Q. I am trying to figure out what to do with my life and have thought about journalism graduate school. I was a sportswriter for a community newspaper and harbor dreams of writing full-time about food for a newspaper or magazine.
My questions are:
1. How realistic is the dream, and would going to grad school boost my chances of landing that food writing gig?
2. Is grad school worth the financial investment?
Bryce A. School might help you turn the corner from community sports journalism to food writing, but be creative as you consider your next step.
Further education in the culinary arts, nutrition, food sciences or the social or historical aspects of food could help position you in a unique niche. This could be important, as a lot of people are writing about food, and I think you want to have some knowledge that sets you apart. I am not aware of a program in food journalism per se, so this is another reason to search for a creative blend.
You might also think of finding work that would expose you to the inside story of an area you could concentrate in, and that would help you produce some one-of-a-kind journalism.
Above all else, I think, you need to find that angle or specialty that makes you unique among food writers. It is mighty difficult to compete directly with people who have a head start on you.
Your second question was whether grad school is worth the financial investment. Of course, that depends entirely on what you want to get out of grad school. If you see it strictly as a money deal, grad school might not be for you. Things like personal and professional accomplishment and job fulfillment need to go into that equation, too. How do we put a value on those?
Contemplating a career switch of your own? Bounce your question off
joe.grimm@gmail.com. I'll answer you soon.
Coming Monday: He turned in his newspaper job for a collection of jobs that keep him hopping but that have left him feeling reinvigorated.
