Journalism Advice

About the money thing... one constructive takeaway is that you should never advertise that you weren't paid for your work. Do NOT mention it in an interview if you can avoid it. (The only exception would be if you're seeking a paid position at the JetsInsider website -- in which case, you can say you're seeking a raise and maybe get a chuckle. But if that's the case, then you should go into the meeting knowing what they pay outside writers with your level of experience and, at minimum, seek the same price.)

Also worth remembering: it's especially unwise to use the free labor argument as proof that you're ready for a paying job. Just because you weren't paid doesn't mean you've paid your dues.

Good luck and please let us know if you find a decent gig

 

Eh, disagree. Sometimes a person has to be willing to do stuff in order to gain experience and establish themselves. Some of my favorite events were ones that I worked unpaid.

But I agree with the person who said it's not necessary to advertise that fact. Work is work and people care what you DO, not how much you were making.

 

Very few people land pro or major college beats so soon out of school, so unless the work you're doing right now is that good you really need to rethink your approach. With that in mind, I'll echo what others said about stringing high school games until you land a full-time job. I'll also say this: Be patient and be willing to move. The quickest route to a pro or major college beat probably is covering high schools at a small daily to start and working your way up from there. Odds are you won't get that opportunity in New York.

 

This. Nobody gets lucky enough to cover a pro or college beat right off the bat, unless you have some phenomenal clips. You need to start at the bottom and work your way up, like everyone else. If you are as good as you think you are, you will rise much more quickly. But patience and a willingness to start on a smaller beat or even as a stringer is your best option. Also, don't work for free if you can avoid it.

 

Actually, it does happen. A kid in Trenton relatively fresh out of college just went full-time in sports a few months ago and for whatever reason he was covering the Jets. It's a no-brainer since it's only 45 minutes away and the Trentonian has covered the Giants forever. It's rare but it does happen for newbies.

 

So he either had phenomenal clips, as I noted could be the case, or he got really lucky. And it certainly is much more likely to happen in a smaller shop than in NYC.

 

There are a ton of smaller shops w/i driving distance of NYC. He didn't have great clips necessarily but he's a sharp kid with a bright future.

Edit: The Jets were only part of his beat. He covers a little bit of everything, HS, T-Devils, assorted colleges, does desk work. Just makes sense to let him cut his teeth doing some NFL stuff. Good kid.

 

The same rules don't apply today that did 10 years ago.

 

Yeah, go changing the rules in the middle of the game. Sheesh!

 

Wesley, Timing is everything. You need several things to work in your favor to jump out of school to land a coveted assignment as being a beat reporter for a professional team. You're in New York City and there are plenty of talented young guys around in the area. Make contacts. Get to know people and allow them to know you. Continue to pay your dues and work on your craft. This is not the best of times in this industry but I'll tell you something someone once told me, "It doesn't matter how many times someone tell you no. You only need one person to tell you yes." Finding that one person is the key. Don't give up and good luck.

 

There's a big difference between showing up at games and practices to write features for a small daily vs. covering them as a beat writer for one of the major papers. It's just not the same. It is, however, a great experience for someone starting out in the business. It's something I did on occassion at my first job, and I even got to go to an away game or two for the local NFL team. It was fun, too. But I was not facing the same pressures as a beat writer. There aren't many of us who are ready for that right out of college (although we tend to think we are at the time).