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Topic: Midlevel Career Changes
| Author | Message |
| TooComplacent | Posted – 4/14/2008 11:58:39 AM | show profile Hi all. First-time poster, long-time lurker. This has been discussed, but I'm bringing it up again. If you were going to change your career after 16 years in journalism/editorial side, what would you do? My kids are teenagers, but I want to be more available to them than I am now. Freelance work is not for me. I've made a list of the skills I've gained from this position, but it makes me eligible to be. . .an editor. My husband jokes that my degree in Journalism is the new English degree. . . it qualifies me to do nothing specific. I love to write, I have great interviewing skills, can edit the heck out of complex issue, and I'm a sponge of useless information. I'm also very active in my local community and very interested in politics. I'm looking for serious suggestions only. |
| HisGirlFriday | Posted – 4/14/2008 12:12:41 PM | show profile Hi and welcome I've always thought that being a reporter has a lot in common with social work. From what I know about covering non-profits, people who do development there use a lot of journalism skills: writing (grants, newsletters) being pushy (securing donations, not interviews.) There's some PR involved. Journalism has an ethical/moral kind of core (exposing wrongdoing, telling the little guy's story, etc.) Social work requires a similar dedication. You're also combining a lot of different needs - say working with big names to get donations, talking to politicians about securing favorable legislation but also connecting to clients and the employees who serve them. If I ever leave the jrn. world - that's what I'd do. |
| tj2240 | Posted – 4/14/2008 12:56:30 PM | show profile Corporate communications Depending on where you live and the companies that have offices in your town, working in a corporate communications department -- writing and designing annual reports, writing speeches, newsletters, editing lots of other materials -- may be an option. College and university administration and development (fundraising and alumni relations) offices are also a good option, as they'd provide a much more predictable schedule and similar work to what you've been doing, and likely would be more stable and less impacted by economic fluctuations. |
| WordyBird | Posted – 4/14/2008 5:48:11 PM | show profile Sure, you *could* try corporate communications. There's just one caveat: If you were hardcore on editorial independence and journalistic integrity, you might find yourself chafing at the promotional nature of that kind of work. Also, from what I understand, the hours can be hairy, depending on where you end up. If your goal is to spend more time with your kids, maybe that isn't the way to go. You might try something Foodlit suggested in another thread: Work as an executive assistant. If you've been an editor, you know a lot about project management and scheduling already. You could probably use those skills for that, and communications skills are very important to the job. If you're used to interviewing people, you're used to taking notes as people talk, so you might be able to use that for taking minutes at meetings. Plus, you are more likely to have set "banker's hours," and more able to leave your work AT work in a way so many writers and editors have tough time doing. Just a thought. |
