expendable said:
fishwrapper said:
I'm a little surprised that a college-educated person performing a professional, skilled task makes so little.
But, I see it quite a bit. When we have an opening, I see first-hand the salary ranges across the country.
It's a seller's market in a profession that never paid well in the first place.
It's true. So, true.
I was speaking to a group of fellows/merits (it's a program our chain has without getting too specific). It's a group of well-schooled, well-educated applicants. (Well-schooled and well-educated are not the same, but I digress).
Anyhow, our chain places them among our papers, pays them, sees how well they do. It's actually a wonderful program, and they by the time they get to me their numbers have been dwindled from thousands to dozens.
It was a Question and Answer session. I enjoy them. And, at this point, I'm pretty prepared for what's coming.
I consider myself fairly hip. Still fairly young. So, I still have a remote connection to the kids.
But, as always, I'm frank. I'm as honest as I can be. I'm not a dream smasher. But, these days every kid thinks they're the next Wilbon or Kornheiser.
One young lady stood up. She made it clear her in an earlier session her ambitions. Which were quite, um, ambitious. Which is fine.
She asked a question. Which I forget. But, it was framed around a statement, which I will never forget.
She said there isn't a first-year journalism job in America that pays more than the cost of the last year of her BA.
I was amazed. So amazed I started asking others in the group. There were quite a few in the group who would fall into this precarious situation.
The session moderator was upset, but I was intrigued. Usually that's all that matters. ;)
