Wanting to make jump from twice-weekly to daily, but

I'm looking to make the jump to a daily from a twice-weekly. I could get a job at a smaller daily, but my problem is the pay that dailies are offering. I make over $30k at my current gig, which is my first job after college (I worked in the IT industry without a degree and went back to school where I discovered I liked reporting).

I've had some contact with dailies and the pay that is being offered is ridiculously low ($10 to $11 an hour). Of course I can't take that type of cut and I'm looking to make more money in my next stop.

Any ideas besides the get out now replies, since I'm sticking with journalism.

 

I've been in that same situation for years now. I make too much at the twice-weekly to justify the pay cut I'd be getting to step "up" to a small daily. Plus, the job security here seems to be more stable. If I could "get out now" I would, but I'm just happy to have a job at this point.

 

I had to take a $5K pay cut when I went from SE of a weekly chain to grunt at a 15K daily. Fortunately, I was able to move up and on quickly.

 

I'd wait to find what you're looking for. I'm on my second shop, almost 3 years out of school and I'm below the $30k line, so what you have is pretty nice anyway (depending on the area you are in).

 

Obviously, I can't speak for anyone's financial situation. But in this economy, I'd make as much as you can for as long as you can, at least for the next year or two -- it'll be a wild ride and we're all just gonna have to hold on.

Two years ago, I'd have said you should do what Doc did because that's a jump that's worked for many people. Today? I just don't know that it's feasible to job-hop like that right now.

 

As a journalist, your desire to move on to a daily is understandable. But your gig sounds pretty sweet right about now, Stitch.

Frankly, I'd stay put for a while, unless you're absolutely hating it.

In that case, you might, in fact, have to take something that's less than ideal, salary-, or size-, or roles-, or location-wise, same as a lot of other people who don't have jobs at all are either considering doing, or are actively trying to do.

 

I took a pay cut to go from a bi-weekly to a daily... union scale was wonderful....

 

Stitch:
Stay where you are---you're doing fine. If you ain't broke, don't try to fix it.

 

I hear ya. It's unbelievable the rate that some dailies are offering. I turned down a couple of gigs simply because I didn't feel I could make it on what they were offering... which was significantly below my last three jobs.

I'm not sure, in terms of workload, if there is much difference between a twice-weekly and a small (under 15k) daily. More people, maybe, but also more stuff to get done and very limited resources these days. Given that, if the money is substantially less, you'd have to have another reason to do it.

 

Not all non-dailies pay well, you know.

Heck, I'd still be at a twice-weekly if not for the horrible pay ($7.50/hr).

 

Gosh, don't know where you are located, but that's BELOW minimum wage where I'm at. And, for this I went to university?

 

I was making like 43K when I left my twice weekly and would be at 48 if I was still there