If you get laid off or bought out what will you do?

I'm already looking for life beyond journalism. I'll always be able to freelance, but the winds are telling me that after 20 years, it's time to close the door on doing this full-time. I've given a lot to this field and my passion for it has waned as the industry changes. For me, I'd say that it's 90-10 that I'm in a new field by this time next year.

 

Believe it or not, I actually think if I for some reason left this place, I'd probably look into getting back IN to print first. I know, call me crazy.

 

Well, I asked for it.

 

If I was single, I'd probably look for another job in journalism. But I'm not, and it just seems cruel to ask the wife to relocate for more of this, probably at less money.

 

Go back to wrenching cars or bikes. Pay ain't great, but it's honest work I'm good at.

 

The in-laws own a franchise of a small retail outlet. I could do that. They also opened a Menard's down the street.

 

Well they closed down the Daily Grunt in Gruntburg late last month,
Starman went out lookin' for a job but you know, he couldn't find none
He came home too drunk from mixin' Tanqueray and wine,
Got a gun, shot a night clerk, now they call him Starman 99.

Down in the part of town if you wanna buy a paper you don't stop
Starman's wavin' his gun around and threatenin' to blow his top
When an off-duty copy editor snuck up on him on him from behind
Cracked him in the head with a line gauge, now they call him Starman 99.

Robert Hoover was his public defender, but the judge it was Larry Brown
He came into the courtroom and he stared poor Starman down
Said "the evidence is clear, gonna 'sentence you the right way' for this crime,
Prison for 98 and a year, how's that for justice, Starman 99?"

 

Spent the past year nosing around for journalism jobs. No nibbles at all. Now have started looking outside of journalism. New strategy: Target the city I want to live in and find a job there, a luxury I never got to enjoy in this business. Made my home where the jobs were. Enougha dat tune.

So when the next buyout round comes, or the layoff hits, I'll exit and intensify my efforts in the job search in that city. If I get lucky first and find the job that gets me there, I'll leave journalism, severance check or not. Game over.

 

Truly excellent, Starman.

 

Wasn't sure how to answer this one.

If I got flushed, would I look outside of newspapers? Probably would, yes. Outside of journalism? Maybe not as much.

As we know, takes all kinds of journalism in this wacky world. Takes all kinds.

 

I like that post about targeting a city and looking for jobs there.
Supposedly with the shortage of teachers, places like Vegas were going to make it "easy"
for professionals to get into teaching.
From all I can tell that has not happened.
Does anybody know about the teaching option minus an education degree?