Q. I'm a J-school student with some pretty solid experience. I worked for two years at my campus paper, and I've worked all year as a metro intern at a local daily and have done very well. I've won four employee-of-the month awards for deadline writing. I've gotten great clips, and my editors really like me. I will have an internship this summer with a newspaper that is in the top 10 for circulation.
But after this summer, I'm not sure what to do.
I still have about three courses left before I can graduate, but two are foreign language courses that I can't take in the same semester, so I am going to be hanging around campus taking one or two courses.
My question is, what should I do with myself?
I've been thinking about putting in a year as editor-in-chief at the campus paper because I'm going to have a LOT of time to devote to doing a great job and I'd really like to give back to the campus paper.
Is this a good idea? I can't take my old metro internship back because the recruiter says other people need the experience. But the paper also has a NASA Space Grant internship for science writers. So I could potentially go back to working part-time for the paper writing science pieces.
Should I take the reins at my campus paper, or should I stick around at the daily paper? Or is there another way to go? I feel like I have GREAT momentum, but I want to make the right choice!
On the One Hand ... A. I admire your inclination to give back to the campus paper by being editor-in-chief, but two things might dissuade you. One is that recruiter's advice about spreading opportunity around. Is there someone else who would like that opportunity?
The other is your desire to keep your momentum. You need to complete your degree, no question, but you are pretty much done with college. So, which feels more like momentum to you: taking one or two classes a semester and working at the campus daily with full-time students, or working in specialized journalism at a local paper while taking your one or two classes? I think the local paper is a better bet for keeping your momentum.
Coming Wednesday: I'll be back with some of the material from today's 1 p.m. live chat, "Let's Talk about Salary," or with an answer to a new question.
If this is a major university with a substantial student...
