B.A. in English trying to move out of editing and journalism into...what? Ideas?

[Anonymous]

The last decade has been cruel to journalism and journalists. It's time for me to move on. Any words of wisdom from ex-editors/writers/journalists who've BTDT? Did you transition into a related field or start all over and retrain? I've ruled out sales, but I'm considering a number of options - MBA in mark/comm, Web development training, widget making. I'm interested in corporate communications since it seems a natural move, but it seems many of those jobs have been eliminated over the last decade, too.

Also welcome: a time machine that would send me back to 1993 so I could major in CS or business administration.

[Anonymous]

For what it's worth, my girlfriend, who also has a BA in English and also began her career in journalism (first at a political magazine, then as an editor at a D.C. newspaper) moved from the world of journalism to a hi-tech startup that specializes in generating written narratives from data sets, such as sports scores and financial statistics. She began as an editorial director there and has moved up the ranks into a management position.

[Anonymous]

I reinvented myself as a social media/content strategist. I finally landed a job at an area institution of higher education.
Are you working fulltime or freelancing?

[Anonymous]

Technical writing can serve as a base for transitioning into IT.

[Anonymous]

Communications...depending on your exact background you can probably get hired into a consulting company like Deloitte or Booz Allen without getting any kind of additional degree. Once in you could be doing anything: public affairs, social media, communications planning, etc

[Anonymous]

BTDT! I actually never worked in the field because I graduated with a journalism degree in 2006, when the job market was already getting iffy. I worked in electronic publishing for 5 years before my job got outsourced, then I got a certificate in paralegal studies from a community college (outside the DC area) and now I have a paralegal-type role in the compliance and risk management department at a private company.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The last decade has been cruel to journalism and journalists. It's time for me to move on. Any words of wisdom from ex-editors/writers/journalists who've BTDT? Did you transition into a related field or start all over and retrain? I've ruled out sales, but I'm considering a number of options - MBA in mark/comm, Web development training, widget making. I'm interested in corporate communications since it seems a natural move, but it seems many of those jobs have been eliminated over the last decade, too.

Also welcome: a time machine that would send me back to 1993 so I could major in CS or business administration.

Get into thought leadership for corporate America. Saner hours, better money. But, can be boring content.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The last decade has been cruel to journalism and journalists. It's time for me to move on. Any words of wisdom from ex-editors/writers/journalists who've BTDT? Did you transition into a related field or start all over and retrain? I've ruled out sales, but I'm considering a number of options - MBA in mark/comm, Web development training, widget making. I'm interested in corporate communications since it seems a natural move, but it seems many of those jobs have been eliminated over the last decade, too.

Also welcome: a time machine that would send me back to 1993 so I could major in CS or business administration.

Get into thought leadership for corporate America. Saner hours, better money. But, can be boring content.

WTH is "thought leadership for corporate America"???

[Anonymous]

technical writing. If you can understand what the techies are thinking, and parse that into english, you are valuable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The last decade has been cruel to journalism and journalists. It's time for me to move on. Any words of wisdom from ex-editors/writers/journalists who've BTDT? Did you transition into a related field or start all over and retrain? I've ruled out sales, but I'm considering a number of options - MBA in mark/comm, Web development training, widget making. I'm interested in corporate communications since it seems a natural move, but it seems many of those jobs have been eliminated over the last decade, too.

Also welcome: a time machine that would send me back to 1993 so I could major in CS or business administration.

Get into thought leadership for corporate America. Saner hours, better money. But, can be boring content.

WTH is "thought leadership for corporate America"???

It's a form of marketing. And all the rage.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/sap/2013/01/30/what-is-thought-leadership-5-steps-to-get-it-right/

I realize it sounds silly, but it is what it is. And it's a gold mine for journalists who want to make a switch.

[Anonymous]

Starbucks barista

[Anonymous]

My SIL left journalism and did PR for a college for a few years, took classes to get teacher certification and now teaches HS English.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The last decade has been cruel to journalism and journalists. It's time for me to move on. Any words of wisdom from ex-editors/writers/journalists who've BTDT? Did you transition into a related field or start all over and retrain? I've ruled out sales, but I'm considering a number of options - MBA in mark/comm, Web development training, widget making. I'm interested in corporate communications since it seems a natural move, but it seems many of those jobs have been eliminated over the last decade, too.

Also welcome: a time machine that would send me back to 1993 so I could major in CS or business administration.

Get into thought leadership for corporate America. Saner hours, better money. But, can be boring content.

WTH is "thought leadership for corporate America"???

I really hope it's impactful thought leadership with a focus on wordsmithing.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks very much for the helpful suggestions. I'm a temporary SAHM (almost two years down, slightly over one to go) and want to spend the remaining time wisely by repositioning myself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Starbucks barista

Beat me to it. I was an English BA and stuck doing copyediting for a science journal. Job was so bad it drove me to law school (which, by the way, you should not even consider these days).