By Joe Grimm
Q. I recently passed my three-year mark in my first journalism job after college. I learned a lot and developed a highly specialized side beat that I'm very passionate about. My editors always have been supportive of that work and recently changed my assignment so that I can do much more of it.While I enjoy the new assignment, it comes at a time when I've gone into debt to live here because of constant furlough days. I've realized how much I sacrificed personally to move to an isolated area away from friends and family. Additionally, my work is stagnating (though that could be due to all the furlough time I've had to take) and is rarely edited. My editors recently said they weren't sure how much more they could teach me, which I take as a sign to move on.
I know I'm ready to go to the next level, possibly several levels above where I currently am. My problem is where to go and how to get there. My specialty beat is one that many papers have cut or that is already occupied by someone with a heck of a lot more experience. I've thought a lot about where I could work and beats I could fill for various types of media outlets (including newspapers and online start-ups,) but my question is about how to pitch those ideas.
How do you approach recruiters, hiring editors or even newly hired start-up chiefs about a position that doesn't exist but that would serve a great purpose and that you'd be the perfect person for?
Thanks for any advice,
Ready to Move Up
A. Thanks for writing.
I think it is unlikely that a newsroom will create a job in these times just because you have a great idea. So, focus on places that already seem to value what you do. Don't assume that just because a newsroom has someone covering your specialty that you cannot get a job there. Smart hiring often means hiring successors for key staffers. When you apply, though, describe your interests broadly so that they know you like to do more than this one thing.
Network though journalism associations -- especially ones compatible with your specialty -- and cultivate the network you already have, growing it into something bigger. This takes time, so get busy now and practice patience and persistence. Look into online networks in your specialty areas.
I know the furloughs have been hard for you. A week's furlough amounts to about a 2 percent cut in annual wages. Furloughs can certainly put us into debt, but I don't know that they can make our work stagnate. If you have more furloughs, use that time to network and build your skills.
You simply must fight the furloughs by staying engaged and motivated.
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