"Getting out of the business" resource thread

I'm getting out.
But I don't even know where to start looking.

 

Do you have an idea of what you'd like to do? Anything about which you're passionate?

 

Passionate? Yea. But it don't pay.
My assignments at work have changed and I know longer enjoy what I do. I now work for a living. And if I am going to work I'm want to maximize my earning potential.
I found a grant writer postition and I need to tailor my cover letter to fit. Any help would be greatly appreciated as I am on a tight deadline for this.

 

I suspect I already know the answer, but I will ask anyway ..

It is a good idea to search for a job among the people you cover?
Not people I deal with on a day-to-day basis, but still people and businesses you have and do write stories about.
I was reading one of the best ways to land a job is who you know (duh).
None of the companies have posted openings. But If i mention I am looking, maybe they can refer me?
Would it be poor form to mention to marketing people with whom I interact that I am looking for a new job?

 

Gave my notice Tuesday and will be leaving completely except some light stringer work in the future.
I will be basically a life coach: exact job title is Behavioral Health Rehabilitation Specialist. Got this with an English degree (you just need to have a bachelor's degree in something in my state) and taking an online course that was no more than a couple of hours and I will be making twice what I make now. It's completely independent contact work, but I understand that and will work hard to see as many clients as I can to make ends meet.
After 10 years in the business, it was time to finally go back to school and make some money while at the same time finding a career where I can see my soon to be 1-year-old son and my wife a lot more.
I am also back in school for my Masters in Behavioral Health, I want to be a counselor/therapist.
I would suggest to any who have thought about being a therapist and are currently in this profession, it's worth the look. We did our first role plays today and I went into the role play pretty much like I do any interview and many of the comments I got were, "You have done this before." and "You were great at that." So anyone who understands guiding questions and has a heart to help people can be a therapist.

 

I'm on the opposite end of this discussion. I graduated from a good J school in the 90's covered sports at my school paper Texas Tech. Then went back in the military. The whole Bin Laden 9-11 thing made me stay in the military. Now I'm back from shitty places like Iraq and Afghanistan, and covering kids in a West Texas football field on Friday night is exactly what I want to be doing. Will I ever make the Cowboys or Rangers beat writer? Probably not, after giving up all those years for uncle sam. But I love every minute of it. And I do it for my friends who didn't come back. Unlike them, I have my arms and legs (most of my hearing) to enjoy it. Never thought I'd get rich with a newspaper job or journalism degree anyway. So count me in as a newbie with his glass half full. ;D

 

I just got out today and am leaving the business for a county communications job. I was looking to leave the industry for four long, painful years. I wanted to share some pointers for those who are looking to leave. This is what it took for me:

1. Meticulously check job boards at individual websites. My new position was only advertised for a week and only on the official site's jobs board. A friend of mine tipped me off to it.

2. Use your sources. Two of my three references were sources. They could talk directly about my strengths and helped me get hired. Unethical? Maybe.

3. Be bold, creative and aggressive with social networking. A lot of companies need those skills now and are willing to pay well for folks who can do them.

 

I decided last week that I was done, at least with my current job, at the end of the year. I work at a good mid-sized paper that has survived the industry chaos rather well, but it's done so by investing nothing in its people. I haven't had a raise in more than five years, there's no reason to assume one is coming in the next couple of years and I work in a sports department where nobody ever leaves. We've got about 14 folks in sports, I'm in my seventh year and I'm still the second-newest person in the dept.
I realized last week that I was in a dead-end job. I'd never thought of it that way before. It's a job I like most days, certainly more than most people like their gigs, but five years could go by and I could easily be in the exact same spot — covering the same team, making the same money — doing good work but going nowhere.
I haven't a clue what's next, but I'm 41, single, debt-free and I can afford to take some risks or chances and maybe come up with something I can do on my own. Or I'll make the same money I'm making now by being the assistant manager at Shoney's.
I've felt better about the decision every day since I made it — the weight that was lifted when I did was incredible — but that doesn't mean I'm not wide awake at 1 a.m. wondering where I go from here.

 

I've had several people tell me they were jealous that I was let go because they said they would never leave on their own, no matter how miserable they are. I don't know if I agree with that or not, but I would tell you to try to find something else before you quit, if possible.

I know it's crazy to say, but a lot of places want no part of hiring anyone over 30 and I might go as far as to say most places want to hire people straight out of school so they can get them cheap and mold them into what they want to be.

Be happy with your decision, but be smart about how you execute it.

Being unemployed is scary.

 

I would disagree. Yes, places are looking for cheap. Or they're offering part-time instead of full-time work, which is unlikely to attract full-time veterans.

But in my shop, we simply do not have time to mold anyone, since we're all doing the work of three people.

We need to have people who can step in from day one and do what we need. They're going to get minimal training, minimal hand-holding, and we don't have a lot of time/energy to teach a young person how to be a good employee.

If you have experience, play up the fact that you're a fully formed employee who will get up to speed very quickly. Mention things like your work ethic, organization skills, ability to take initiative, all those little intangibles in your cover letter or interview. After a few years of "just out of school" hires, a boss may find this refreshing.

 

Getting out as of next Friday after nearly 17 years writing sports, features, news, etc. for newspapers, websites, magazines, and going into corporate communications working on an employee newsletter in NYC. The commute will be long, but my pay will be more than double.

There's a lot I'm going to miss about daily journalism, but just this week the EIC of the chain said they wouldn't be paying OT anymore, so that's just the latest spur to GTFO.

 

Yeah, it may get to that... Hopefully it does... I work for a pretty big company and it is very rare that we hire someone straight out of school unless it's as engineers, where most of the best are straight out of school. That was so refreshing to hear after several places basically said, "You won't be happy here," or "We're only hiring entry level." or "You're overqualified."

There are many positives to hiring someone who has been put through the journalism ringer. I'm guessing we complain a lot less.