Is There Any More Loyalty in this Business?

not every place fucks you, but yes, plenty do.

 

I'm still very loyal and vice versa to some of my former bosses. Things didn't always work out like we wanted when we were at the same paper, but they know I worked my ass off for them and I understood they had bosses, too.

These people to this day are very helpful to me when I need advice or a reference. Of course, there are a couple of bosses who I would not piss on if they were on fire ...

 

I struggled finding my first job out of college, but landed one near my hometown. But two weeks into it, I got a response from another job I had pursued, informing me of another position at another paper. Three days later, I interviewed and was hired on the spot. I had to take it; it was a better job at a weaker paper (from clerk to writer), and there was no timetable for my time on the desk.

I felt badly about bailing so quickly and still am not sure it was the best decision I made. On one hand, I was able to get right into the writing and learn so much about the craft, develop my style quicker and made more money and grew up. But I probably could have learned much more from my original editor than the one at the weaker rag.

When I gave my notice, the hometown editor got bright red. I thought he was going to erupt, and I wouldn't have blamed him; he just spent a month combing through resumes, finding the right candidate, then I split. I guess the section debated my move on one of my off-days, and a writer said, "Look, you can't blame the kid for taking a writing job. Every one of us would do the same."

I'm a very loyal person, but when it comes to my employment, I'm looking out for myself much more than when it comes to my safety or health or anything of that nature. I am always looking to get better and move up because I want to be at the top. I think that's how it has to be for all of us, so long as that's your goal. Of course, it helps that I'm single and without a family to support.

 

Loyalty has no place in a career decision.

I'm new to the business, but I've already had MEs try to strong-arm me into $20K/yr jobs because they put down the cash for a plane ticket. One said (in different words) that I was more-or-less blacklisted from the newspaper chain. At the same time, I've turned down small papers that spent a lot of money to interview me and show me a good time ... and their attitude was "good luck and keep in touch."

There are a lot of people who understand the way things work (that journalists likely have to go from company to company to move up; that writers are always looking for something better or bigger or need a change of pace). If I have to work for someone who doesn't, you can be sure I'm already updating my resume.

I don't make promises I can't keep, but that's professionalism, not loyalty.

 

Another thought. There is loyalty in the business, but not from up above. If I'm loyal to anyone its my co-workers. My great aunt was in the biz and said newspaper people are just the best kind of people there are. And she was right.
I think there is a place for loyalty to a person who hired you, but once he or she takes off the new person has to earn it to get it.

 

Similar to what you're saying, Dan, I'm loyal to my friends in the business, regardless if I work for them or they work for me.

And as an editor, I will never begrudge any employee who seeks out a better opportunity. I just had my two-year anniversary at my current stop; it's the second-longest tenure in one place in my career. I feel kinda bad every time I leave a place, even when I give months of notice. But, ultimately, there are many factors that go into making those decisions, and often those factors are above and beyond any professional ideal like loyalty. Therefore, I never question anyone's motivation in taking another job, even if they've only been at a shop a short time. I assume they're doing what they think is best, and while I may choose to offer my opinion, who am I to stand in their way?

 

Agreed. I'm loyal to the people I work with, not the people I work for. For me, the hardest part about deciding to leave a place was always how much burden it'd add to those I work with, which is why I always try to give more than 2 weeks notice and do whatever I can to make the transition easier, even if it was a place I hated, since storming out the door in a huff would only hurt those I work with as they'd be the ones who have to pick up the slack.

 

there's never a reason to leave a place in a huff ... unless they put a freakin' half-page car ad on your section front.

 

My last paper, longtime chief photog (20+ years) quits because of crappy management, and other issues. This was after several other longtimers quit.

He goes to our ME, a real assbag if there ever was one and tells him he's quitting. ME's response: "Do you know how this will make me look?"

Nice. And he wondered why we all thought he was a tool?!?!?!

 

Well said.

On the loyalty note, an old boss of mine, probably the closest thing I've had to a "mentor" in this business, got axed yesterday. Guy's got to come in Saturday and clean out his desk under supervision. Didn't matter that he has 20 years at the paper, or three kids under 16, or that he was a columnist or that he was the easily the best mid-level editor at the place. A new top editor wanted to make some change, and maybe to send a message to everyone else. Fuck him.

 

My bosses ask any prospective reporter or editor to work a minimum of one year here.

That said, if you get a job offer making a lot more money doing something you'd rather do, I won't stop you from going. I actually had a guy who left after 2 1/2 months here when he got a job offer making about twice what he was getting here. In his case, however, he was the second choice at another job and the other place's number one pick didn't work out, so they offered him the gig.

He did some great work for us; in fact, one of his stories won my paper an award. The guy also pinch hit for me when I was having surgery even though it was his last week on the job. Height of professionalism from the kid. Long story short? I took the liberty of writing him a letter of recommendation.

As long as you're working for me, I want you to put forth top notch effort. You do that and I'll do everything I can to make your experience working for me the best it can be.

 

Your loyalty in this business goes to the people who are good to you, not to the company which signs your check. Those people for whom you worked hard, who had your back on the stuff that matters, they're the ones who are going to give you letters of recommendation, who are still going to value your opinion, and who just might hire you again 10 years down the road when you're both working for different companies. That's where loyalty comes in.

Rule of thumb for newbies in the biz: 99 times out of 100, someone who tells you "you'll never work here again," or threatens in some way to blacklist you or impede your progress is not someone you should take seriously. Don't listen to them. I've had it used on me in three different spots and they've all been wrong. They don't have the power they're trying to make you believe they possess. They'll still be stuck in Podunk 30 years from now.