Shortest stint at a paper

Three months or so as ME at a small weekly in 2001, between daily gigs.

It was just a bad fit from the get-go.

It made no difference at all in what's happened since.

 

Feel fortunate. My bad fit from the get-go made all the difference in what's happened since.

 

We had a guy come from Baltimore to Harrisburg for the news desk. He thought commuting would be a piece of cake.

He worked two days.

The third day, he called in and said his cat had died and he had to make arrangements.

The fourth day, he called in and said his dog had died and he had to make arrangements.

The fifth day, he called in and said this wasn't going to work out.

If I'm lyin', I'm dyin'.

 

Five months, and to answer the rest of the question: Do you mean the move to go to that paper in the first place, or the move to leave? In either case, the answer is yes. Working at that paper (miserable experience though it was) led me to my current gig, which I complain about, but am really quite content with at this point. As crazy as it was for me to leave after just five months, I wouldn't do anything differently. It actually taught me a lot about myself and helped me figure out where I wanted to go with my career. Although, I probably wouldn't be quite so chipper if I hadn't received another job offer six days after I left.

 

I always love it when someone new comes in on the first day, sees how fucked up the operation is, then goes to lunch and doesn't come back.

If nothing else, it's a moral victory for those that aren't wearing the management suits. An obvious shot that they aren't running things well.

I've seen it happen twice, once each at previous stops. We got to laugh about it for a week while we prepared to see who they would sucker hire next.

 

Four weeks. I left my first job out of college to take a full-time job in another state. The Editor at the first job was pretty pissed, but I felt it was the best for my young career. Nineteen months later, I think it was the right choice ... I think.

 

I've made some dumb mistakes, choosing places to work for the dumbest of reasons: just because.
Between 1990 and 2000, I was in LA, Iowa, Las Vegas, LA again and Utah.
I've been at two papers that folded, one where my job was eliminated by a JOA, two where the managing editor was totally abusive and forced me out (both eventually were fired) and one where my job assignment was switched after two months.
Six months is the shortest time. But I've been able to pick myself up and move on.

 

No. Which is sad. That, and no one to browbeat (Hi, Ellis!)

rb

 

Right out of college I applied for a job at a weekly paper in Ohio. I interviewed with the editor. He hired me, then said I but had to meet with the publisher. I had lunch with him. He was a creep.

I drove home, wrote out a letter of resignation, dropped it in the mail and never heard from them again.

Best career move I ever made.

 

Two and a half months at a 30-K paper on the Mississippi River.
Had an internship down south, and took this job as my best full-time offer.
Editor was a cheapskate (got blasted for filing 30 miles worth of mileage for a great centerpiece story on high school football), and he also was the kind of guy who left red-ink marked-up proofs of my stories in my desk without saying anything about it.
I sent a clips package to the paper I had an internship with and lo and behold, they had a job opening for me with a yearly $5,000 raise to boot.
I did my 2 weeks noticed (shackled to the copy desk by this prick of an editor who wouldn't even say goodbye to me on my last night) and left black tire marks on my way out of town.
Best move of my career. 10 months later I was covering SEC football, and I haven't looked back.

 

I'm guessing you're a desk person? It's much easier to quit and move on if you're a desker. Sigh. Lord knows I would have left at least 2 stops in less than 9 months if I knew I could find work somewhere else relatively quickly.

 

I've been here nine years now. This is my second gig. My first lasted six months. I liked it there; I liked it here better.

I had an ASE once who lasted two days. He was a converted SID, came here, got an SID offer two days into the newspaper gig and POOF. See ya bye. No hard feelings. We survived.

About four years later, SID dude applies for our ASE job again. No shit. He's amazed that things don't go smoothly and end with a job offer. He wasn't offered the job a second time. Some people thought that was shitty on my paper's part. I didn't think so. Dude quit the same job already. Why let him do it again?

I like the guy on a personal level. Cool dude.