college grad in this recession trying to enter into a dying industry.

My advice? Go find a job. Any job. Get a graduate degree in another field. Then, if this industry stops kicking itself in the ass in a few years, maybe you'll have a better opportunity then.

We had a recent opening out here in Podunk. At least 60 applicants, most of them with resumes much better than yours. And that was a news opening.

 

There's a big difference between those two.

Incidentally, Mrs. Stain starts at Wal-Mart tomorrow. Making almost exactly the same as she made as a news reporter before the baby.

 

Thanks for all the advice. I appreciate it. Really I do. And yes, I do know this is an industry eliminating jobs right now. Isn't the NYT about to cut 100 jobs? So I know what I'm up against. Preps work sounds feasible, if anything opens up. I just want to get my toe in the door, let alone my foot. I've made some decent contacts in my coverage of the Jets, but none that can do anything at this moment in time. I do have a job, albeit a very low-wage job but one where I can save up enough once loan payments kick in. I'm glad no one's sugar-coating their answers. I wanted real criticism or advice and I got it. I'm not looking for sympathy here. I would've never posted this if I was. Poindexter, Spud and Mustang pretty much nailed it along with everyone of you that posted today. Tdonegan, I feel you. Thanks again to all of you. Oh and for kicks, I did work at a car dealership once and I never want to go back

 

The Times is only laying off liberals. [/crossthread]

 

Only liberals work at the Times [/better crossthread]

 

1. Be open to relocating.
2. Send a resume to everybody, starting with small dailies and weeklies. And web sites. Don't waste time with resumes to the NYT, NYP, NYDN until you've exhausted every small daily from Indiana to Maine, and Michigan to Florida.
3. Be open to relocating.
4. Be prepared to ask family for financial help for a year or two while you make less than it costs you to live in Cortland, Zanesville, Beaufort or Haines City.
Get through those four steps, and you're headed for the big time.

 

One of my tennis buddies is a Lexus salesman (recession-proof brand, right?).

Says he's not making any money. Nothing's moving. Gets one day off a week and half the time goes in just in case he might make a sale. Tension written all over him. Thanks to mortgage refinances to pay for kids' weddings and whatnot, he still has almost 30 years and $170,000 remaining on his mortgage. I have 2 years and $32,000 on mine.

Makes me realize how good I have it (today anyway).

 

How much of that is due to his poor financial planning/budgeting?

 

Boyznblu80,

Your problem is not experience, or the lack of it.

As you've said, you have some.

And a look at the jobs board should tell you that papers are looking for young, do-it-all people -- not with tons of experience, just some -- and willing and/or able to work for nothing more than low- or mid-20s level salaries.

I'm guessing you probably fit that bill.

With the exception of said positions, which usually are in places that no one really wants to go, no matter how much somebody says that all they want is a chance to get a foot (or even just a toe) in the door, your problem is this: There are no jobs to be had.

The business is contracting that much. People who have jobs are hanging on to them if they can, and Web operations don't need anywhere near the kind of manpower that once existed in the media industry. Moreover, most Web operations can ill afford that kind of labor force, and, for budget reasons, wouldn't have it even if they wanted it.

To wit: I do some freelance work for various media outlets, both for traditional newspapers and magazines, and for Web sites. I've made pitches, and given pay-rate expectations that I usually base on my more extensive knowledge of newspapers. Well, assignments for which I might earn anywhere from $100 to $300 with a newspaper may draw pay of no more than $75 for a Web site.

For the most part, the jobs available in this industry now are of the freelance, temporary and/or part-time variety. None of those provide benefits, or a livable salary, and all benefit the employer much more than the employee, particularly over a long haul...by the end of which you are likely to get tired of having to be the initiator, instigator and executor of everything, with little or no support, anyway.

I'm not actually trying to discourage you. I, myself, am in much the same boat as you...except that I've had over 15 years of experience, some of it at major metros, and I'm just trying to give you the benefit of that experience/perspective, and give it to you straight.

Things are bad right now, and don't seem to be improving. That's why some people telling you to just get a job, any job, and maybe one not even in this field.

 

As an above poster said, "you'd gladly take your problems over another person's problems any day of the week."

I graduated in May of 2008 and currently a sports editor at a five-day daily in mayberry. IMO, I had a good resume coming out of college but nothing compared to the OP. After reading these boards, I feel lucky to have a job that I enjoy and I am treated very well at work/around town.

HOWEVER, I'm looking to move on in the worst way as more of a "life" decision. In fact, just this morning I had a conversation with my boss where he told me how much improvement I've made and, after a little more than a year on the job, I'm doing "9+ out of 10" work. All that is great but I feel I'm working for peanuts and a raise is definitely not in the near future. Also a part of that conversation was how tough the job market is right now for sports writers, so opportunities for advancement are going to be hard to come by. Not that I'm going to stop working hard, but what is it getting me right now?

Currently, as much as I would like to remain a sports writer, I'm looking to move away from it, partly because of salary and partly because I'm not sure if I can stick it out here - away from friends and family - for the long haul.

Should I get an offer to move away from sports, I expect it to be one of the toughest decisions of my life. Basically, all of my previous experience was gathered in hopes of getting a job in sports. Now that I have it, I feel like it may be dumb to throw it away.