Switch from Business to News?
Q. Hi. I’m trying to decide what my next career move should be. I’ve been a business reporter for almost three years at a weekly business paper, a job I landed at the age of 28 with a bachelor’s degree in English and a few clips from a previous employer’s newsletter. I have one non-business news clip (a freelance piece for a small weekly) under my belt. In print journalism, I’ve finally found my calling. Now I want to become better at it and get broader experience. A reporting job at a daily newspaper would seem to be the best route, but the hiring freezes and cutbacks battering the industry right now are pretty discouraging. Another option is getting a master’s degree in journalism, but there are as many j-school naysayers as there are cheerleaders, which leaves me scratching my head. Business reporting is challenging and interesting, and, from what I’ve heard, more lucrative and in demand than most other types of reporting. But I’m craving to get my hands dirty — to see the world with my own eyes and meet people from all walks of life as opposed to doing a large majority of my interviews with suits by phone as I do now. Also, I feel I should learn as much as possible about online publishing. Ultimately, I’d like to write features for national newspapers and magazines as a full-time freelancer. In the meantime, I want to bring my skills and clips to the next level. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen. Any suggestions? Thanks, Hungry but Hesitant A. The best trick in your bag is the one you want to lose. So, let’s use it and lose it. Daily newspapers have a harder time finding business reporters than they do finding news reporters. So, go after the business reporting jobs to make the switch and to negotiate your entry salary. Once in, be a very, very good reporter. Stop interviewing so many suits by phone. Get out there and meet people face-to-face on your best stories and diversify the sourcing on those stories. The people affected by business transactions and turmoil are often the best part of the story. Good work will attract the interest of editors in the newsroom. The city editor will not have many reservations about bringing you from business to news — but only if you’re very good. We can talk about freelancing in a few years.Coming Wednesday: This reporting candidate is operating at a distance and is thinking of using social networking sites like Linkedin to contact recruiters. Is that OK?
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