Those who have left the business - how painful was it?

[Hed bust]

I'm still a journalist, but now I'm in radio instead of newspapers. Thank God. I have most weekends and evenings off and can enjoy life like a normal human being.

Same thing here. I got out in Jan. 2005 and got into Public Affairs soonafter.
Having nights and weekends off is cool. I can actually go to games as a fan.
Watching the playoff games this past weekend and prior, I've been so glad it hasn't been me scurrying around on those fields chasing down fat-headed players or coaches.
I don't miss the mostly stale-atmosphere (in my estimation) press rooms and meeting the gameday deadline.
After the game, I wanna go with everyone else and have a sodey-pop.
Public Affairs is often dull, though, compared to the grind of daily news. I miss that.

 

[JackS]

AA, that's so cool, having your dad come on the site . . . Welcome RAllen!

It is not cool. Now I feel like I have to behave myself with AA. ;)

But seriously, if you still enjoy the business, I don't agree with leaving of your own accord just because times are tough. Let them kick you out. Maybe you'll make it to retirement without ever getting kicked out.

That said, it's not a bad idea to have a fallback if you do get kicked out.

 

[andyouare?]

When I left, it was because I felt bored with my writing job. I felt like I was using 2 percent of my brain -- which, since we use only 10-20 percent of our brain, is even less then it seems.

Anyway, I took a communications job with a local non-profit company. Here are the benefits:
-An instant 33 percent raise.
-Less work, less stress
-People actually come up to you and tell you that you did a good job.
-(biggest one for me) No phone calls at home. None. Zero.
-A future
-A savings account

Yes, I miss writing. And yes, there are times when I wish I was back. But I'm probably only remembering the good times, not the horrible lows. In this age of blogs, web sites and freelancing, you can always find somewhere to write.

And, hey, you can always go back.

 

[alleyallen]

The reasons for my leaving seem to have somewhat evaporated, but I don't regret it. My wife (at the time) was pushing me to get a better-paying job with a chance for real advancement, a job which would allow me to spend more time with my son.

 

[leo1]

wow. i feel like i could cut and paste a little from every poster so far and that would summarize my feelings about leaving. i miss it, but i don't know if i regret it. i'm seriously considering going back to the profession even though i'm only four months away from earning a j.d. the bottom line is that i think being a lawyer just isn't very interesting to me -- at least not the legal work i've done; i have seen a lot that might be interesting, but it's tough to practice only the interesting kind of law.

i wouldn't say i get bored all day doing lawyer work but as a sports writer i often felt that rush that everyone gets, whether it comes before a big game, while writing on a tight deadline or even just while stopping for a momen to look around and realizing you're getting paid to spend a sunny thursday afternoon at the ballpark. there is no such rush in the legal profession. when i talk to trial lawyers, the way they feel is closest to the rush i got as a sports writer but i'm not interested in being a trial lawyer. the other thing is that although i was intensely competitive as a sports writer, i'm not sure that the entire sports writing profession is about winning and losing, unlike being a lawyer, which is almost always about winning or failing. i don't think i'm that competitive to want every day of my life to be a fight. i like peace.

so yeah, it was painful, and i miss it. regret it? not entirely sure.

 

[Seahawk]

For my entire life, I wanted to work for a daily newspaper, which I was able to do for a while. There were aspects I loved (the deadline buzz, seeing a scoop in the paper) and parts I hated (insane hours, working desk shifts while still expected to churn out columns, features, etc.). I thought I was a lifer.

But priorities change. I had to make the choice, did I want to be a single sports writer or a married something else. I decided to leave the field, but I didn't really know what else I wanted/could do.

I recently made the switch from newspapers to working in Sports Information for a small college. I love it. I'm still around sports all the time. The hours can be crazy at times, but I also get two months off in the summer, plus two weeks off around the Christmas/New Year's break. This summer will be the first time I will experience an extended break, and I am looking forward to it. In fact, because I am a university employee, all the benefits are far better than anything I have enjoyed before.

It is a different style of writing, but I am still able to freelance for various outlets. I work five minutes from home, and I see my family much more often. The pay is the same, but I am much happier.

 

[Hed bust]

Just make sure to go back into the office on gamenights and update your stats right then and there.
You will make for yourself even more free time by doing this.
Stay ahead of the game. That's a fun profession.

 

[jay_christley]

Anybody catch Sunday's "Shoe?"

I'd post it, but (a) I still can't figure out how to post pics and (b) MacNelly's site (www.macnelly.com) is a Flash and not .jpg.

Anyways, Shoe's talking at the counter:
"So I'm walking down the street when a guy steps out of the dark alley. Points a knife at me and says ...
"Your money or your life!
"So I show him my Treetops Tattler-Tribune Press Pass."
Old guy: "Why'd you do that?"
Shoe: "Well, it proves I work for a newspaper ..."
Old Guy: "So?"
Shoe: "Which means I have no money and no life."

 

[n8wilk]

The hardest part was the immediate transition period where I had to swallow my ego and work at Panera Bread while I went back to grad school. But after exactly four months out of the business, I got a teaching job that paid me about $10,000 more immediately even though I was a somewhat accomplished writer and a completely inexperienced teacher. The pay in the biz is bull**** and it's only going to get worse.

Teaching is not nearly as enjoyable creatively as writing, but it does offer a great lifestyle and plenty of time to write on the side in the summer.

 

[digger]

I left this year to work at a place that involves my main hobby. The place I worked at had become horrible, the "leadership'' had sucked all the life and fun out of it. Now, I do something I love, make the same money, and still get to write some on the internet. And I'm actually allowed to have an outside life (weekends off, more normal hours).

It's not easy knowing how awful the bosses at the old place made it to work at a place that never seemed like work before they took over. I feel bad for the good people who are still there.

That's the only thing I really miss, the people who made the job fun and not really work.

 

[OneMoreRead]

A little different take on this.

I'm in the business, enjoy my job, boss is cool, get paid well and the people I work with are cool. I rarely have complaints.

A journalist I know is preparing to get out of the business, and I don't want him to go. The guy is damn good at what he does, but he believes he can make a bigger impact on society in another field. He calls this other field his second passion.

I believe he will do well in that field. But I think the guy could be huge in this business, too. Maybe it's just selfish, but I like this business with him in it.

How do you talk a person out of leaving?