"Getting out of the business" resource thread

Good luck, apeman, and don't look back. You'll find something better.

 

With how this journalism industry is going, I feel as a young reporter that public relations might be a better route. Not sure though.

 

I decided to leave the business about 4 years ago after working as a sportswriter for about 7 years. Fast forward to this spring, and I am graduating law school and have already accepted a job that pays 4x the amount I ever made as a journalist. I was afraid to make that leap because sportswriting was so comfortable to me, but am so glad I did -- even though there were years of questioning if it was the right leap. I fully endorse sportswriters getting out of this business as quickly as they can, because there are so many better professions out there! I write this to let you know there is light at the end of the tunnel!

 

So, a bit discouraged.

I applied for a lower-level comms job at a foundation working for a guy who was a couple levels up the ladder from me at this joint a while back. I knew it’d be a pay cut, but I was fine with it. I need a change, and not just because journalism and unhealthy life and all that.

They went cheaper and he said I’d be bored by the job, but will try and find something that better suits me down the road. So that’s encouraging, but I’d be a millionaire if all those bets came in. Count me a little skeptical. This seemed like my best chance and I still got the Heisman.

To everyone out there: hope your next step is the exit and it’s done on your terms.

 

It's tough not to do, but don't be discouraged, wicked. Keep looking and applying, perhaps even outside of communications/public relations, if anything appeals to you and you think you might have the least chance for the job. Sometimes, opportunities come when, and where, you might least expect them. When you do get your next job, I'll bet that life will be good -- probably even better than it was.

 

I've had the "you're overqualified" line before as well. Keep your head up and don't be discouraged.

 

Hang in there. Don't be shy about telling your former sources you are looking for a job. It's sad you can't stay at the newspaper but as you know it's a dead end. Newspapers are going all cheap, no reporters are going to be making any money again in journalism from now until doomsday, except at The Athletic I guess. One thing is for sure, if you can't get on at the Athletic, you made the right decision. Good luck to you and praise to your friend who is letting you live there free a while. Bless you.

 

Almost two months ago I lost my job. I've been looking for things that require similar skills, things like copywriting, content marketing, PR and the like.

I thought that I could sell my writing skills, ability to meet deadlines, handle multiple projects at the same time, work independently and work as a team. I have a proven track record of those things.

Lately, however, I wonder if I'm still being pigeonholed into being a sports journalist (If a suitable full-time gig were available I'd be interested, but those are few and far between these days). Also, could it be that the things that I think I can sell about myself are really just bare minimum requirements for any job and it's assumed that anyone who applies for these kind of positions can do those things? Could it be that my selling points are not things that set me apart from other candidates?

I'm starting to think if I wanted to do something in another line of work, I'm going to have to go back to school.

 

It's now been six years since I was forced out of sportswriting, and I'm no closer to figuring out what my writing skills are good for. I've freelanced as a copy writer and social media writer for the past three years...and I'm miserable. My work-life balance has plummeted to nothing, and the uncertainty in this position makes sportswriting look downright stable. I make almost three times what I made as a sportswriter due to sheer will and determination, but I live in constant fear of losing any one of my multitude of jobs and being unable to make things work.

Honestly, I'd love to be able to go back to the days of sportswriting, but I know that's not going to happen. At this point, I'd settle for some stability; at least I might then have something that resembles a life. Any suggestions?

 

How can I sell the skills that I have as transferable even if they are bare-minimum, assumed-you-can-do them sort of things?

How can I avoid being pigeonholed as someone who can just write about sports?

 

What sort of fields are you trying to enter? If they involve writing but are outside sports, have you demonstrated interest in (and knowledge of) those fields, even if it's just some blog entries or posts on LinkedIn? I experienced something similar -- to the point where one potential supervisor dismissed me as "just a sports guy" and walked out of the interview -- but having spent time on the business and international news desks and being at least somewhat conversant on those topics helped me push back against that stereotype.

 

I think you hit the nail on the head. I've been looking at content marketing stuff (I've worked with several people who have moved into that), thinking more of the skills I have rather than the subject matter, figuring I can pick up familiarity with that easily enough. Apparently, I'm wrong.

Looks like that's my problem.