Q. I've been at the same paper for nearly 10 years, and times are tense and pressured, much like
the person with 10 months of experience described.
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I'm wondering what the situation is like on the flip side if I start looking for a new job. I've been here for quite a while now, and I'm afraid of getting stagnant, or crumbling under the increasing stress and "lack of fun." Would it be too forward to visit other papers/publications to see how they operate and what they are looking for? Or should people like me start a search online and start sending out resumes?
Don't Know Where to Start
A. You're right. The opposite of being a hopper who changes jobs every year or so is being a stopper who stays parked too long in one place that is not considered a final destination.
Fear of stagnation was one of the things that motivated me to apply to the
Detroit Free Press, where I have been for almost 25 years with no worries about getting stuck.
Employers look for patterns in resumes, and you want to show a steady and upward growth curve, either through the places where you work or through the positions and responsibilities you hold.
Lack of fun is a serious deficiency, but it may not be isolated to your own newspaper. I think some informational visits would be a good idea. The full-blown application is a larger commitment than you seem willing to make at the moment, but you definitely would benefit from getting out there and seeing what is going on in other places.
Give some thought as to whether you want to tell your editors. They might hear about your curiosity through the grapevine if you don't tell them yourself.
Coming Wednesday: He is thinking about a run for a top job on his campus paper but doesn't know if the long hours will pay off in better employment chances when he graduates.
