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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]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...

[/quote]

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. [/quote]

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