Is McDonalds still hiring?

[HeinekenMan]

I get an RSS feed of local writing jobs that appear on Craigslist. On Friday, someone posted a need for writers for a new county-wide newspaper. I send the guy a quick note.

Guy responds on Saturday requesting clips and a resume. I shoot over the first thing I can find.

Today, the guy writes back to say my stuff looks excellent. However, my freelance rates are too high. He includes the paper's standard rates.

This new newspaper plans to pay freelancers 3 and a 1/2 cents a word. For a 500-word story, they're paying $17.50. After 1000 words, they stop paying. So the most they'll pay for a story is $35.

I wrote back and suggested that the guy get a clue.

 

[Joe Williams]

Five stories a day, five days a week, 52 weeks a year = $45.5K.

You're not up to doing 5,000 words a day? You mustn't want it bad enough.

 

[zeke12]

I'll give him 5K words a day, so long as I choose the topic.

 

[slappy4428]

I'll give him 5K words a day, so long as I choose the topic.

Can't wait to read that...

 

[zeke12]

I figure I can rip JDV off for 4K of those, most days.

 

[slappy4428]

I figure I can rip JDV off for 4K of those, most days.

Well, since you're post-padding at 4K in the last week, you are well on your way... ;)

 

[zeke12]

What's post-padding?

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

The guy will probably be working at McDonald's himself in a year or two. The success rate for start-up newspapers isn't too high, especially if he's doing it on his own, which it sounds like he is.

 

[Flying Headbutt]

First real job I interviewed for after college takes me to a town in Bumble****, Michigan. On my way up from the airport, I noticed one of the McDonalds I passed was starting at $8 an hour. After the interview, which I flew out for on my own dime, the most I could get the guy to offer me was $7.50 an hour. And this was in this current decade. God only knows what would have happened if I took that job.

 

[txsportsscribe]

just saw an ad on craig's list that, under compensation, said "remember, we are a small company," and that was it.

 

[Mystery_Meat]

First real job I interviewed for after college takes me to a town in Bumble****, Michigan. On my way up from the airport, I noticed one of the McDonalds I passed was starting at $8 an hour. After the interview, which I flew out for on my own dime, the most I could get the guy to offer me was $7.50 an hour. And this was in this current decade. God only knows what would have happened if I took that job.

Did you bring that up when he made the "offer"? Because at least Mickey D's hooks you up with an uber-cool burgandy work shirt and half-price Big Macs while on the clock.

 

[HeinekenMan]

just saw an ad on craig's list that, under compensation, said "remember, we are a small company," and that was it.

I see lots of **** like that on Craigslist. The population here has boomed, and every asshole with a marketing degree and a copy of Quark thinks he's going to start a newspaper.

The shame is that people really do need start-up surburban dailies to provide what the big boys don't care to tackle. I live in a city of almost 90,000, and it doesn't have a local paper other than a mom-and-pop deal in a neighboring city. Lots of other cities of 40,000 to 50,000 are in the same boat. It's just difficult to build an identity.

 

[HeinekenMan]

Hey, might as well include a little of the dialogue I'm having with this guy. Here is my actual response earlier today to the news that he pays 3.5 cents per word for newspaper stories:

"I could make more money working at McDonalds. You have to be ****ing
kidding. I went to college for four years, and you're going to pay me
$17.50 for a 500-word article? That's insulting."

Now, it gets better. Here's his response. Notice at the end that he provides information on jobs at local McDonalds restaurants. I nearly fainted I was laughing so hard.
Here it is:

"Let me first start by saying, there is absolutely no reason to use such
language, and such use says a lot about your professionalism. Regardless of
your educational merit or background, we are a new paper, and the offer is
for freelance work, not a full-time position. This is an opportunity for
seasoned writers and college journalists alike to see their writing in
print. A true writer is just that, a writer. More concerned about getting
their message across to their viewer, rather than the rate of pay they
receive for conveying their message.

As for our rates, again I must reiterate the fact that this is a small
circulation community free publication. When determining the rates for which
we are going to pay our freelance writing staff, we took into account many
factors, including population, circulation, and availabilities of both
writers and content. We are prepared to offer our freelancers up to .085,
however, that doesn't even seem to be in line for your standards.

If you would like to make a career out of writing, rather than providing a
valuable resource to your community, while making a reasonable fee for the
work you provide, I suggest contacting the New York Times H/R department for
available positions. Then again, as you suggested, you could always apply at
McDonalds. I have taken the liberty of locating available positions in your
area. They can be found at http://www.mcdonalds.com/usa/work.html

Thank you for your consideration,
Tristan Hanscom, Publisher
The Seminole Free Grove

 

[Starman]

Well, I've never been shy of using salty language, but I think I'd hold off on using it with a potential employer.

