Situation...

Here's the scenario:

You're the assistant SE at a 21K paper, covering prep sports, three minor league franchises, and a DII university...

you have the opportunity to jump to a 5K paper, but become the beat writer for a Division I school, and being a beat writer for a college or pro team is your ultimate desire.

The money is not much different, 1-2K less at the 5K paper, plus the situation changes as well.

Would it be silly to take the 5K position, and would future jobs take you because you cover a D2 school at a 21K paper, but not take you for covering a D1 at a 5K?

 

IMO, quality at a D-1 beat is quality at a D-1 beat. I would think it's better to be the biggest fish in a small pond that a big fish in a smallish pond, especially, and as it sounds, if you're not happy.

Also, age/experience has to be taken into account.

If you're 35, I might stay at the bigger paper.
If you're 24, I'd take the beat job, because with hard work and drive, you could be at a bigger beat and a bigger beat and a bigger beat...

 

Wouldn't be silly. Your talent, attitude, work ethic and performance (and timing/luck/etc.) are going to play a much larger role in your future career track than a 5K vs. 21K circ of the paper you're at.

(And hell, the 21K could end up being a 5K before too long anyway ... :)

If the move is right for you -- and by right, I mean you're committed to it and it's the best move for you -- then do it. If it's not, then don't.

 

As long as the 5K's not a one-man show, I'd jump on it.

 

It depends on the move, the quality of the program that you would be covering, etc.

 

Next time you rip on your staff and call them incompetent, you may not want to have your work e-mail, location and age listed in your profile.
Also, I hope it doesn't bother you that your boss and co-workers now know you are considering a job offer.

 

But they're incompetent, Angola. They'll nevvvver figure it out ...

 

And I'm sure the older guys on the staff enjoy hearing they are incompetent from a 24-year-old, who thinks he is an effing stud and has everything about the journalism business figured out.

 

Curious: how many 21k papers have ASE's?
And as for ripping your staff -- yeah, uncool.

 

I was an ASE at a 19k - but it was really just an excuse to put me on salary and get free hours out of me.

The thing I am more curious about is in a previous post he states that his paper is 22k and only has two full-timers and no part-timers.

So, is he really an ASE if it is just him and the SE?

And when speaking of his "staff full of incompetents" does that apply only to the SE, since apparently that is the only other worker in the department?

 

Get 'im, Angola! Kick his ass!

 

So how long have you been a correspondent for TX Writer's newspaper?