"Getting out of the business" resource thread

I feel your pain. This business treats its employees with no respect. The expectations are great, work 60 to 70 get paid for 40. And there are no rewards except "be glad you have a job." It's a sick sick business model. There's a reason newspaper reporter/copy editor is considered one of the worst jobs one can have.

 

A piece of unsolicited advice. From personal experience it is one hell of a lot easier to get a job if you already have one. And less stressful because you are still receiving a check while you look.

But on the other hand I had a family relative in similar situation who was always about to quit right up to the minute he got axed. But he would never look for another job.

So what the hell. Send some resumes out and polish up your Linkedin account. It is interesting to see what is out there. And if you receive an offer you like then give then give notice.

Particularly since according to Warren Buffet your paper- whatever it is- will probably close soon anyway.

 

Wow. I haven't been on this site in years, and I see my name in the first thread. The sports journalism world has changed so much.

 

I’ve been out for two months.

My boss and I knew it just wasn’t going to work anymore, so he offered me a small buyout. I took it, and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve made — ever.

I never knew how much more normal I’d feel when I worked 9-5. I’ve been in journalism since eighth grade. Working nights was ingrained in me. I had a brief period where I was on the 11-7 shift, and I dug that, but for the most part it’s been second or third shift.

Now I can come home and eat dinner with my girlfriend (thank God she knows how to cook, and she enjoys it) and watch Jeopardy or go out to a concert on a Saturday night and not need to plead for the night off. Maybe I’ll get to know my friends again.

Did I mention I’m much happier? There’s not as much stress-induced binge eating. Hair hasn’t grown back, though.

I had the money to sit out for a few more weeks, but I was offered a contract position in the marketing department at a local hospital and I took it. I wanted to work. I’ve been there for about a month. It’s not the most secure thing in the world, but that also holds true for journalism.

It’s been relatively slow since I came on, but damn, it’s so nice to not feel like I’m on deadline for 7.95 hours of an 8-hour shift.

I never thought I could be this content, this relaxed, this happy.

May all of you jump ship sooner rather than later.

 

See? It's amazing -- eye-opening, even -- isn't it?

I've written it before on here, and I'm so happy for you. I know it seemed for a while like you were really struggling, but it gets to be worth it once this happens. Darkness before the dawn, and all that...

You should look into the possibility of something permanent, or on an extended contract at your hospital, maybe? I hope they'll have something for you. And even if not, at least now, you've got some other experience.

 

Job tip - Check with your local employment departments - they're hiring due to the crush of new unemployment claims.

 

Any advice on the identity aspect of getting out of the business?

I'm young and have few attachments, but my mentality/attitude for the last 7 years has been geared toward working so hard to be the best journalist I can be. Once the passion for the biz hit, I never made a Plan B, hoping that if I just worked hard enough it would work out. Obviously it was incredibly naive to believe my sheer force of will would overcome the force of the market.

 

For me, ripping the Band-Aid off was the best way to do it. You’ll always identify as a journalist, even when you’ve stepped away.

There is part of me that’s unhappy about not being in a newsroom right now. There’s also a part of me realizing that by being out of the biz, I’m able to focus on taking care of myself — that includes taking care of my health.

 

Welp, yesterday was my last day at my paper. Was there for 20 years. Moving out of print/sports for the first time in 26 years — more if you include college paper/internship. Very strange. Got offered a communications job locally. It came along at the right time with an OK bump in pay and certainly better hours and benefits. It was a tough decision, but the right one, especially because I have no idea what this summer's going to bring to our newspaper and others. A week after I gave my notice, our paper laid off our second photographer and five others in the building (non-newsroom). I thought I'd do this forever and maybe I'll still dabble in some freelancing when I can, but it's over.

 

That same passion and work ethic can be (and probably will be, you'll see, because that's how we roll) applied to any business/industry that you're in. And you'll develop a new identity after a while. Once times passes, you won't even miss journalism. Not really.

Most of us never had a Plan B, just dealt with losing or leaving our journalism jobs when we had to.

 

Congratulations. You made the RIGHT decision. Best of luck.