What kind of jobs to apply for with a graduate degree in journalism?

May 21, 2009 1:54 PM

What kind of jobs should my friend be applying for with a Master's degree in journalism and alot of "web 2.0" experience? (more inside)

I have a friend who is struggling to find a job in the Pittsburgh area. Because he shares custody of his child, moving is not an option. What kind of jobs should he be applying to? I think at this point he would be happy with ANYTHING. He's currently doing some consulting on MBA application essays. Any advice I can share? Thanks!

posted by Raichle to work & money (8 comments total)

I'd search for communications work, possibly under the specific heading of "social media" or "new media." Other places will list these kinds of things under "web production" or simply "writer/editor."
posted by runningwithscissors at 2:40 PM on May 21

(Presuming he isn't looking to work strictly in journalism -- organizations, both for-profit and not-for-profit -- need people to write for them.)
posted by runningwithscissors at 2:41 PM on May 21

There don't seem to be many jobs around here in any sort of "media" :( I believe he looks daily through all ads for writers as well.
posted by Raichle at 2:45 PM on May 21

Copywriting for a web company?
Teaching writing, or journalism, or something web-ish at a highschool or college?
Technical writing?


Also - can you expand on what you mean by "a lot of web 2.0 experience"? What kind of work did he do? that could help us understand the breadth of skill set better.
posted by Kololo at 3:03 PM on May 21

Hmm... No web design per se, but attending some conference on blogging and new media. Pretty hip to web trends but he mainly specialized in education.
posted by Raichle at 5:56 PM on May 21

I would suggest he start looking into moving into the publishing side of the business. This is probably a very alien concept for him because I am sure he was also a college newspaper section editor at some point. I am a journalist although I am currently at the beginning stages of a new public radio show I have found funding for and am currently developing. I do not have a masters, I have a post-graduate diploma.

My own opinion is that you can work well as a journalist in the United States, but the money supply for daily operations are so precarious in the larger markets that unless my friend for instance takes a job as a crime writer at either a suburban daily or freelance for a national magazine to get a good career going. I would suggest writing for a newspaper if your friend is committed to doing that. Writing is fun. I love to write newspaper style and I wrote for my college paper for all four years. Then I tried to get a job in it. After three internships, I found that publishing (and, as it is called in radio, producing) was much more fun. Finally, you will be able to command people to take your editorial goals to heart.

please message me if you would like
posted by parmanparman at 8:07 PM on May 21 [1 favorite has favorites]

I didn't finish my point.

The thing is that publishing allows creativity beyond kind of other realm. It is the ultimately trade in practice, because it allows strategic control of vision to the founder and that person can be as wide-ranging or narrow as she or he wants. The majority of publishers are people who have never wanted to be a follower, but who understood that most of the daily routine is quite tedious. If your friend plans it right, he will start having moments all of the time that will justify what he does. He must be an optimist and be willing to work with less at the beginning. I hope he is creative enough to realize there are better places than the corporate ladder and that he can still write stories.
posted by parmanparman at 9:30 PM on May 21 [1 favorite has favorites]

ask him if he has ever thought of teaching for right now, even in a private school.
posted by parmanparman at 9:43 PM on May 21