Joe Grimm's News Jobs Café: Ask the recruiter

Tell My Boss I Plan to Leave?

Q: I really enjoy your column and think it addresses many issues that I have.

When you are in your next job search, how do you let your current employer know about it? Or do you at all?

I'm thinking about switching newspapers after two years and wonder how to go about doing so, especially when it comes to listing references. How do I do so without harming my relationship with my current employer?

Hope you can answer this one. Thanks again,

Amy

A: This varies from case to case.

In most cases, people prefer not to be so frank with their editors. There can be some serious disadvantages to telling the boss you plan to leave. The greatest danger is the loss of opportunities for things like good assignments, training and sometimes even raises.

An editor might figure, "Why should I give her training? She plans to leave, anyway."

If you have cultivated a frank and open relationship with an understanding editor, you can be honest and even enlist a little help. Good editors will understand your career ambitions and help you achieve them. While they don't want to lose you, they might use their network to help you move to another paper.

So, evaluate your relationship with your editor. Start by seeking advice from more experienced colleagues at your paper.

Note: "Ask the Recruiter" has moved to Poynter's new Career Center. The new home is here. Remember to change your bookmark.

To a Smaller Paper but a Better Locale?

Q: I am in a small predicament. I am currently working at a daily newspaper on the east coast after graduating college in May. I really enjoy my job, but the area where I am at is not so desirable and is about eight hours away from my hometown.

I've recently come across a job offer at a weekly newspaper close to my hometown, which I think would make me happier because of the location alone.

1) Does going from a 10K-circulation daily in a rural area to a 7K-circulation twice-weekly 30 minutes away from a city look like I'm taking a step down, even though I'd rather be in the area of the smaller paper?

And 2) As I said, I just graduated in May -- what does searching for another job this soon make me look like? I am not a scatter-brained person who can't make up her mind, I'm just honestly not happy with the location I am at.

Thanks for your help.

Kristen

A: Sit tight.

Leaving a job after seven months will not look good to prospective employers -- unless you plan to stay at your next newspaper for three years or more to show some stability.

And moving to a smaller newspaper that published less frequently will not help create a rising career arc, either.

Persist.

Ideally, we'll see you move to a better area as well as a better job. While this move might take care of what sounds like loneliness, homesickness or cultural deprivation, it will come at the cost of some career mobility.

Make more visits home or to other cities to keep your sanity, but also steel yourself for putting in about another year getting great at the job you have -- and then using that success to make a move that makes sense for you professionally and personally.

Note: "Ask the Recruiter" has moved to Poynter's new Career Center. The new home is here. Remember to change your bookmark.

Work for a State Representative?

Q: I missed a couple newspaper internship deadlines earlier this month so I'm starting to formulate some backup plans for this summer. I've become really interested in political/government reporting recently so I was thinking about working for a state representative and seeing the other side of the coin so to speak.

Do you think that's a good idea? It could be a useful experience for future assignments, but I'm not sure. I want to be a news journalist out of college and this job could make me look like a biased reporter.

As always, interested to hear what you think,

Keegan, University of Wisconsin-Madison journalism student

A: That can certainly be a legitimate path. It is not as good as having a reporting internship, but it is better than working in neither journalism nor the subject area where you want to specialize.

I know you have broadened your summertime goals beyond journalism. Also be sure to open up your search in terms of location and circulation size. A newsroom internship would be best for the career you describe, so don't give up on that yet.

One place you can look for more leads is the internship directory on the Web site of the American Society of Newspaper Editors.

Note: "Ask the Recruiter" has moved to Poynter's new Career Center. The new home is here. Remember to change your bookmark.

When -- and Whether -- to Move Up?

Q: I have been a working reporter for close to three years, and am wondering when, and if, I should consider making the transition to a larger paper.

I began at a very small local semi-weekly paper, and did what I consider some good work there.  While at that paper, I turned down two job offers, one as an assistant editor for a small, nationally distributed political magazine, and one as a reporter for a daily with a circulation of around 40,000.

I did accept an offer from a group of people starting a competing newspaper. I'm the lead local reporter and news editor. The circulation is somewhat larger (but still only about 3,000), the production and coverage are better, and I have more responsibility.

The new paper is a lot of fun, but the fact remains that it's small, and the pay is pretty minimal.  While I'm having fun, I suspect that I'm not doing anything good for my professional ambitions by staying here too long.

I'm leery, though, of trying to transition to a larger paper. The bloodbath of job cuts at many dailies scares me, and I suspect that my pay as a journalist will never be much above poverty level.

So, my question is not only when to consider moving to a larger publication, but whether to continue in journalism. I love the work, but I'm getting married soon, and low wages simply will not cut it. One more question: if I do pursue a position at a larger paper, how should I go about it?

Thanks in advance for your time,

Mark

A: It sounds as though it is time for you to move on and up and it sounds like you enjoy journalism enough to have some fun.

You could use a little more perspective, though.

While we are reading a lot about cutbacks in the industry, we're also seeing a lot of jobs getting posted (like, in the Career Center, to the right). Every week, I hear about people getting new jobs -- and they keep them. The last thing an editor wants to do is hire people, move them and then lay them off. It can seem cruel and makes no business sense.

Fortunately for you, most of the troubles that accompany the realignment of our industry hit the largest newspapers hardest. The next circulation tier for you, say, 10,000 to 50,000, have not been under very many of those alarming headlines. I'd go ahead and start to make my move.

Pull your good clips together, polish the resume and start scoping out areas and newspapers. Put quality ahead of sheer circulation size.

One more thing: I always advice people to pursue the things they love, and if you love journalism, it's worth pursuing, but recognize that journalism is transforming -- and you will have to, also.

Note: "Ask the Recruiter" has moved to Poynter's new Career Center. The new home is here. Remember to change your bookmark.