Help with possible life-changing decision

[BertoltBrecht]

I'm only a year and a half out of school, working at a small (circ. 5,500) daily. The pay is **** but I love what I do. My father's friend has an opening in sales, a ridiculous job that pays around $60K.
I don't want to leave the business — but the money, the filthy stinking money is almost 200 percent more than I make.
I know some of you have made the same choice, or at least thought about it, or if you could spare some time, any advice would be welcome.

 

[buckweaver]

Nobody ever said that once you leave a 5K paper, you can never write again. Opportunities like this don't come along every day. You can always find somewhere to freelance, keep your feet wet. Still, there's something to be said for doing what you love. ... Listen to your heart; listen to your head. Make your own decision. G'luck.

 

[PHINJ]

Hand in your notice today.

 

[Tom Petty]

ask yourself what your options are if you stay. how much less than $60k are you going to be making 8 years from now ... how much more.

ask yourself why you're still at a 5k paper; how difficult/likely will it be to advance. ask yourself if you believe you can feed a few more mouths in a few more years.

 

[Ben_Hecht]

. . . in an industry which has grown increasingly hostile to any legitimate life-plans of 'most-anyone
outside the top 0.5% . . .

 

[Babs]

Knowing now what I didn't know "when I was your age," take the offer. Once you've socked away a nice little retirement stash, you can always go back to writing.

 

[txsportsscribe]

can i have the sales job if you stay where you're at?

 

[spaceman]

are you any good at sales?

 

[Bob Slydell]

Take the money. Now. Life is easier to regret when you have some money in the bank. $60K right out of school is impressive.

You can always string for a paper.

 

[Tom Petty]

"Life is easier to regret when you have some money in the bank."

that may become my new moto in life.

 

[captzulu]

If you like sales, I say go for the job and do freelance writing on the side.

 

[HandsomeHarley]

Is there any reason why you couldn't have both?

If you like sales, take the job and work 2-3 nights a week as a stringer.

If you don't like sales, no amount of money is going to make you happy.

 

[In Exile]

When I decided to be a writer I gave up a $60K job I hated and made $9K doing what I liked my first year, which didn't even match my debt at the time. BEST decision I ever made

Decide what you are.

 

[Joe Williams]

When I decided to be a writer I gave up a $60K job I hated and made $9K doing what I liked my first year, which didn't even match my debt at the time. BEST decision I ever made

Decide what you are.

And if what you are is "obligated to pay my rent/mortage," "responsible for saving for my own retirement," "eager to afford a family/kids/kids' college some day" and, most of all, "ambitious enough to want my production and my rewards (money, promotions, appreciation) to stay commensurate," you've got to grab the sales job. This business, more than ever, will be keeping costs (i.e., salaries) down and the value of what we do is headed one way.

 

[playthrough]

Take the sales job for a couple years, but live financially as if it was the low-paying paper gig. Then you can go back to a low-paying paper gig but not have to live paycheck to paycheck.

If you follow the job boards here, you'll see there is never a shortage of small-paper jobs. Don't fret about trying to get back in the biz after the sales world gets old.

 

[Ace]

Unless they break your arms to keep you from writing on the side, take the job.

This one is easy.

 

[hankschu]

I'm in the minority here, but unless you have two kids to support right now, I say screw the money and follow your heart.

Have you ever seen a U-haul attached to the back of a hearse? You can't take it with you.

Unless you become one of those columnists hired as a talking head on TV, you will not get rich in journalism, but I started in the business same as you. I made $160 a week plus $20 car allowance at a weekly. After being in the business 25 years, I make a comfortable salary, but more important, like you, I have been able to do something I love.

How many people truly can say that?

 

[luckyducky]

The money will always be the difference in this profession. There will always be something - although maybe not a $60k job - outside that looks promising and offers a better paycheck. It's your call how much the money is what you want.

 

[trifectarich]

I cannot stress this enough: Do what you love.

Getting up every morning and hating what you'll be doing at work is no way to go through life. Too many people hate their jobs and can't wait to head home. If you're miserable at work, you're more than likely miserable away from work, too.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

Take the cash and work as a stringer covering games on the weekends if you love it so much. Much less aggravation, you'll get to continue doing what you like, and you'll actually have a life!