I am approaching college graduation in May 2008. I've had two internships at good-sized newspapers and am very active and involved in my student newspaper.
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I'm not 100 percent sure I want to get right into reporting full-time when I graduate. I've been toying with the idea of law school, or even participating in a
Teach For America-style program for a couple years to get involved in something a little different.
If I take a couple years off from journalism or reporting right after graduation, will it be difficult or impossible for me to jump back in the field later? I don't want to hurt my chances of landing that first full-time newspaper reporting job just because I waited too long to get into it, but I would really like the chance to explore some other interests before settling into my journalism career.
MC
My answer would be entirely different depending on which direction you choose.
If you go to law school, you could emerge in three years with $100,000 in student loan debt and potentially huge earning power.
If you volunteer for a couple years, you will have very little debt and will be qualified for jobs similar to what you could do right now.
Practically speaking, if you are a law school graduate four years from now, you will likely want to put some of your new skills to work, whittling down that debt. A starting reporter's salary is unlikely to help very much with that.
If you are coming into the workforce from a largely volunteer position, a reporting job would mean an increase in your income, no lost earning potential and no pressure to pay a large debt.
Your finances may well dictate your choice to you, so think hard before you choose your path. Each path leads to different places.
Coming Friday: This reporter has been out of school for a couple years and is paring back collegiate experiences on his resume. He wonders, though, if the leadership positions should stay.
Over the past few months, I have also struggled with...
