Sports Reporter, The Minot Daily News (N.D.)

There are people who will still complain that no one will hire them, but always want something that a given area doesn't have. If you think you're an f-ing stud, you would have a job at a top paper already.

This is a bread-and-butter job where the MDN isn't looking for some whiz kid to knock its socks off, but someone who is capable of handling the day-to-day grind of writing for a smaller daily paper. For those just out of school and single who need a job and don't end up applying for this because you can't handle the cold, you aren't cut out for the business. I don't care what your excuse is. Apply or get off the pot.

 

Years (and years) ago I finished up my summer grad coursework on the left coast and drove straight to a job in western NoDak, just in time for the fall sports seasons. Arrived with less than $15 left and left almost two years later with a nice solid grounding after my first journalism job.

Hate to sound like an old fart, but I still believe that the start-at-the-bottom route made me much more rounded than the golden-child route, where one gets a high-profile internship and then jumps into beatwork/deskwork at a major metro. Yeah, I know the career ladder is different these days (and sometimes a greased pole), but I believe the versatility I learned via this path is one of the things that helped me survive.

These jobs (Minot and Dickie) will both do that ... as long as there's a solid mentor there. I've since moved from coast to coast and covered the Super Bowl, Masters, and six Olympics, but I still hold dear some of the experiences (both journalistic and otherwise) from my NoDak days.

 

Did you just plagiarize my life?

 

I would probably apply if I wasn't working at my present paper. There are some good points and the cold doesn't bother me (it's in the single digits here today).

 

Man, I hope not. You do not want to be as ancient as I am.

 

He's not. He just feels he is because he is a Cubs fan.

 

Thank you to all the applicants for your interest.

The position has been hired. Congratulations to Jason Blasco in Illinois and we look forward to your arrival!

 

As as proud alum of the MDN, I offer heartfelt congrats to Jason.

If I were there, I'd treat him to beers and bingo at Eddie's, beers and shuffleboard at the Barley Pop (say hello to Rube Reilly), beers and pizza at the Sheep Shed, or beers and popcorn at the Lamplighter.

Welcome to Minot, Ward County, North Dakota, USA. Demand the Vistas' beat. It's where the great ones start.

 

Protip: Supplement your salary by renting out your closets as one-br apartments for $1,200 a month.

 

Haha, you're right about the Vistas beat, but that belongs to our sports editor.

 

Sounded like a solid job. Congrats to Jason

 

Nah, it's more like $1,400. Get while you can.