What do you do with a BA in Journalism?

I have continued to remember my degree recently. I don’t know if it is the unemployment, or my significant other finishing his degree. But I continue to remember the song from Avenue Q called, What do you do with a BA in English?. NSFW

I however feel it applies to all writing jobs. I have a writing degree and like to write but feel like I can’t get a break because everyone feels like the can do better and some can. However, I have been writing longer than you and can judge audiences and theme to help you succeed. I’m tired of this shit. I can’t even get an interview now all of a sudden. Really November December = no interviews!  Maybe that is why that song is followed by It Sucks to be Me.

But if you notice we all follow up each other’s, my life sucks stories with something worse.  Basically until someone says, ‘I have/had cancer’ or ‘My mom died’ then you keep trying to one up the other person.  So, I guess we need to stop talking about life sucking and lift ourselves up by our bootstraps.

So, what can I do with a writing degree?

• Write a book – to be honest I do have the spare time
• Start a blog – CHECK
• Write for a newspaper – look for the not dying ones
• Copywriting – Writing about shiny things for any paying business
• Editing – face it, not everyone knows where Speck Check is
• Teaching – because there are bunches of retired people that want to write their epic
• Public Relations – known, not so nicely, as Spin Doctors

All snarkiness aside these are viable careers for anyone who is a writer and has a similar training to me.  I guess on the bright side it is a list.  I know if I was in a better mood or trying to cheer someone up other than myself it would probably be much longer.  For now, it is a god list and I can always update this post on a brighter day career-wise.

 

 

Advice for the Unemployed

After doing years of informational interviews I was recently asked to be the interviewee instead of the interviewer.  It was a weird switch for me especially after being unemployed and laid off so many times.  But it made since at the same time because not being successful means that I get to give the hard advice.  I tried to to sound bitter but at the same time I wanted her to know that it isn’t always butterflies and bunnies in the workplace.

The advice is stuff I too need to follow myself too but now I want everyone to see it.  Hopefully those recently unemployed or laid off will take what they can from it.

First, EVERYONE should watch this video because of the wisdom that he imparts are the things that no one ever tells you.  It is a little over 15 minutes in, but well worth it.

Contact, contacts, contacts

• Always keep your contacts fresh:  Take them out to coffee or email them quarterly.
• Attend networking events
• Get a mentor
• Christmas cards/baskets = awesome
• Join ANY and all networking groups you feel fit your needs.  YPOP, PRSA, AMA
• Many jobs aren’t advertised so you want to make sure they know your name from somewhere positive

Metal Health is Still Important

• Keep a savings account so you don’t have to sacrifice your ethics.  Enough for a few months at least.
• Keep a hobby or two that has nothing to do with your job – makes you less worn out and keeps the ideas flowing

If you don’t want any one to see it then don’t put it on the internet

• Drunk/NSFW (Not Safe For Work) pics
• Negative former/current job statements
• Misinterpreted comments

Life sometimes sucks

• Watch the Conan O’Brien graduation speech – sometimes you find the best in loss
• Someone will steal your idea – at least you know it was good enough to steal
• Someone will fire you for what appears to be no reason – if they are looking that hard you didn’t need to be there anyways
• You will have huge fights with other employees. – sometimes you have to fight to earn each other’s respect
• Your plans will fail – learn from it and come back stronger
• Sometimes people won’t just tell you what is wrong – ASK!

Communications Specific

Anyone can advertise

• No one says it but many act like it, it may be your job to tell people the right and wrong principles and why.
• Also, realize you won’t always win = just sit back and try to make it work
• You may only be doing it for part of your job along with admin/project management/customer service etc.
• But you will be measured on your advertising more than the others on average because of your degree.
• We get laid off first – because anyone can advertise

6 Months of Uncertainty

Now it is official.  I have been unemployed for six months.  I do have some part-time jobs but nothing full-time or enough to cover my bills.  I have been a problem of the state for months now.  Since my six months of unemployment insurance have passed, I now have nothing to fall back on because that is what I am offered by the government.  I can apply through another state that has NO call waiting so I end up getting hung up on 100’s of times just to apply because there is no way for me to apply in person.

Statistical Pitty Party
The I decided to read the statistics.  I looked up the Call Back stats first and discovered I may have a 2% or less chance of a call back now.  Which means I have to apply to 20x more jobs a week to even think about getting a call for an interview.  Fact is, I haven’t have a call for an interview in 3 months.  The last major job I thought I had didn’t even call me back to say, “We went with someone else.”  While there is a part of me that understands you can’t call everyone, an email would have been nice.  Especially since I made it to the 3rd interview.

Identity Crisis

I like many people who have been laid off in this economy are having an identity crisis.  I was so sure when I was in high school and college that I was going to be amazing.  I was even encouraged to join teams that won big awards.  However, now that amounts to nothing more than a class ring in the back of a jewelry drawer.

It isn’t just the folks who had jobs for 5 or 10 years and then were laid off who are feeling this.  I knew in my head I was going to be a great communications person.  I would help companies and they were going to have fun doing it.  But now I feel like everyone thinks I am a hack.  I can’t introduce myself as anything.  I don’t even have anything to follow back on other than student of life or as others say it “Student of the School of Hard Knocks.”

To School or Not to School?

Now everyone is asking me, “Are you going to go back to school?”

And all I can think of is, “For what?”

I have a Bachelor’s degree from one of the best Journalism schools in the country.  I could go back for a Master’s but who is looking for someone with a Master’s of Communication?  I haven’t seen a single job asking for that.  Most of them ask for a MBA not a MC.

Then my mentors encourage me to get an Accreditation.  Yes, communications has a bunch of accreditations, much like technology that are expensive but make you look expensive as well.  I hear more employers at my old jobs and church saying that they can’t afford to hire those people because they expect a certain about of pay for something that “should be easy.”

So it is either pay for some pretty letters at the end of my name that could price me out of the market or I need to go back to square one and figure out what I want to do with my life.  Pardon me while I dance for joy.

“Find your Passion” Right

Now some people would say this is an opportunity to, “go find yourself.”  Well, part of me found her in the short amount of jobs that I have done. That is why I studied what I studied.  I found myself in my degree, otherwise, why would I do it?  But now I got to find myself again?  People keep saying, “I still haven’t found myself,” and those people are my parent’s age.  Really gives me hope for finding a good job.

Looking in New Places

But sometimes I do find passions in unexpected places.  I like working with people to help them get the word out about products I like.  For instance, right now I am working with a great gaming company, Gut Bustin Games, and I love doing sales calls.  Oddly enough I never felt comfortable before doing sales call but now I really like it because I get to tell people about a fun game that is silly.  I get to be a geek at a job that I didn’t expect.  Maybe that will go somewhere more.

Review Your Life

So, maybe go see what you like doing.  It sounds cliche but maybe it is a cliche because it works.  Take the time to look at the things that make you happy.  If you think about what you are going to make for dinner more than your project then maybe it is time to become a cook.  If you like talking to people about the earrings you just made or everyone is asking about the crochet hats you made for the holidays, it could be time to become an artist and open that etsy store.  I had a friend do that and now she is getting asked to crochet specific high end projects.

But also, you could like the thrill of the RFP or the ability to helping a person’s computer get back to working order.  Then, go out and find the career that feeds your soul, in whatever way works for you.

My full dream:   To have a job I love so much I don’t really fell like I am working.