Do's and Don't's of the first job

You probably don't want to swallow the first time.

Probably need to work up to that.

 

Didn't think I'd have much to add to this thread, but...if you don't drink, you won't survive in this business.
Huh? That's one of the dumbest things I've read on this site.

 

It's early. Keep reading.

 

Learn as much as you can about the computers you are working on. They will break at 11 p.m. on a Saturday and tech will be unavailable to fix them. Same goes for knowing how to talk to the AP tech guys.

Don't volunteer technical services too much. I know it might seem like the right thing to do, but you do not want to get stuck downloading e-mails for the clerk or converting an outdated Word document for clueless 50-year-old society page paginator.

Don't be in a rush when driving from an assignment on deadline.

 

I hope that's a joke. If not, you make UNDER_GROUND look like Doogie Howser.

I've got one: Bring meals to work. It will save you some dough and give you reason to avoid the nightly fast food run, etc.

 

1. Be decent to your colleagues. I mean all of them, not just the hacks, copy deskers or the entertainment tabbers, but the folks in advertising, circulation, the pressroom and the cleaning crews.

2. Be patient and listen. Absorb as much as you can. Read your publication every damn day, even the days you don't have to work.

3. Don't complain about sudden schedule changes. It's the nature of the business. At my shop now, I went eight weeks without time off because of soccer and then, as I was looking forward to my first weekend off, got a call in the morning and was on a plane to another country four hours later where I worked another 15 days straight.

You'll get comp time down the road.

4. Overtime or comp time? The IRS won't tax your comp time.

5. Finally, remember who you are, where you are and where you are going. Don't let yourself get lost in the shuffle.

 

FYI,

This is against federal wage and hour laws, by the way. If you are eligible for OT, you are supposed to get paid OT if you work more than 40 hours. Comp time is supposed to be given in that week, not next summer.

 

I've really enjoyed this thread... it's very informative and has also motivated my first post:

But I have a different question that falls along the same line: If you had it to do over again as a senior in college, what do you think is the best way to land the best possible job out of college? (Besides choosing another profession...) When should you start applying? Should you hit up the people you have worked for first? If you can land a great internship, is it worth delaying the possibility of something permanent?
I am approaching my senior year and I think have built up a lot of experience (for a college kid) through a couple of internships, college EIC and stringing. I'm excited for the process to begin, but I'd like to learn as much about it before it starts. Any input would be great.

 

What kind of internships have you had? Don't know where you go to school, but the very best way (assuming your writing is stellar) to land with a solid job out of school is to get cozy with the guy at your school who puts the word out on top candidates and have had several good internships at bigger papers.

Working two summers at the local weekly is nice, but it aint the way to start at the Washington Post out of the blocks.

Now, interning at the Washington Post may be a nice leg up to start there or at any large/mid-sized paper.

 

My two internships are baseball heavy, one at a 55,000-daily in the Northeast after my sophomore year and another this summer that has me covering Major League baseball on a daily basis.
One problem is that my school does NOT have a J-school, so finding "that guy" with those connections is not as easy. However, the lack of a J-school has worked to my advantage as well because I'm a fish in a much smaller pond, getting opportunities that many would be competing for if there was a stronger journalism presence. I've been the EIC of the school paper that circulates 25,000 for 18 months and I'm starting my second year stringing for the biggest newspaper in the state (300,000-plus), including writing sidebars and game stories for major sports.
I've worked hard to get where I am, but lucky because in some respects because I'm not competing with many folks.
However, since I've compiled this much stuff, I'd like to use it to my advantage as far as jobs go and try and continue my "leg up" on other grads. I know that a preps job might be inevitable, but I want to be prepared for the job hunt either way.
I thought about starting with the big state paper since I will have a two-year relationship with them by the time I graduate, but I want to see what else is out there as well.

 

Nothing to add. Just that this needs to be repeated. Good advice.

 

You're right, Ebby, because I think it's imperative to drink in order to do your job correctly. [/sarcasmfont]. Hence the "don't drink and SportsJournalists.com" post afterwards. If that's the dumbest thing you've read here, you haven't read much.