Q. I'm one of the many young journalists now collecting unemployment checks due to "lack of work."
I worked for about a year at a mid-sized daily before getting laid off in December.
My question is: How many of the established rules of job applications no longer apply, due to the incredible economic situation?
For instance, when I apply for jobs, I'm thinking -- this could be a decent job to get me through this crunch, but I wouldn't want to be here for more than a year or so.
If I got the job, my resume would be topped with two job experiences that lasted for less than a year. Under the old rules, that would be a red flag to an employer. But is it still so? Or would employers understand?
Another example: Normally, going from reporting to public relations is seen as crossing a line, and it's harder to come back, especially if the PR work is for an advocacy or ideological group. Still true? Or will editors understand some of the decisions that journalists had to make?
A.P.A. There is a little guesswork in this because every hiring manager and every company is a little different, but I think we can count on some things.
One is that the tremendous amount of upheaval in the news media means that the people who do the small amount of hiring that is going on will see a lot of candidates who have been bought out, laid off or downsized. That should take some of the stigma off a short tenure.
However, the new reality is that there will be many more candidates for every opening. That means hiring managers will be able to be fussier than usual. The two effects could cancel each other out. Your circumstances can be forgiven, but the line to get back in is a lot longer. Hiring managers will be wary of people who seem lukewarm about taking jobs that may be desperate choices.
If you wind up getting restarted with a new job and want to move again soon, just make sure that the second newsroom is one you will be with for a few years.
To your last question, the greater competition will make it harder than ever to come back into journalism from outside. The more ideological the non-journalistic employer, the harder it will be.
Coming Friday: This reporter is in an enviable position, but still has a difficult choice. In this economy, is it better to choose career growth or security?
Obviously, a potential employer will be more sympathetic to an...
