"Getting out of the business" resource thread

Can somebody who has become an English teacher please PM me on what they needed to do to become one? I would want to teach in the Midwest or West coast.

 

Has anyone attempted to break into technical writing? I have placed my resume with a number of companies looking for entry level tech writers and actually had an interview with one, but to me, it seems there is a stigma attached to sports writers or newspaper writers in general.

 

If you have any sort of tech writing on your resume, you should have a good shot, but you'll need to work hard to find that first break, from what I've heard.

 

I broke into tech writing way easier than I thought.

It might vary from market to market, but at my shop, the hiring managers give former newspaper people tons of respect. I'd say of the 12 or so tech writers in my office, half have newspaper backgrounds.

All depends on the kind of tech writing.

 

Rick,

That's what I've learned. Fortunately, I'm in a part of the country where the demand is great and have networked with friends at church, Toastmasters, LinkedIn, etc. to get my name and resume out there. I'm optimistic that someone will be willing to give me a chance at some point in the near future.

 

Just a little update on the law school front: I have five friends who are former sportswriters who just went through interview for 2L summer firms jobs (those jobs typically lead to a post-grad offer if you do well). Three of them now have positions with NY/Chicago/LA firms - 150k-plus to start, which is pro-rated over the summer. One of the remaining two is still hoping for such an offer, no idea what the fifth is doing.

Journalism skills are valued by law firms. The things you take for granted among journalists, like researching and writing cleanly and quickly, are highly prized skills in the law.

I'm always available via PM if anyone's considering this route.

 

An update from my end. I landed a full-time graduate assistantship at the grad school I'll be attending. It's in the university relations department. My resume definitely landed me on the top of the application stack as my boss needed someone who can write, do some layout and be able to think quickly on their feet.

Once I get my master's, the time in the university relations will help in the job search in a few years. Companies and think-tanks need people not only understand the issues, but can communicate effectively.

 

Jim, with summer associate positions starting up any day now, make sure you post some updates about how you and you friends enjoy real law firm life. I've been a lawyer for just under four years now and somehow stumbled into being a partner at my own firm and things are going great. My life is nothing comparable to the so-called Big Law world but it's better than expected.

 

Leo, I'm actually about four weeks into my permanent position with a firm of about 150 or so lawyers that I spent last summer with. I graduated in December (2.5 years) and took and passed the February bar. I'm a litigation associate in a satellite office. The summer program did a very good job of preparing me for what life as an associate would be, but I've obviously got a ton to learn. I realized last week that the paralegal I was working with bills at a higher rate than I do, which made sense considering she knows a heck of a lot more about practicing law than I do right now. So does my shared administrative assistant, without whom I'd be lost.

 

I've been debating switching to teaching, most likely history. Its not so much the low pay or job security, but more the face that I don't want to spend the rest of my nights and weekends at the high school field.

I'm freelancing/working a couple part time day gigs, and for the most part, I have the weekends off, save for a game here or there that I volunteer to pick up.

Plus, it will let me get into coaching, which is something I've always wanted to do.


One of my day jobs is substituting, so I've got a decent exposure to what it might be like.

Connecticut offers a nine week program to get certified, so now its just a matter of taking the plunge.

Anyone have any experience with the states ARC program?

 

Besides grad school, I'll be teaching an intro communications class at the local community college. I was offered two courses, but can only teach one with my schedule. With that, I'm done with sports writing for the time being. Freelancing doesn't pay enough.

 

I'm not in Connecticut, but I'm entering into the career-switcher program in Virginia. My ultimate goal is to get my master's and work my way into administration, maybe as an athletics director.