"Getting out of the business" resource thread

I disagree. If Wili doesn't like his job, he doesn't like his job.

Say what you want about newspaper jobs, but I think they are great ways to make imporant connections in the community. And if things go South, can position you for a variety of other career opportunities.

You get paid to build your brand. The paper can't take that from you.

 

Agree with this. While working at the paper a few years ago I always wondered how I could get out, and how my skill set would ever transition out to a different industry.

Flashforward two years and I'm working in Corporate Communications for a Fortune 250 company. Having a journalism background is more or less a prerequisite to get inside the department, and the avenues for advancement for myself and those I work with are seemingly endless compared to the small shop I was at (Not to mention the pay is 3X-5X what Newspaper life could expect, for probably 50% of the work/effort).

Journalism lays a great foundation, if you can survive there you survive anywhere. It's tough work that requires a certain level of grittiness and an exceptional work ethic to succeed in -- employers know that and it looks great on your resume.

 

I don't know how much more grit I can take.

 

I'm out in less than two weeks. It all seems kind of surreal.

 

I predict you'll adapt in roughly 2.3 seconds. You'll treat 5 p.m. and weekends like the treasures they are. You'll wake up late on a football Saturday. You'll go back to enjoying sports you forgot you enjoyed. You'll be tempted to partake in happy hour every day. You know why? Because you'll be off the clock.

Imagine that.

Good luck in your new position, brother!

 

I feel I am at the end of a 19-year journey in sports writing in Georgia, having worked in both news and sports for five dailies - all around 12,000 or under. I've done writing, editing, layout and I've come to the same dead end everywhere I've been, but been able to find a life raft in previous stops until now.

For the past seven years, I've been the SE of the hometown paper after commuting everywhere else I've been. With a wife who works full-time (mostly days) and two kids (ages 11 and 8), it's become extremely difficult to balance work and home. I see them for roughly 20 minutes a day outside of my two days off. We're a 2-man staff covering mostly preps but still doing daily layout as well as social media duties. Our current publisher (a former crime beat writer) has no love for sports other than his own golf game, while surrounded by green reporters in the newsroom who are not receiving the needed coaching to be successful. Over the past six months, our paper has taken a huge PR hit in the community due to our publisher's arrogance - some of which were fodder for Poynter. There's been no raises along with cutbacks, despite the sports department bringing in extra revenue through sports ad sales and increasing our awareness in the community through social media. Both of us in sports are averaging a week of vacation per year.

Long story short, I've held on as long as I can for my family's sake. My wife and I love the area and have no plans to move, considering her parents are in their 70s and live a few miles away. I love my community and have created strong relationships. I have some thoughts of the future, including an autobiography I've been asked to help with from a 200-game winning football coach who is arguably the biggest sports name to come out of the city. I've done well with selling things online on eBay in past years to supplement income and have thoughts of starting an online sports blog for the county as well as freelance work.

I'm simply torn between putting blinders on and pushing forward for my family's sake, or just cutting the leash for good. Outside of a few good people, I see no reason to stay other than the comforts of a salary.

I value the opinions of others who have potential been in the same situation, so I just wanted to throw a Hail Mary - and hopefully pull a Flutie.

 

Work-life balance is a myth, a lie straight from the imagination of Orwell's descendants. I see my daughters three hours a day, from the time I get off work until it's time for them to go to bed.

Good luck, golt73.

 

Hey Goit,

How is sticking with the job for your family's sake if you never see them? You talk about cutting the leash but what does tbat mean? Freelancing, blogging and helping with a book that won't make anything?

Is there something else you can do for 40 hours a week and make as much or more?

 

Yes, Ace there is. Just a matter of finding a new niche in life without burdening my family. Sorry for the confusion there.


Thx, Swingline. I've got it figured out.

 

Two weeks into the post-newspaper career. Any twinges of regret about leaving have been mitigated by the fact that I'm being treated like a real human being for the first time in my professional career. 5 p.m. hit at one point last week, and I was still lingering, and the boss says, "It's 5 o'clock people. Go home. Tomorrow's another day." Interesting. Is that the way things are supposed to work?

 

I moved to the PR world early this year, and while there were a few rough patches, the extra money, promise of annual raises and weekends off are well worth it. I got out of the biz in my late-20s, moved from a Podunk town to a bigger city, and have found professional and personal fulfillment. I didn't want to wake up, be 40 and married, and still making 32K working for a company that didn't appreciate its employees. We'll see how it ultimately works out, but for now, so far, so good.