Q. After reading an "Ask the Recruiter" entry about a woman
trying to recover from being fired, I just had to respond and ask a question.
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I can relate to her story because I have had some hard knocks in the field thus far in my pursuit of full-time employment. After graduation, I have been a freelancer in hopes of landing a full-time job with someone.
During my "journey,"I have been in foolish situations, all in the name of getting more experience. For a year and a half, I was a correspondent and editor for a monthly paper. I had to assume editorial duties because the original editor was having legal trouble at the time, and the publisher did not come from a journalism background. During the time, I was working with a shoestring budget, and it was impossible to schedule regular meetings because the roster of reporters varied. Generating stories was hard, as well, because the publication centered on a monthly theme. For my troubles, I only received $220 a month. Before that, it was $20 per article. Eventually, the publisher and I had a bitter falling out, and I quit.
After that experience, I continued to freelance. I lucked upon a few magazine articles, and those articles received the attention of a local daily. I interviewed with that daily for a copy editor and reporting position. The paper ended up going in-house to fill those positions. However, the editor at the time offered me a freelance opportunity. I took it as usual. Now, there is a new editor in charge. What I'm wondering is this: Is freelance reporting a trap? If it is, how can I escape it and continue to work in the media? When is a good time to introduce myself to the new editor?
Restless in CarolinaA. No wonder you feel you have been trapped. The wages in that first job were terrible.
Introduce yourself to the new editor, explain your goals and ask whether you can achieve them from your position as a freelancer. If not, work on getting a position somewhere else.
Freelancing is hard work, whether one is trying to survive on it or use it as a pathway to a permanent job. It is important to be realistic, to see whether there is a history of putting freelancers on the payroll and to get accurate information about how well you're doing. Beware of situations in which you freelance for an organization that almost never hires freelancers. In those cases, the best you can reasonably hope for is enough good clips to get a job somewhere else.
Coming Wednesday: She has worked many jobs, but fulfillment eludes her. She is in another job that is giving her trouble and is ready to quit. But is that wise anymore?