Probably a better idea would have been to check out the stringer market in the reasonably-immediate area, see if you can find someone paying $50-$75 a story (which shouldn't be too hard).

And a quick run-through of the math for him: a writer writing two 500-word stories a day for him, every day, 6 days a week for 52 weeks of the year, would make a grand total of $10,920.00. People simply cannot live on that.

If he wants to restrict his potential writing pool to bored housewives and 30-year-old slackers living in their parents' basement, he might get somebody to bite. If he ever wants to attract any actual professionals, forget it -- they'll all be working at McDonald's.

 

[Flying Headbutt]

First real job I interviewed for after college takes me to a town in Bumble****, Michigan. On my way up from the airport, I noticed one of the McDonalds I passed was starting at $8 an hour. After the interview, which I flew out for on my own dime, the most I could get the guy to offer me was $7.50 an hour. And this was in this current decade. God only knows what would have happened if I took that job.

Did you bring that up when he made the "offer"? Because at least Mickey D's hooks you up with an uber-cool burgandy work shirt and half-price Big Macs while on the clock.

No, but my friends joke with me now about how if only I had taken that job at McDonalds instead. I'm pretty happy with the way my life has turned out, Big Mac or no Big Mac.

 

[MartinEnigmatica]

Yeah, Tristan, a true (insert profession) doesn't care at all about pay. A True Mechanic would be fine with 20 bucks for an engine overhaul, a True Psychiatrist is fine with 3 bucks an hour. And a True Yankee would be fine to play for the glory of the game, not for 25 million a year.

 

[lono]

Dear Tristan Hanscom, Publisher
The Seminole Free Grove

I hear Jenn Sterger is looking for work.

Peace out,

Lono

 

[Mystery_Meat]

Playing devil's advocate for a second, the "are you ****ing serious" approach probably wasn't the wisest one to take, even if you never considered taking the job. A start-up looking for freelancers isn't going to pay ****. Yeah, 3.5 cents a word is pretty bad even by start-up standards, but they're not going to pay $75 per story either. And they'll probably be done by this time next year. He's going to lose his shirt, whether he can attract anyone or not.

 

[SixToe]

This is an opportunity for seasoned writers and college journalists alike to see their writing in print. A true writer is just that, a writer. More concerned about getting their message across to their viewer, rather than the rate of pay they receive for conveying their message.

This guy must have some seriously good weed.

The problem is, there are people who will jump all over what he is offering because they (a) don't know any better and lower the standard for everyone and (b) believe anyone can write and some editors, like yo' boy Tristan, will hire them.

 

[Googlaw]

Hey, might as well include a little of the dialogue I'm having with this guy. Here is my actual response earlier today to the news that he pays 3.5 cents per word for newspaper stories:

"I could make more money working at McDonalds. You have to be ****ing
kidding. I went to college for four years, and you're going to pay me
$17.50 for a 500-word article? That's insulting."

Now, it gets better. Here's his response. Notice at the end that he provides information on jobs at local McDonalds restaurants. I nearly fainted I was laughing so hard.
Here it is:

"Let me first start by saying, there is absolutely no reason to use such
language, and such use says a lot about your professionalism. Regardless of
your educational merit or background, we are a new paper, and the offer is
for freelance work, not a full-time position. This is an opportunity for
seasoned writers and college journalists alike to see their writing in
print. A true writer is just that, a writer. More concerned about getting
their message across to their viewer, rather than the rate of pay they
receive for conveying their message.

As for our rates, again I must reiterate the fact that this is a small
circulation community free publication. When determining the rates for which
we are going to pay our freelance writing staff, we took into account many
factors, including population, circulation, and availabilities of both
writers and content. We are prepared to offer our freelancers up to .085,
however, that doesn't even seem to be in line for your standards.

If you would like to make a career out of writing, rather than providing a
valuable resource to your community, while making a reasonable fee for the
work you provide, I suggest contacting the New York Times H/R department for
available positions. Then again, as you suggested, you could always apply at
McDonalds. I have taken the liberty of locating available positions in your
area. They can be found at http://www.mcdonalds.com/usa/work.html

Thank you for your consideration,
Tristan Hanscom, Publisher
The Seminole Free Grove

Sorry, but I take his side on this one. What are you thinking dropping f-bombs? Dude, that's uncalled for no matter how insulting their offer is. He'll find people that will jump at the opportunity to get paid to write. Yeah, their stuff will be horrible, but they'll give him enough copy to get a paper out. So they can't afford your genius, that doesn't mean you have to get nasty with him.