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Recent college grad seeking advice on job hunting

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Greg Johnson, Jul 28, 2015.

  1. Chris17

    Chris17 Member

    No, you're misdiagnosing. The problem here is not with the next generation of dumb entitled kids... the problem is the shape of the journalism industry. I got out of the industry for exactly this reason - it's damn hard to make a living. I moved into full time teaching - admittedly, also not well paid, but there will always be jobs and there will always be work, anywhere I want to live.

    It frustrates me to see young people today getting a bad rap for "being entitled" or "thinking everybody gets a trophy". I am right on the edge, I got out of college and grad school before things got really bad... but the truth is the vast majority of "kids" who graduated college in the past ten years - people who are now in their 20s and early 30s - are, on average, in more debt than most of us would know what to do with. And in an industry like ours, where it's hard enough to find work to pay the current bills, much less pay off debt, much less begin to save for life/family/house/retirement/anything, I don't blame these young people for being frustrated. They should be frustrated. They work their asses off and get no where. It's our industry's problem, not theirs.

    And it's our generation's problem for not understanding them and trying to blame it on their "entitled thinking", which doesn't really exist at all.

    Good luck, kid. Sorry I wasn't able to offer much advice. That's mostly because I wimped out a few years ago and moved over. My only advice is this: pursue what you love. But remember that's not tied to a particular job title. There are places you can write, and research, and report facts, and do lots and lots and lots of good... and they might not necessarily be in "journalism".

    Best of luck.
     
  2. YorksArcades

    YorksArcades Active Member

    All of this is very helpful and original. I have never read advice like what's on this thread.

    I am sure Greg will be hired right away with help like this. Enjoy the job, Greg!
     
  3. ChaseWallace

    ChaseWallace New Member

    Welcome to the real world. It's been two months, in the grand scheme of hunting for jobs that is a drop in the bucket. 6 years ago when I graduated (has it been that long?) it took me 15 months to land a full-time gig n the business.

    I worked there for 3.5 years until I "had enough" and quit to freelance and explore other opportunities. It look another 7 months for me to land a little BS job at a publishing company which paid marginally more than the paper I worked at. 2 months into that job every writer/editor was laid off at the end of a big project cycle. 3-4 more months of job searching landed in my current gig in corporate land (by far the best job I have ever had).

    So yea, it is tough out there. For every job you apply for that you are 100% qualified for there are probably 25-30 others gunning for that spot that are on your level.

    I will leave you with this, one thing you've probably heard 100 times before. "It's not what you know, but who you know." When a job comes open most hiring managers have people in mind to fill the position (maybe a friend, ex co worker, stringer, intern, etc.). So look for angles where you may know someone, and if you don't "know anyone" you should work on that part of your game too (it will take you much further than a few hundred boring clips on whatever the hell you did at the school paper).

    Network as much as you can, when you meet some in the business go out of your way to leave a good impression (either with your work or just socially), follow up with anyone you know in the industry and ask for advice (you never know when a guy knows a guy, who knows a guy looking; and if you've planted the seed as both a good worker, and/or a good guy to work with you may get an inside look at the job).
     
  4. BrendaStarr

    BrendaStarr Member

    Here's my question to you: Have you applied anywhere else beyond the Philly/New York area? Have you applied to places, for example, in Alabama or South Dakota or Kansas?

    Because you can't limit yourself to just your comfort zone/home area. This job requires moving to places that maybe aren't ideal but can be a good proving ground for a year.

    I graduated from college five years ago. The people who weren't willing to move to a place where they might not know people are no longer in the business. The ones who were willing to do what it took to get that first job and did end up moving to places with papers in small town Alabama and Mississippi saw it lead to other great opportunities. If your resume is as good as you say, you should have a good shot to land at a smaller paper and prove yourself in your first gig.
     
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