Trouble moving from stringer to full-time

Hey, thanks to everyone who has given me some advice here, it's really helped out, especially those who PM'ed me. And in response to Tom Petty, most of my friends have business degrees and are either going to law school or have a job. So they're doing fine, but honestly if I was working the same jobs that most of them are, I would shoot myself. Most of that stuff's not for me.

 

deezl,

Not sure about the advice your editor gave you. Nothing wrong with starting out in a preps job. I would ask to sit down with him again and see if he has a line on any openings.

Ask him to mention you if someone calls who has an opening. Ask if he knows of any buddies in the business you might call and see what they have.

Does Wake Forest have a guy in the journalism school who knows about openings and such or who might put your name out there?

Keep working the corners. Good luck.

 

What do you mean "moving FROM stringer TO full time?" Like there aren't any full time stringers? Like being a stringer makes one any less of a reporter than a "beat guy"? It's all about how you see it and pursue it.

 

Your situation sounds a lot like mine was 10 years ago. It took me a year to land my first job (covering preps at a 40K paper about an hour from a somewhat big city), and I'm now with a major outlet, so keep at it. Don't lose hope. And don't look at a preps job as "settling." Look at it as an opportunity to learn and to do great work.