Update: Entry-Level Journalism Jobs and Me (And Lessons Learned)

Considerable time has passed since I wrote "Diary Of An Unemployed Young Journalist: An Open Letter To Entry-Level Journalism Jobs Everywhere," detailing my job hunt as a young journalist, fresh from graduate school, on the market for the first time.

As a result of that post, which appeared on Poynter.com's Romenesko, I was inundated with comments, equal parts scathing and helpful (You can still read all the comments -- they remain below that post -Ed.).

In response, I wrote "Responding To Romenesko: Thoughts On Your Comments" to clarify my situation, which brought forth another deluge of comments, this time a bit more helpful than the first batch (that post also was picked up by Romenesko).

It occurred to me recently that I, regretfully, have neglected to update the story since that post. That's not fair to you readers, who put energy into reading all those words (and writing those comments). So I'd like to give you an update.

My "Responding" post was written July 31, and I spent most of August interviewing in New York City, as I promised I would do, while working temporarily at a large magazine company (One that has since laid off hundreds of people, including at the title I was working at -Ed.). I had several applications in various states by mid-month, with several interviews under my belt that were still moving forward. I took several edit tests, interviewed all over the city and completely wore out my suit.

Then the economy began to collapse.

My luck changed in the final weeks of August, when a job that I had been working part-time at for several months (in addition to my full-time, but temporary, magazine gig) decided to extend me an offer.

I accepted.

Then I informed the other places at which I was still under consideration that I would be taking the offer. A bit of song and dance ensued with one job prospect that I had gone deep into the process with (A job at a company that several commenters said could and would never happen -Ed.), but when it became clear that they weren't able to produce an offer in time, the search was officially over.

So where does that leave me? I can't say where I work outright, since I decided when I began this blog that I would try to leave my work life out of the picture. What I can say is that I work in the online branch of a major, big-name mainstream media organization wearing three hats: editor, producer, blogger. I make a solid salary that makes it possible for me to live in New York and pay off my student loans, and I work in an environment that matches what I value in a workplace.

If you search Google, it's not hard to find me. I'll leave it at that.

But am I happy? You bet.

Here's what I learned from the whole process:

• Send in applications everywhere you think you've got a shot -- then prove it to each company in your application. It's worth the time to tailor your application, even if you never hear back.
  
  
• When you've sent out all that you can, send more. I can't stress this enough. The job search becomes exhausting, but you must persist.
  
  
• Contact friends and mentors and coworkers not for jobs, but for advice. Very few actually can and have jobs to offer you, but everyone has a wealth of experience on how they got where they are today.
  
  
• Tell everyone that you're looking. I had several friends, not all of them close, regularly send me jobs they came across. Some I had seen, some I hadn't, but those morning e-mails were a great pick-me-up when things felt grim.
  
  
• Take a break. The job search is nerve-wracking because it feels as though fate is closing in on you as your funds for living run out. Don't go a day without sending an application somewhere, but don't go a day without smiling. The whole job search is an internalized affair, like a tea kettle nearing boil. So make sure you get out of the house and see friends. Or go to the gym. Mental health is important at this time.
  
  
• Take people's advice with a grain of salt, but listen. As a journalist, this goes without saying. I received a ton of contradictory comments in the two posts I wrote, but what I gained most from the whole affair is that people are listening (I even received a freelance offer). Use that momentum as inspiration to keep applying places.
  
  
• Keep your online presence up-to-date. I received lots of comment when I changed my LinkedIn status message to "Looking for a job."
  
  
• If you get rejected, politely ask why. I was rejected for a position that I thought I had a particularly good shot at; turns out that with so many job layoffs, the publication was overwhelmed with overqualified applicants. So I replied and asked what I could have done better as an applicant. The editor was kind enough to answer in specifics why I didn't make the cut, and encouraged me that I was a solid applicant who was just blown away by the circumstances. She also offered to take my pitches for stories, which would have been important had I not taken my current position. Remember -- editors know what it's like, and more often than not, they'll relate!
  

And finally, when it comes to the actual job: negotiate that salary.

Once you're settled in, don't forget to repay the favor to your friends by helping them find jobs or listings. With this recession as it is, I can't tell you how many friends ended up on the job hunt after I finally finished mine.

Responding To Romenesko: Thoughts On Your Comments

My post on entry-level jobs, featured on Romenesko yesterday, resulted in more than 1,600 unique hits and more than 50 comments here and on Poynter. Almost 20 people signed up for my RSS feed.

