Where do you go?

[Jim_Carty]

I'm sure countless threads have addressed this over time, but this is something I've been struggling with. When you decide to get out of journalism, where do you go? Law school? Ugh. If you're young enough, maybe.

You'd be surprised about law school, Harry.

I left my column job last fall to enroll full-time. At least three of my classmates are above the 40 mark, one might be above 50 (she's a doctor, believe it or not). About a third of the class is above 30. I've also met two very successful attorneys who went to LS after 20-year careers in nursing and automotive management. I myself did 18 years in journalism before the switch, and one of the biggest kicks about the thing is everybody - my teachers, fellow students and the judge I currently work for - treats me like I'm some 20-something kid now.

Perhaps the biggest lessons so far are A) it's never too late to give something new a try and; B) you are not defined by your job. I used to say the same exact things many folks say about having ink running through my veins, never wanting another job, etc. But the skills that make you successful in journalism will make you successful elsewhere, and when they do, you'll probably find it's just as satisfying as your old job.

Good luck.

 

[Piotr Rasputin]

"Your job does not define you!" is a common refrain. And I understand the need to latch onto it, especially in these times.

But your job, especially one like daily journalism, can define everything else in your life. This one can take away your weekend, take away your evenings, give you a strange sleep schedule and pretty much destroy your chances of "meeting someone" who is not in the newsroom.

What about people who say "I got out! Now I can have fun going to games and similar events, instead of spending evenings at work!"

If you have friends in other industries, the conversations veer off. Their tax bracket is often so much higher, a fancy meal you might take your significant other to on special occasions, they say "Before the kids, we went two or three times a week."

Your own paycheck will affect your ability to purchase a home, start a family, pay the bills. Those are things that can define you: "He lives in an apartment at 50 with his wife. They have no children; could never make it work financially. His credit rating is shot."

When you do decide to get out, beware of hiring managers who see "sports journalist" as "SPORTS journalist."

Your job does not necessarily define you, per se. But it's a challenge keeping it from defining so much of your life. And that is just another reason why this business is so unpleasant. They ask for such a huge commitment, then give little in return.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Journalism degrees from most schools do not transfer over to get your teaching credential. You have to go back, get a degree in something else and then get your teaching certificate.

Right now, I can teach journalism at a college level, but I can't teach high school.

 

[crimsonace]

Journalism degrees from most schools do not transfer over to get your teaching credential. You have to go back, get a degree in something else and then get your teaching certificate.

Depends on your state law. Our state's alternative certification law required you to have a certain number of credit hours in a certain subject. I majored in journalism, minored in business, but had enough hours to be able to become licensed in social studies (not English ... I avoided lit classes like the plague in college).

English and/or social studies is the likely path for those with journo degrees.

Believe it or not, I have a journalism degree and spent nine years FT in the biz, but cannot currently teach journalism in high school (I can if I take a one-week class, but our school has an outstanding journalism program and the teacher/adviser is younger than I am, so there's no real need to take that class and get the certification).

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Journalism degrees from most schools do not transfer over to get your teaching credential. You have to go back, get a degree in something else and then get your teaching certificate.

Depends on your state law. Our state's alternative certification law required you to have a certain number of credit hours in a certain subject. I majored in journalism, minored in business, but had enough hours to be able to become licensed in social studies (not English ... I avoided lit classes like the plague in college).

English and/or social studies is the likely path for those with journo degrees.

Believe it or not, I have a journalism degree and spent nine years FT in the biz, but cannot currently teach journalism in high school (I can if I take a one-week class, but our school has an outstanding journalism program and the teacher/adviser is younger than I am, so there's no real need to take that class and get the certification).

At most schools, Social Studies are the first courses being eliminated. They are the golf beat the high school curriculum.

If I decide to go back to school to get my teaching credential, I will go for English and History. We'll see if that happens, I'm guessing it would take me three semesters to get my teaching credential and I don't know if it's possible to go that long without a paycheck coming in.

I sure am glad I have a degree and a Masters in a subject that is basically worthless.

 

[imjustagirl]

You can take most of the certification courses online, while working elsewhere. I'd assume you could do the same for a second bachelor's.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

You can take most of the certification courses online, while working elsewhere. I'd assume you could do the same for a second bachelor's.

That's what I'm looking into.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Can anyone recommend one of the online colleges where they've done this?

 

[novelist_wannabe]

University of Phoenix (who was that pop-up ad chick for UOP a few years back)

I wouldn't discount SID work -- there's a lot of sports writing in it. The biggest trouble with that profession, to me, is the grind, because it cuts across all the school's sports. Seems like you'd never get a break.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

University of Phoenix (who was that pop-up ad chick for UOP a few years back)

I wouldn't discount SID work -- there's a lot of sports writing in it. The biggest trouble with that profession, to me, is the grind, because it cuts across all the school's sports. Seems like you'd never get a break.

The summer would be a break. At most big schools, the SID is rarely in charge of more than two sports, usually one big one and one smaller one and whoever is doing football does only football.

At some of the smaller schools they have to do it all.

 

[Stitch]

How about pharmacy school---does anyone know much about that and what would be involved? Seems like a decent, well-paying second career, certainly for those of us 45 and older.

You'd need a BS degree (biology, chemistry, etc) and a solid GPA (probably north of 3.25). I think you also have to take the MCAT exam.

No MCAT and no bachelor's degree needed. Two years of chem, and a year of physics and biology. Plus the PCAT and an okay GPA. Then four years of school.

 

[forever_town]

I've had three different people ask me if I've thought about being a teacher. And yes, the thought's crossed my mind on a number of occasions.

That might be where my eventual career path takes me.

 

[Mystery Meat II]

After seven months of unemployment? Crazy.

 

[crimsonace]

At most schools, Social Studies are the first courses being eliminated. They are the golf beat the high school curriculum.

It's still a required course in most states. In Indiana, we've actually *increased* the amount of SS courses kids have to take. Fifteen years ago, you needed four credits (two in U.S. History, one each in Econ/Government), now you need six (those four plus either two in World History or World Geography).

English & Math are where the bread is buttered because of No Child Left Behind, but social studies & science are still core courses. It's the other stuff -- music, PE, journalism, art, home ec, industrial arts (our high school has *one* industrial arts teacher, and he teaches pretty high-level engineering courses most of the day) -- that are being whacked from the curriculum. That, and of course, recess .

 

[novelist_wannabe]

University of Phoenix (who was that pop-up ad chick for UOP a few years back)

I wouldn't discount SID work -- there's a lot of sports writing in it. The biggest trouble with that profession, to me, is the grind, because it cuts across all the school's sports. Seems like you'd never get a break.

The summer would be a break. At most big schools, the SID is rarely in charge of more than two sports, usually one big one and one smaller one and whoever is doing football does only football.

At some of the smaller schools they have to do it all.

The small-school SID calendar is just brutal, especially if they have football. If you're a staff of three or less, You're probably going to be managing events five nights a week for 8-9 months.

The bigger schools with larger staffs certainly keep it more manageable, but the ones I've been around are hustling all the time. Pays to have good organizational skills.