An Education in Disappointment

As a former journalist who had the same hopes and dreams upon graduation in the 1980s, and like you "felt duped", I just want to let you know that after working in the field (unpaid and paid) for about 13 years, give or take a few, at my highest paid "journalism" job I was paid less per hour ($9.25 or $9.50 in the mid-to-late-1990s) than I was paid for the work I was doing, work that didn't require a degree, cleaning houses at $10 an hour during quite a bit of the time I attended journalism school and graduated with my B.A. Is it too late for you to go back to college and pursue nursing or accounting?

I wish I had because my hard work, doing my best, winning awards, etc., didn't ever matter. By the time I figured that out and kept going back to school while working and then getting salaried jobs that worked me practically to death (literally, I am 46 and on disability), my health was so bad I couldn't think, much less study or sit in a classroom without crying in pain.

But you are still so young. And even if you love journalism and hate nursing and accounting, in the future you might find that you prefer eating and furnishing a house, buying a car and having the financial wherewithal to afford what you need than by having to watch every penny, live with your parents until you have to care for them or live with roommates into your 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, etc., simply because you chose to stick with a field that is low-paying, has practically disappeared, requires a lot of hard work and giving your best, no, more than your best, every day.

The benefits? If you???re lucky, you???ll get a big fat 10-cent -an hour raise for all your dedication, loyalty, and hard work. Again, had I known or had anyone been truthful with me, I would have pursued an entirely different field. If I had, I don???t think I???d be as badly off as I am.

April, You will be ok--many of us have graduated throughout the ages and started at the bottom for low pay and slowly moved up--not in our field--nothing to do with our degree. Same thing happened in teaching when I graduated--no teaching jobs so many of us wannabe teachers went into business--very successfully, too--the word is eventually... My son is graduating this year with a degree in History (MUCH worse!); I have advised him to get a one year teaching abroad position and then write about his experiences and sell the articles back home: at his former university, the local newspaper, etc. It may be only by the piece, but you will be adding strength and experience to your resume while someone else is paying you--and probably having a great time, too.
Barbara
bbarry249@comcast.net

Grad schools of every stripe are pushing out people who have no realistic chance of earning a living commensurate with their education and the debt they've incurred in getting it. Even in the more academic subjects, where Ph.D.s expect to teach at the college level, those positions are just not there. The universities and their faculties are mainly trying to keep their departments going, no matter the impact on students. The university as presently constituted needs to be rethought. There was a fascinating article on this in the NY Times a few weeks ago by a Columbia professor.

April,
There is no doubt that you are a fighter,and I am very proud of you and your accomplishments.Dont ever give up
on your dreams.
Love,Uncle Joe (jwatkins3@twcny.rr.com)

Welcome to adult hood. I wish I could say that everyone gets to work in the career field that they have passion for. The truth is, we work to earn a living and support our family. If we are wise, we chose careers that have the best opportunities and the most options. We hope we find a job we can enjoy, but that is not a guarantee.
Why do you feel duped?
Over the last 10 years the number of journalist employed by newspapers has been dropping significantly because the number of newspapers has been dropping or consolidating. I would hope before someone commits time and money to a career, they would look at that.
There are chances to go in other directions. The web is becoming the place for news. Small news sites are replacing newspapers. Many are looking at innovative ways to bring local news to people and experimenting to see if they can turn it into a business model that works. People have given other good advice about working for trade publications and such.
There are still challenges and risks, but that has always existed. I don???t think anyone ever told anyone that just getting a degree in something, guaranteed them a job in that field.
I wish that everyone could have a job they want to be passionate about. The truth is that luxury is for a small minority.

You may need to broaden your horizons by sharpening your focus. Try looking for a trade publication. I started in finance and thought it would only be a temporary stop as I set my sites on the Times or Time or any of the mainstream publications. However, 20 years later I am still a financial reporter. By looking at a specific subject (health-care is very big) you may find an entirely different aspect of journalism open up to you.

You may have to look to write about technical or field specific material. I started in the financial world, a library assistant with American Banker newspaper. I thought it would just be a stepping stone because I wasn't that interested in finance. However, as I moved up: editorial assistant, writing about executive changes, marketing then meatier stories with statistics -- it was and still is fascinating! Don't give up hope, but broaden your horizons by fine tuning your focus.

I feel for you. Constructive suggestion- start getting more computer skills to go with your writing since the computer is now dominating the journalistic world.
My son is graduating Cornell with 3 majors and no job - was on a science scholarship and medical school is not an option, economics and international relations. This is a brilliant kid who I would have expected to go on for a master's degree and doctorate and contribute great things to the world, but alas, I am unemployed with over $100k in parent loans and he will have his own from this last semester. Who ever thought the mother-daughter raised ranch would be for the children instead of the grandparents? Frustrated Mom.

The university system is a business, just like anything else. A business that has been incredibly profitable as of the last decade, when increased prosperity for the middle class and lower classes has resulted in a college education becoming more of a common occurrence than it in previous decades. This makes for a much bigger workforce all competing for the same jobs. I'm a first generation college graduate myself and I simply state the facts. Hang in there, baby. This is coming from a journalism graduate of 2007 that is living with parents and working full time for minimum wage simply to pay back loans and have health insurance.

so, this horrible high school at least had a good government teacher, right?

I really liked this article. It is tragically funny, if that makes any sense, but in a good way. It shows the despair in this economy but with a little humor instead of being completely depressing.

After hearing about so many similar stories about adults of all ages struggling to survive in this economy, I feel simultaneously saddened for these people and fortunate to have such a stable job teaching English in what has to be the best school district in Idaho. Good luck, Melanie!

Well you have learned a hard lesson about being a sucker and trusting what the government has told you. The truth shall set you free, to receive the truth, read my blog, and quit trusting goverment: http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-YNiMBk4neqgOl2HKRbQjTECjA.pedt4-?cq=1&p=396