For a blog that has a steady readership of 50 a day with 93 on the feed, that's pretty astounding.

So I'm flattered that so many people had something to say about finding an entry-level journalism job, and some of your suggestions were great.

I thought I'd clarify and address some of the concerns that you, readers, wrote about. (And I'd like to thank Chase Squires for the little push to do so.)

First, I'd like to say that the purpose of my post was not to reiterate my resume and scream into the Web abyss. I wrote it because I felt that it was a telling lesson of our industry's health when a person can get the appropriate schooling, write the appropriate clips, put in the time at relevant internships, and still have a hard time getting anyone to pay him/her anything to continue doing so.

I'm not complaining about my own situation. I'm working hard, rolling up my sleeves, and making phone calls, sending e-mails, and checking job listings. I just think that my difficulty might be an indication of something greater.

I don't usually write about myself on this blog, but I wanted to use my experience in New York to act as an example -- after all, what about all the young journalists who aren't lucky enough to go to school in New York, and have such big-ticket internships? If I'm having trouble finding any paying journalism-related job, what about them?

Yesterday, Simon Owens of Bloggasm interviewed me about this subject as part of a greater piece about the tough job prospects in this industry. And I've seen several people come back from UNITY in Chicago this year with, well, less than hopeful looks on their faces.

That's really what this was intended to address.

After reading yesterday's comments, it occurred to me that much of the comments pertained to the newspaper industry. While that's surely indicative of Romenesko's readership, it didn't address the strategies for breaking into magazines, broadcast and online, which are different and equally as difficult.

I'd prefer to be in magazines. So while Wyoming may seem logical for an entry-level newspaper job, it would seem to be an ill fit as a place to start a magazine career. The magazine industry is largely in New York; going anywhere else would only leave regional magazines as options, which are no easier to break into.

The same goes for broadcast and online/new media. New York is the tech capital, don't forget.

There's another caveat, and that is the practicality of leaving New York. I can't leave this city. I'm not at liberty to say why -- it's personal -- but I can say that it's absolutely not an option for the next two years. Period.

Say what you will about professional connections, but most people who commented ignored the harsh financial realities of moving: I still must honor the rest of my lease, which does not expire for some time. It costs several, several hundreds of dollars to pack up and move. And most of all, anyone who works and lives in Manhattan would know that, in all the places that were suggested I move, I would need a car -- which I do not have, like most people who live in New York.

That's a big, big potential expense.

I'd also like to address the master's degree issue, which was a heated debate among you readers. I agree that a master's can be overkill in some markets. In New York, however, the bar is high. As I told Simon Owens, master's degrees are a dime a dozen in this highly educated city, and to think that it would hurt me in any way during the hiring process is just plain wrong.

Let me be clear: I went to j-school for myself -- not to expect a job in a year, and certainly not for the joy of $65,000 bounty on my head. So to think that so many people would jump to the conclusion that I was resting on my laurels really saddened me.

Furthermore, many of you readers who were previous HR employees expressed disdain for hiring someone with a master's and "no experience" and having to pay them what their degree commanded. I can say with confidence that anytime I've been requested a salary, I've put a figure that doesn't account for my master's, and accounts for the job that I'm applying to. So it's not as if I'm getting as far as an interview and then simply choosing to not take such low pay and walking out, elite nose tilted upward.

Nor am I only shooting high -- as an example, The New York Times Company owns far more than just its namesake paper: About.com, ConsumerSearch, etc. Conde Nast owns Vanity Fair, but also owns Footwear News. The bottom line? As I mentioned in yesterday's post: Having no job is an income of $0, no matter how you cut it. I'm not holding out for the Times.

This post isn't meant to be a rebuke -- rather, I just think life's a little more complicated than many commenters allowed it to be. I'll be a little honest -- I'm a little disappointed that among such a professional, qualified group of readers, people could leave such searing, personal, anonymous attacks. But it's not unexpected, given the format. And I'm glad that so many people had something to say, whatever it was.

In the spirit of transparency, I'm still looking and applying. I got a couple of "the job was filled internally" responses this week, but that's it. The hunt's still on.

With regard to the feedback to the post, a few people e-mailed me directly -- one even with a freelance offer ("no jobs," sadly). It was so kind, and above and beyond in my book. But, perversely, it was one more indication that perhaps it's just as hard for a young journalist to stay in the business as it is for the 30-year veteran -- just in different ways.

Food for thought. Thanks for reading, and I hope you continue to.

-The Ed.