Just another desker

[annoyed]

I don't think any paper at this point can guarantee economic health in the future, and it would be unreasonable to ask them to do so. What I'm saying is to get the job responsibilities in writing, since those can have a tendency to shift once a person's on board. Again, this isn't specific to the P-I; I'm hearing more stories of people finding that desk positions have been vastly oversold during the interview process. On any position such as this one, I would just make sure the job isn't an overglorified copy editor with no real power and four levels of managers hawking your every move. Then you're stuck in a new city in servitude for moving expenses and already bitter at work.

POKES posted this on the job board. Thought it might make a good discussion here. Anybody else run into this situation? Personally I've seen inside-page design and head agate monkey jobs shamelessly overhyped. Anyone been promised a supervisory role only to have it turn out to be a run-of-the-mill copy editor position?

 

[Starman]

I don't think any paper at this point can guarantee economic health in the future, and it would be unreasonable to ask them to do so. What I'm saying is to get the job responsibilities in writing, since those can have a tendency to shift once a person's on board. Again, this isn't specific to the P-I; I'm hearing more stories of people finding that desk positions have been vastly oversold during the interview process. On any position such as this one, I would just make sure the job isn't an overglorified copy editor with no real power and four levels of managers hawking your every move. Then you're stuck in a new city in servitude for moving expenses and already bitter at work.

POKES posted this on the job board. Thought it might make a good discussion here. Anybody else run into this situation? Personally I've seen inside-page design and head agate monkey jobs shamelessly overhyped. Anyone been promised a supervisory role only to have it turn out to be a run-of-the-mill copy editor position?

Why hell yes. The thing is, as long as it's a "supervisory position," they can put you on salary, and work you 168 hours a week if they want to. And they will want to.

 

[Editude]

Even at big shops, roles and positions can be fluid based on a given day or situation. If an adjustment seems somewhat permanent, whether it was sought or not, you need to have that formalized to protect you.

 

[JBHawkEye]

I will say this _ when I see jobs posted that are writing/desk positions, I wonder just how much is writing, and how much is desk.