"Getting out of the business" resource thread

Sounds great in theory but don't you have eventually give priority to your mental health? I dealt with stress for years and it never got to me but the stress has morphed into outright depression that I don't know if my sanity can withstand this too much longer.

 

Honestly, you'd be better off calling in sick repeatedly until they fire you than just quitting. That would be assuming you have no plans on ever working in journalism again.

I could never do that. But it can be a lot tougher for deskers who have to go into the office every day. When I thought I was going to lose my mind during the time leading up to my layoff, at least I got to do it at home.

I have one friend who was at the point where it sounds like you are now. He called in sick for two weeks straight and then went on leave. I don't remember if it was FMLA act or what, but he was able to collect unemployment. After 90 days, he was eventually let go and he got severance and was able to get unemployment. I'm not sure if that's the norm or if the chain just didn't fight the claim and this was one of the bigger chains.

He didn't fake anything. He was on a staff of 7 that was gradually whittled down to him, a part-timer and a stringer. He was working 80+ hours a week and they twice made him take a pay cut. He was dealing with issues at home and tried to take a day off and was told, "No."

He did what he had to do.

 

Got an interview with the CVB of my hometown Wednesday morning. So psyched

 

1. What's a CVB?

2. Good luck.

 

Convention and Visitor's Bureau

 

Anyone have any advice on the right things to say when interviewing for a media relations job? I mean, I'm confident I could handle the job based on my experience in the new normal of newspapers over the past several years but I don't know the best way to articulate that (which is probably a problem for a journalist, I admit.)

 

I think the best approach would be the truth: jobs have been slashed in newsrooms everywhere, in every medium, and good PR folks can fill that void with "stories" on people or issues related to their company or institution.

A well-written/produced story has a great chance to get into print or on the air these days. There's a gaping news hole everywhere with fewer journalists to fill it. At my shop, we run so many stories (and photos) by the local school district and JUCO P.R. people, they may as well be on the staff.

Good luck with the interview, DeskMonkey.

 

Thanks.

Guy told me he had 127 applicants and I was in the final 25, so I took that to heart. But, I do'nt get my hopes up until I'm in the final one

 

Typical story: Laid off in '08, freelancing ever since. Sometimes that's good, sometimes not so good. Really, really want to stay in it, but days like today make me wonder. I cover some pro teams for one outlet (I'd be happy to tell you which one via PM) and they wanted a midseason review for the princely sum of $25. I sent it, and it was over 800 words. They said they wanted more, and I considered writing back and saying, "For $25, that's all you get." But I did not, fearing that they would can me and move on to somebody else.

So I did send a (slightly) longer version, but felt bad about it. Then again, there didn't seem to be a good choice.

Things like this make me wonder if I should just try to find another avenue. At the same time, I feel I'm as good as I've ever been. I still LIKE the writing part. The cash part, not so much.

Thoughts? Advice?

 

Hey everyone.

My story is quite similar to several others I've been reading on here.

I started in sports journalism. I had a couple of jobs before I was laid off in 2007 here in Montana and later was rehired by the same newspaper in 2008. I had been the art and entertainment reporter for the past 6 years. I just quit there last month.

I quit because the writing was on the wall. My editor wanted me out. I was getting written up for small things that could have easily been resolved with a conversation and understanding. We didn't get along at all, and our communication was practically gone.
The low pay, repetitive tasks and the embracing of mediocrity by upper management made it an easy choice for me to leave.

Added to the fact that he'd change my leads and not tell me they were changed, or why they were changed, got bad, and the fact that they were trying to make me feel like I was an outsider who nobody wanted there, made it an even easier decision to leave. I don't regret it in the slightest.

The only hard thing is that I did leave without having something to fall back on, but I did it because I couldn't wait any longer. After this last write-up, which was for something I didn't even think I could get written-up for, meant that I'd be watching my back at every turn, wondering when the final ax was going to fall. Instead of signing the write-up, I quit. If you're really interested in knowing what happened, I can PM you the details, but needless to say it was bullshit. Pure and simple.

I couldn't stay there after that, so I quit. Already I've been much happier and optimistic about the future.

Anyhow, I'm wondering what kind of timetable it's been for people who left newspaper jobs to find a new position somewhere?

I've had a few interviews but no job offers yet.
I'm also starting my own art and entertainment website. I have some really talented people on board helping me, but I haven't quite mastered how to sell ads just yet. The traffic is growing each week, and I want to make it self-sustainable, but it's not easy.

I guess my main question is, how have others done it? I know I'm not the first, nor the last disgruntled newspaper person to leave and go on to do something else. Part of what's hard is that it seems that everywhere I apply to, either has another person in mind already, or doesn't want to hire someone who lives far away from where they're located.

I've applied and applied and applied to a number of places where I felt my skills matched up with what places are looking for. I know that finding a job through the open market is one of the hardest things to do because there is so many competitors. I'm reading a book about how to apply through the side door and find a way to tap into the hidden market. It's been slow, however, because I'm only connected with newspaper folks, for the most part.

I do have lots of connections in the town I'm living, but there just aren't that many writing opportunities here, which is what's leading me to start my own online publication.

Can it be done, or am I crazy for trying? I'm hopeful, but I have days that scare me, especially because the money is starting to drain away and I don't quite have anything lined up just yet to pay bills/food/gas that kind of thing quite yet.

 

I'm hoping the light at the end of the tunnel is on the way.

I accepted a social media internship with a small company in May, which I could still do on top of my full-time job without issue. I'm in my late 20s and have had no professional social media experience, so I decided if nothing else, this internship would make for good learning. As it turned out, I liked the projects and the people at the company, as well as their overall mission, so I asked about staying. My supervisor said I've been great and that they can start paying me a small weekly stipend. It's not enough to give up my current job, but it's extra income and I still get to put more experience on my resume to hopefully gain even a small edge. I was told I could be hired full-time within about eight months if all goes well with working part-time and the projects I take on. This job actually will have normal hours of 9-5 Monday-Friday. In fact over 4th of July, they were closed Thursday-Sunday. Not bad.

Also, even though my current job still pretty much is burning me out, my new manager told me that come fall, I may be on the better end of the scheduling table with regards to shifts since I lost some of more ideal hours, which I explained a page or two ago. It's ultimately not going to be enough to keep me around long-term, but if he can make it more bearable while I'm looking (no one at work knows I want out), then so be it.

 

Easiest way to get out? Learn web skills. Learn IT skills. If you can web build AND you are an excellent communicator, you will be in high demand.

You can't just assume somebody in another industry will hire you for your current skills. Adapting is key. It's really, really hard to gain some of these skills, but in the end, it's worth it.