Considering a career move. Advice?

Go. Broaden your horizons. You've learned a new trade -- news. You might think you know it, but you don't until you work it.
And there's this money/time thingy....

 

What's your wife do?

BTW, learn to write no more than 600-word stories unless it's an in-depth story. A 1,000-word meeting story is pretty much the same as a 1,000-word field hockey story.

If you think you're not qualified, you probably aren't. Fake it until you make it.

 

You do not have to apologize for this or justify yourself. Not to this board and not to anybody. Unreal that at $24K a year, people immediately told you not to make a move for substantially, substantially more money in both the short-term AND the long-term.

 

My wife is a Certified Nursing Assistant and recently got a second job as a Hospice worker to pay off some debt that she has.

I feel like saying no this to opportunity would be like slapping my wife in the face. She's busting her ass and I'm choosing to stay in sports because I like it? That's not a mature decision, that's sticking with what I know for fear of trying something new.

 

Schiezainc: If you're offered the job, make this move.

While there's no doubt the money and more normal work schedule are important, here's what I'm seeing from your first post: A chance to have more of an impact on decisions at your paper. I've worked with some great people and done some good work at a half-dozen publications over the past 16 years, but the things I'll always remember are stories I either wrote or worked with reporters on that actually changed things in the community.

It's great that you and your coworker have created a sports section(s) to be proud of. That's important, too, and hopefully your coworker will be able to continue that excellence if you take the new position. But a new challenge and the chance to affect the focus and news judgment of your company is a chance that doesn't come around too often.

And if nothing else, going through the interview/application process will help you in the long run, whether it's at your current company or another shop.

Good luck.

 

I was doing perfectly fine on $24K a year but I got married over the summer and my savings went from eight grand to four grand in only a couple of months.

I either need to get a second job in addition to this sports gig, which is impossible I've figured out because I don't have a set schedule, or I need to find a better, higher-paying gig.

My motivation isn't entirely financial though. I'd also like to start crushing other local news sections, which I'm confident I could do once I settle into the role.

 

Thanks and I was just talking to my coworker about this.

Fact is, I'm not bragging when I say the sports section of our paper is, by far, the best section of it. Anyone on this message board that's seen our product will attest to this I believe.

But in terms of respect and having a voice in the goings-on of this place? Yeah, we're treated like a lesser class.

It's my goal to put out a great product every week and, through that, my hope is that they start looking at me, and my coworker, in a different light.

And maybe, just maybe, they'll start to respect us for the work we've done/am currently doing.

 

If you don't love what you do for eight hours a day, the extra money isn't going to make up for it.

 

Good to see a representative from management stop by.

 

It might come damn close, though. I no longer do what I love, but the extra money sure does take the sting off.

 

Makes it a lot easier to do other things that you love, too.

 

Co-sign.