Calling all journalists --- desperate for advice

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any former journalists that successfully changed careers? If so, how did you do it? If you have a thriving journalism career, what's your secret sauce?

DW is chronically underemployed and doing work that she hates. Her love is journalism, but she's struggling to find a full-time job in the field. She's done freelance work for major organizations (e.g., Yahoo, NBC) and her experience crosses radio, TV, print, and new media. She's well educated.

Yet, no one will hire her. We're both completely baffled, she's feeling defeated, and it hurts me to see her struggle. I just don't know how to help her. We've bought books, reworked the resume several times, sought mentors, joined professional organizations...everything our society says we should do, we've done. I sometimes wonder how she's presenting herself in interviews. We've talked about it, and she says she does "reasonably well", but I don't really know what that means. I can't help if I'm not physically present to see her in action. DW is starting to believe that a career in journalism isn't meant to be, but is having a tough time figuring out the alternative.

Our next step is career coaching, but that costs $$ we really don't have.

I'm desperate for any advice/words of wisdom to pass on to DW. I want to help her and it's been 8 long years of this...

I am a former TV news reporter (off-air) and producer and I wish I had more encouraging words for your wife but it is immensely difficult to find jobs in this field, and especially in a big city like DC. I worked for my news organization for eight years, quit my job to move overseas with my husband for his job, and was never able to get back into it after the four year absence. So I switched careers. I work for the government now doing similar work, writing and producing video packages and reports, and I also do some teaching of these skills to others, as they are rare for federal workers. I am really glad to have found this job but admit I liked my old work better as it was much more high profile and exciting.

[Anonymous]

19:53 again...sorry, had to put kids to bed.

Journalism, for the most part, does not seem to value experience, or at least in man cases does not seem willing to pay extra for it. I could have returned to my previous job after a four year absence but they were not willing to pay me my old salary much less increase it to account for inflation. They wanted to hire someone they could pay 10-15k less, someone right out of school, someone with a few internships but no salary history. I did work on contract for my old employer for six months while I job hunted but they would not offer me full time. I suspect they knew they were getting a deal paying me an hourly rate and no benefits.

I interviewed for many other news jobs, and was pleased to be getting interviews, but several people told me that 100-200 people had applied for these positions so my odds were already not great. I also felt like a couple other potential employers were discriminating against me as a mother with small children. I stopped mentioning staying at home with my daughter as what I had been doing during the gap in my résumé.

I guess I would encourage your wife to think more about the transferable skills and less about the kind of job. A lot of think tanks need people in their press offices who are news savvy, for example, and who are connected and good writers.

I would also suggest she figure out one or two news organizations she is most interested in and that her skills are most compatible with and pound away at those until something works out. Network with anyone and everyone that works there, do LinkedIn, apply for every single opening even if it is not a perfect fit, and get her foot in that door.

While it sounds like she has good experience, news organizations usually hire from within so the key is to get in somehow. Feel free to have her post here again later if she has any questions. I am glad to help others learn from my mistakes.

[Anonymous]

I'm a former journalist. I left the field just before the massive decline. If DW wants to do TV, she should stick with it for as long as she can. There are still jobs there, just not as many. I would suggest cable news because they have a 24-hour cycle.
If she wants greater stability: PR is the obvious choice and also a profession where it helps to be a jack of all trade.
I crossed the line a few years back and I make more cash and I have less stress. However, it's just not as interesting and I no longer travel the world. The upside is that I have a life that is much more conducive to child rearing.

[Anonymous]

I'm a former newspaper reporter -- did that at dailies and weekly for 16 years before I got completely burned out. Agree with PPs that there isn't a lot of crossover. I knew nothing about tv or radio when I worked at newspapers.

Now, I work in the communications office of one of the local school systems. It's a fine gig, better hours, better money, and better for raising a child. Boring though and sometimes it seems like all our writing sounds the same. But it's something I can do without thinking, I'm fast and I can anticipate reporters' questions, which is pretty much what they want. When I left, I thought I would always go back, but now it's been eight years and I'm pretty sure I can't and don't want to. On the plus side, I have learned tons about social media, TV production (I've written scripts, which I had never done before) and HTML development (I went kicking and screaming, but it's actually pretty interesting and adds to the ole resume).

Agree with PPs that there are tons of professional associations, trade groups, legislators, lobbyists, marketing firms, etc ... and they all need people who can write and do research. Just gotta figure out what other interests you have and how your skills can translate.