Pretty bleak.
For recent journalism grads, the prospects of a full time journalism job are limited – unless you want to move to a remote location for the promise of a $20,000-a-year reporting job for a newspaper that may not exist in a few years. One of the best options for those who want to work in journalism but still pay the bills is to work part-time in a non-media job while working to build your brand and freelance writing career.
Here’s part one of a two-part post outlining some non-media jobs you can do with a journalism degree and skill set. It might feel weird walking into one of these job interviews with a list of newspaper internships and design programs you know, but just remember to not stress your journalism background, but rather the skills it gives you – writing, phone work, organization, adaptability, creativity, and the ability to work long hours for little pay.
Substitute Teacher
Whether you’re talking grammar with the new reporter or explaining a complicated piece of legislature to the average reader, journalists are like teachers in many ways. One of the functions of the media is, after all, to educate, and your knack for explanation, writing, and people skills can transfer to a teaching position. In many states you don’t need a degree in education, just a bachelor’s degree or in some cases only college coursework to be a substitute teacher. You can also explore options like Teach for America or teaching English abroad.
Why You’ll Like It: Teaching can be altruistic like journalism, and you get to interact with all types of students.
Why You Won’t: Substitute teachers often don’t get the opportunity to build a rapport with students, and the hours can be pretty hit or miss.
How to Start: Contact Teach for America or a local school district to check for state requirements.
Office Manager
Anyone with editorial experience has probably had to wear a lot of hats. Editors at smaller publications often handle budgets, payroll, layout, advertising, and other administrative tasks (or they at least know how these departments work). Journalists are experienced with waiting for the phone to ring, sorting through faxes, email, and mail, as well as utilizing organizational techniques to keep track of phone numbers, notes, press releases, and that name you wrote on the back of a receipt last week.
Why You’ll Like It: Office managers can earn a pretty generous salary, especially executive assistants or those that take on extra duties.
Why You Won’t: While the work duties may vary, you may get stuck in Office Space-style hell.
How to Start: Check online job listings, or apply at a temp agency if you want to test out the work before committing to a position
Call Center Representative
Even the most meticulous reporters at one point or another has been yelled at over the telephone. Be it a source, politician, or PR flack, journalists take more than their fair share of verbal lashings. So do Call Center Representatives. Your comfort with telephone communications and ability to keep your cool makes you a perfect candidate for telemarketing or customer service positions.
Why You’ll Like It: The hours are usually flexible, and you can earn bonuses for a job well done.
Why You Won’t: Speaking from experience, working in a call center can be tedious, boring, and slightly soul-crushing.
How to Start: Many telemarketing positions will train candidates, so you won’t need any experience. There is a high employee turnover in this industry too, so chances are they’re always hiring.
Stay tuned for Part II of this two-part series.
