What WOULD it take for you to leave this business?

I don't think so, but we don't know. I see online advertising growing, and the big thing will be mobile. Or something else we haven't thought of yet.

Again, I think people will "pay" for information, through advertising, and that those opportunitie will continue to be there for those willing to adapt.

Note "think," though. I could also be full of shit.

 

If I got laid off, I'd probably start looking at government jobs or something with good job security that pays well and allows me to surf the internet at work all day. Have plenty of friends already doing it, and I'm jealous of their paychecks. A guy two years older than me working for the government has had his salary bumped from $53k to $58k to $70k in three years with the government.

 

I think SF is partly correct. The market for information is growing and online is a much better way to deliver that information than print.

Print, actually, is a terrible method of distribution compared to the Internet.

But I also wonder where the revenue is going to come from. And I wonder if there will be decent full-time salary and benefits for many people in the era of user-generated content.

 

I took it about 3 years ago. It is pretty much like an advanced SAT, except all computerized. I got a solid score, better than I thought I would mainly because I had forgotten so much math since college that I was tripping up over algebra and geometry questions while prepping. I actually had some fun with the essay part b/c I was able to write about Bob Dylan (and actually got a pretty decent score on it).

 

For me to leave, it took six-plus years of working my way to the management position I wanted at the paper I always wanted to work for. And then it took about 2 years in said position before I finally saw the writing on the wall.

I bolted to the Internet just before shit hit the fan, and, man, I couldn't be happier.

I work with a great group of folks, just as I did at the newspaper, but here I don't have to worry about when the next shoe is going to drop. The company is making money hand over foot and is actually investing in figuring out where the future of journalism is headed next, because they know the Web isn't the final destination.

And away from work, my home life has drastically improved (probably has to do with a 40 percent salary increase and having a schedule that doesn't change every other week because we're understaffed).

So, that's what it took me to leave papers.

 

I look at it like this:

When the cream-of-the-crop talent becomes that disenchanted with this biz that they leave, and the uppers LET their most talented folks leave without trying to convince them otherwise, then you know it's time to enter a new industry/career. I'm not talking layoffs or buyouts, either. Just glance all of the nation's best writers/reporters who've jumped ship and gone to work for the Web or work on books.

It's sickening. It's sad.

Signed,

Eagerly Awaiting The Right Buyout Offer

 

If I got offered year's salary as a buyout, I'd have to look long and hard at it. But I'm not sure I'd take it. I'm in my mid-20s and I have a beat I always wanted in a town I love.

Now, if they decided to start cutting travel or making me work on the desk all the time (occasionally is fine, but not habitually) or something AND offered me the same buyout, I'd probably take it. But I'm not looking to get out.

 

you are a smart man. i hope you are right. i really do.

this is what i'm thinking. i mean, for real, the days of people living on $20k and dealing with it are done.

 

Not sure what a typical Web writer makes - I know what the elite writers make - but I know the people who post the information don't make squat.

 

IGotQuestions: I can tell you your statement is incorrect.

I happily make six figures as a poster/designer/editor. But, who knows, maybe I'm one of the lucky ones.

 

you are one of the lucky ones, especially if you're at an industry-leading site.

 

I read an article recently about the projected dearth of government employees. Seems the Baby Boomers hold majority of the federal/state/local government jobs, because they lost the Gen X recruiting war to consulting firms. As Boomers begin to retire, they can't recruit fast enough to fill those positions. They're starting to rethink things like salaries and bonuses to recruit competitively.