Q. I went straight from my last days at college to a desk/part-time reporting position at one of the big New York dailies and earned a fistful of great clips and lessons from hard-bitten editors. But between the paper's reputation as a destination for those going out to pasture and its conservative stance toward new media, I figured I had to get out to get more hardcore reporting and align myself with a product open to new innovations.
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So I took a gig reporting for a trade magazine with a maybe a tenth of the circulation, a small edit staff, great Web presence and a lot of opportunity. In under a year I'd been promoted to associate editor and had a great say in the development and major editorial decisions of the property. I also got to write some long, interesting stories.
I'm in a great place, and I'm thankful for that, but lately I'm feeling rusty, and a bit off-course -- editing duties keep me to the desk during the day; I miss the deadline rushes and adventures I was having in the world of daily journalism. Our small staff is decreasing, and the carpet is getting thin, so to speak. On top of all that, I know my experience and outlook could take me down a more purposeful road.
I've toyed with going to J-school to refocus, but I'm not sure the economics make sense. I've busted into a tough market, but now I'm looking around -- any idea on how to get back to a passion track?
Many thanks,
Spoiled For ChoiceA. Your focus is sharp enough without another year or two of school. Use the time to transition back to reporting.
By becoming a bigger fish in a smaller pond, you put yourself into position to be promoted into the editing ranks before you were really ready to leave reporting. It was not a bad move, as you have said, but you need to work with your editors to shift your workload to more reporting. The experience would immediately feel good, and the clips could lead to a future job.
Of course, that future job might be back into a larger pond, where you would once again be a smaller fish -- reporting.
Coming Thursday: He took just a couple of courses toward a graduate degree and worries he might have to explain why the didn't go all the way.
