Q. I graduated from college last year and took a job at a small daily. For the first six months it was great, but it has turned a little sour since then. I'm still working the same beat and I love it, but I am thinking
about going for another internship at a large daily and leaving the small paper. I completed an internship at a top 50 daily while in college and loved it. I was able to learn so much and progress as a writer, and I'm looking to do that again.
I don't think I'm learning what I need to progress as a writer at my small daily.
Will leaving a small paper for a three-month internship hurt my career? Is it a bad move to give up the stability for the possibility that I can move my career forward and become a better journalist?
Curious, North CarolinaA. I wouldn't.
Moving from a job to an internship -- even if you move to a larger paper -- seems to be a backward move. Plus, you're asking this question in June, and there are few internships available at this time of year.
I recommend you dig down deep, find out what you can learn in another six months at this paper, improve your clips and then move on to something that seems more to your liking.
Editors looking for patterns in your resume are going to be surprised -- and not in a good way -- if they see you start your career with a real job and then give it up in less than a year for the kind of work that college students and new grads usually compete for.
Brush up on your internship strategies in Joe's book
"Breaking In: The JobsPage.com Guide to Newspaper Internships," available as a $4.95 download.
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