They’re gonna have to introduce conscription
They’re gonna have to take away my prescription
If they wanna get me making toys
If they wanna get me, well HELL, I got not choice
Career opportunities are the ones that never knock
Every job they offer you is to keep out the dock
Career opportunities, the ones that never knock
Careers
Careers
Careers
Ain’t a-never gonna knock
Joe Strummer, The Clash, "Career Opportunities"
Jobs. Wow, really. I'm going to have to get one. I think I have pretty good skills, and regardless of what it is I grab a hold of after May graduation, I'll still be able to build toward magazine writing with freelance work.
Over the turkey break I stopped by a friend's house, an older friend from back in the day who is now teaching in the Real World. He asked me what I was writing about lately. I stammered something about how I'm putting a lot of work in at the Buzz. True true, but it felt unsatisfying; I wanted to say, "Oh, I've got work coming into x, y and z publications." But I don't.
I've had a pair of summer internships and loads of time with Illini Media. I'm a research assistant (read: type transcripts) for a fairly prominent magazine writer. I blog regularly (no, not just here). So my resume isn't weak -- at least I hope not -- but I feel pressure to do more and more. Thankfully, I've had a lot of multimedia training through the News-Gazette class this semester; I'll continue that trend for next semester.
We'll be coming out the other side to a dying industry in a tanked economy. Reading through everyone's blogs, I can tell that those concerns are weighing heavily on all of us. There is hope; though, for times of upheaval are the best for the innovative and creative. If you think you need multimedia experience, do it. Make multimedia. What is going to make you better, make you more of an asset to a company, do it.
The voices in your head are calling
Stop wasting your time, there's nothing coming
Only a fool would think someone could save you
The men at the factory are old and cunning
You don't owe nothing, so boy get runnin'
It's the best years of your life they want to steal
Strummer, The Clampdown.
5 comments:
Good tune.
I'm also a little lost in the job field. During my J425 graphics class we were told to make online resumes and post our newsclips. I don't have any. I haven't written for any publications. Why? I never really thought I'd work as a journalist. I'm studying journalism because it seemed interesting and I wanted a degree. It sure made me feel insecure though.
Oh well. I can ride faders and compress drums like nobody's business...
Drake- you'll get a job. I somehow have faith in that. ha. but I think you'd like it best to do something where you can express yourself more and your opinions- you're good at that, and i think it's an asset people are looking for- young, informed, spunky people who can bring a piece to life with their own thoughts and experiences. you can do journ stuff, or you'd be good at like a music magazine or something like that. i donno- what do you think?
I am under the impression you won't have to worry about finding work.
I don't know if I can say the same for myself :)
But seriously, we all have that worry. Graduating with journalism degrees and experience (I've done DI, Gazette now; magazines over the summer, etc), it's certainly something that does not get ignored. After all, articles are written (if someone is interested in print journalism, which I am) day after day after day.
I always joke that dead people or uncultured people aren't writing those articles.
Life treats journalists well. We just have to stick with it.
I am glad you brought up getting more multimedia experience. I tried to take one of the only multimedia classes next semester, but it conflicted with the graphics lecture. I was so disappointed because I feel like I really need more multimedia experience. I think more courses need to be offered because that is the where the future of journalism is going. And like everyone else, you will have no problem finding a job.
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