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I earned my B.A. in English last May, worked on my school's newspaper my last semester, and found that I really liked the work.

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I landed an internship with a newspaper (circulation 100,000) last summer and have since been hired full time with benefits, paid vacation, etc., though the pay isn't what I would prefer at this point.

I am only 24, and I am doing what I want to do -- reporting for the sports department as well as writing 50-centers (section-front stories), and I am now doing the Sunday layout for the sports section.

I was planning on going to graduate school in the near future. What I was wondering was whether or not it's necessary, now that I have landed my first job, and if I should just plan on moving up to a larger paper once I have been here for at least a year. Would a master's guarantee a higher salary, or is experience the major factor?

Kelli

If your career ain't broke, don't fix it.

Most 24-year-old grad school students would trade places with you in a heartbeat.

Joe Grimm

Experience and performance are the key to higher salaries. If grad school shows you how to be a better performer, then it has a role in helping you earn more. The way the market is, no one will guarantee that if you go to grad school now, you'll come out with a better position than the one you already have.

Your best chance at better money will be to negotiate smartly with that next paper.

Keep riding the wave you're on. There will be plenty of time to go to grad school later, if you decide you need to, but right now you're set.

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Coming Monday: Yikes! The computer sent out multiple applications to the same paper. Now he's afraid he looks ridiculous and wonders whether he should apologize.

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