Ask the Recruiter

I've been working for several years as a reporter at a midsized paper.

I feel ready professionally to step up to a metro paper. I have been told by my editor and others that my work qualifies me for such a post.

ASK JOE A QUESTION

To get your question answered on this page, send it to Joe. Please include your full name in your message. If you prefer that your surname not be published, please indicate that. Sign up to receive Ask The Recruiter by e-mail: * Click here (sent Monday-Friday at 8 a.m.)

My dream is to work for a giant metro paper. How realistic is that? Do they only hire from other very large papers? What advice do you have for getting their attention?

A complication: I am torn about the timing of this move because I have a young child. Will I look less ambitious if I spend too many years in my current job? In fact, I dream about quitting, working freelance for several years and then returning to full-time work (ideally at my dream job).

I worry: Would leaving full-time employment kill me professionally? Or, at the very least, would it mean a huge, huge reduction in pay when I resume work? What if my freelance articles were really good?

Thanks!

Ambitious but Hesitant

A lot of mothers with careers share your apprehensions.

I see no reason from what you've written why you could not work at a humungous newspaper. You have to be good, of course, and luck would help, but

Joe Grimm

people from newspapers the size of yours -- a pretty large one -- do make it to the very largest. It might take more than one move, but it would be worth it.

You should not take a pay cut for taking a few years off from full-time work. I would treat today's wages as the base line for future salary negotiations, especially as you intend to go larger.

The biggest hurdle I see is that it can be hard to move from freelancing back to full-time. If you decide to try it, make those clips very, very strong.

The recruiter asks back: We know we have a lot of mothers reading. Can you help this journalist? We're interested in hearing about your experiences, and especially about some strategies. Just click on Add Your Comments below.

---

Coming Thursday: He has posted in every journalism resume database he can think of and wonders if editors look there.

---