Q. This may seem like a rather mundane question, but this situation is truly hampering my journalism career. I have three internships under my belt at a small daily paper, a wire service and a state policy magazine along with a masters degree. While I was prepared for a grueling job search, I’ve discovered that not having a car poses a greater challenge than getting my foot in the door.

 

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I find that larger papers in urban areas want people with more experience whereas the smaller papers want people with an automobile. What is a broke, but highly educated journalism grad to do?

 

Am I naïve to think that there are entry-level journalism opportunities out there for me that don’t require car insurance? Should I take a year or so off from this industry to earn money for a car?

 

P.S. I don’t have a trust fund or any wealthy family members to sponsor me for a loan.

Thanks,

Immobile in Mobile

A. That may seem like a mundane issue to some, but it is real-world.

You need to have money in the bank to start a job. Factor in two months' rent, enough money to live on until that first paycheck comes and enough money to pay for the move.

Joe Grimm

It is hard enough just landing a job without trying to find one in a place with mass transit or insurance rates that will work for you. Even papers that provide some cars for staff members to use on assignment may expect you to carry your own insurance before you can turn the key in one of them.

You've come this far, so I'd hate to see you stopped by a transportation issue. The nearest solutions I have seen have been people who lived close to a paper that provided some vehicles or those who have bought cheap, used cars and crossed their fingers. They usually made it.

An alternative I haven't seen -- but that I am sure you have considered -- is to put a call through to your family and social network to see if anyone has a workable car that you could borrow long enough to get on your feet -- financially, that is.

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