CBSsports.com announces NFL correspondents

are you awesome....auger?

Sorry, bad joke. RIP Billy Mays.

 

Someone moved across the country for one of these gigs? That's hard to believe. Although I suppose there could be extenuating circumstances or family reasons. Happy for everyone here, especially Gaddis.

And Auger, it's "more THAN me." Just trying to help.

 

It's a small business getting smaller every day, Andy. Take Moddy's advice.

 

No, actually, they don't. Because most of those companies aren't hiring full-time, which is the only way you get beyond anything close to minimum wage and benefits. $400/week spread out over a year is almost $21k. That's more than you're making at most retail stores. I'm speaking from experience.

 

Congrats to you for being ecstatic over making $21K a year. That's a third of what some of those guys were making before their lives fell apart.

And the gig isn't for all 12 months of the year so they will make about $9K. Wendy's and Carl's Jr. would be a better landing place.

 

Are you working in a regular job, gutenberg?

I'm guessing you are, and that you have no idea what it's like to not be working for a lengthy period of time, or to be doing so only sporadically.

It's doubtful that anybody is ecstatic about making $21K, or $9K, or whatever too-small amount it is that's being paid in most job openings these days.

There are other considerations, though, that, once you've been out of work a while, become greater priorities. That's because you start to realize that you have little control over the pay that's being offered, anyway, and that just about any pay is better than making nothing, or else, living solely on unemployment that won't cover you forever, anyway.

These people may or may not be happy about the pay, but there's no doubt that they're all happy to be working, in their chosen field, and getting the opportunity to keep reporting and writing, and maintaining sources that, in some cases, they've worked years to build but will nonetheless lose if they don't work.

They're no doubt happy to get connected, however temporarily or tenuously, with a recognized major Web site, and something that, if they do well with it, may lead to something else, either there, or elsewhere.

There's no doubt they're glad they'll be able to write news, features, notes and blogs again, on a high-profile pro sport/league, no less, and to keep sharp and in practice their important-to-the-biz skills related to speed and deadlines. No doubt they're also happy they'll be able to keep generating and executing ideas, and continue to generate those all-important current clips.

All of these things become concerning before long for anyone who'd like to keep their careers going, however long the odds may be.

The fact that these people have taken this job and are apparently OK (or at least, OK enough) with the pay just means that they're not yet ready to throw in the towel and work for The UPS Store, Starbucks, Wendy's or Carl's Jr.

 

As someone who last had a full-time job 11 months ago, thank you. Thank you for saying that. Some people have no clue what it's like out there, where Target, Office Depot, Burger King and so many others take one look at a longtime sportswriter resume and go hire some teen. Thank you. Thank you for saying that.

 

WriteThinking ... I love that post ... I love how eloquently you stated everything ... my point was agreeing with a previous poster that this was in no way landing on their feet ... you took it to another level in that, yes, they are nowhere close to landing on their feet, but situations change upon circumstances, and you must make small steps, and that getting to do what you love for very little pay is better than doing something you could care less about for the same little pay or maybe $1 an hour more ... You are right, I can't relate to that because I have never been out of work but I sincerely appreciate what you stated ... I wish you the best of luck and hope you land another writing or desk gig (whatever your speciality is) very soon ... thanks again for a fabulous post.

 

Dang Johnny D. ... I feel for you man ... good luck and I hope something shakes out for you soon.

 

Dead on, Write Thinking.

$400/week isn't a great deal of money, but consider that that is more than what I currently make in TWO weeks in my current situation, what isn't to like about it?

Throw in the fact that you get to cover an NFL team during an entire season and that doesn't sound too bad to me.

All of our circumstances are different, and more than a few of us spend countless hours every week looking for something....anything to hold us over until the steady flow of work returns.

That is my circumstance presently, but my part-time job with the paper I work for is getting ready to kick back up.

I'd much rather have "NFL Team Correspondent" on my resume than "Order Entry for National Retail Supplier", but that is the reality for me right now.

Come on, Prep football.