Where do you go?

My problem is that, I really don't know what I want to do with the rest of my life, or even the next few years.

I've considered other fields, but there's nothing that I have a passion about like I do sports journalism. I'm pretty sure I don't want to spend my days in front of obnoxious teens as a teacher. I always did lousy in science classes. Plus, I'm not really keen on going back to school for several years to study for a job that I'm not sure I really want.

I'd like to break into PR. Unfortunately, there aren't that many PR gigs around my area, and I really don't want to sell my house and move. And many of the PR gigs that I've seen listed want PR experience, not journalism experience.

I'm considering paralegal school. Yet it's also a case where I'm going to have to spend a couple of years studying for (PT) and the entry-level jobs pay as poorly as journalism, at least from what I've seen.

So, right now, I'm at a crossroads in my career.

 

You can find passion for just about anything that involves editing or writing the English language and offers a decent paycheck once you've been unemployed for about three months. Trust me.

 

Be warned: Depending on the state you're in or want to teach in, you might only be able to be certified in your major.

 

Teach English and find creative ways to make it interesting. That'll definitely set you above your peers.

 

I appreciate the thought, IJAG. When I said go back to school, though, I meant as in go back and get an education degree (although the siren song of a meteorology degree is hard to resist).

 

How about pharmacy school---does anyone know much about that and what would be involved? Seems like a decent, well-paying second career, certainly for those of us 45 and older.

 

You'd need a BS degree (biology, chemistry, etc) and a solid GPA (probably north of 3.25). I think you also have to take the MCAT exam.

 

To the bar.

 

You'd be surprised about law school, Harry.

I left my column job last fall to enroll full-time. At least three of my classmates are above the 40 mark, one might be above 50 (she's a doctor, believe it or not). About a third of the class is above 30. I've also met two very successful attorneys who went to LS after 20-year careers in nursing and automotive management. I myself did 18 years in journalism before the switch, and one of the biggest kicks about the thing is everybody - my teachers, fellow students and the judge I currently work for - treats me like I'm some 20-something kid now.

Perhaps the biggest lessons so far are A) it's never too late to give something new a try and; B) you are not defined by your job. I used to say the same exact things many folks say about having ink running through my veins, never wanting another job, etc. But the skills that make you successful in journalism will make you successful elsewhere, and when they do, you'll probably find it's just as satisfying as your old job.

Good luck.

 

"Your job does not define you!" is a common refrain. And I understand the need to latch onto it, especially in these times.

But your job, especially one like daily journalism, can define everything else in your life. This one can take away your weekend, take away your evenings, give you a strange sleep schedule and pretty much destroy your chances of "meeting someone" who is not in the newsroom.

What about people who say "I got out! Now I can have fun going to games and similar events, instead of spending evenings at work!"

If you have friends in other industries, the conversations veer off. Their tax bracket is often so much higher, a fancy meal you might take your significant other to on special occasions, they say "Before the kids, we went two or three times a week."

Your own paycheck will affect your ability to purchase a home, start a family, pay the bills. Those are things that can define you: "He lives in an apartment at 50 with his wife. They have no children; could never make it work financially. His credit rating is shot."

When you do decide to get out, beware of hiring managers who see "sports journalist" as "SPORTS journalist."

Your job does not necessarily define you, per se. But it's a challenge keeping it from defining so much of your life. And that is just another reason why this business is so unpleasant. They ask for such a huge commitment, then give little in return.

 

Journalism degrees from most schools do not transfer over to get your teaching credential. You have to go back, get a degree in something else and then get your teaching certificate.

Right now, I can teach journalism at a college level, but I can't teach high school.

 

Depends on your state law. Our state's alternative certification law required you to have a certain number of credit hours in a certain subject. I majored in journalism, minored in business, but had enough hours to be able to become licensed in social studies (not English ... I avoided lit classes like the plague in college).

English and/or social studies is the likely path for those with journo degrees.

Believe it or not, I have a journalism degree and spent nine years FT in the biz, but cannot currently teach journalism in high school (I can if I take a one-week class, but our school has an outstanding journalism program and the teacher/adviser is younger than I am, so there's no real need to take that class and get the certification).