Q: I am the editor at a small publishing company. I am 26 years old and have been with the organization two years this September. I’ve moved up the ranks fairly quickly, starting as a stringer, then managing editor and now where I am. I studied communications and marketing at Boston University.
My first job out of college was not in journalism. I actually fell into the field.
I am very proud of all that I have accomplished in these two years. I believe I am ready to move to a new company where I can continue to learn — under people who will be willing to help me grow.
I would like to move to a daily newspaper but fear I am not ready for a major market, as I have no daily experience. I believe my biggest problem is when I go to apply for a reporter’s job with a daily paper, they’ll be very skeptical of an "editor" applying for a reporter’s position. If I try to apply for an "editor’s" position, I have no daily experience and therefore am unqualified.
What should I do? I would very much like to leave the company I am with as quickly as possible — the publisher has just gone bonkers and is no longer sane.
I love being a journalist and do not want to go work for a trade magazine.
Looking
A: Sorry to hear your publisher has gone nuts. The good ones do.
You have some hurdles to clear: monthly/weekly to daily; editor to reporter.
First, look to see if the local knowledge you’ve gained will give you credibility with a nearby daily. Maybe it would want you to bring some of that local knowledge aboard. You may find a daily that would like to hire on a reporter who has some editing experience and may want to get back to it in a few years. Circulation size? I’m guessing 30,000 to 60,000 daily. Remember that the 100 largest dailies in the country have circulations of about 100,000 or more. That tier is an unlikely one for you now, but you may be able to find something a stop or two smaller.
Start floating some résumés, and see what the responses are. Be ready for some "no daily experience" and "not enough years" responses, but test the waters.
