I can't seem to title this. So...whatever....

[HEyHEY]

Well, I'm taking a break from my DU break.
I headed up country again for another job interview that turned out to be a waste of time. I had just phoned the guy and got to talking with him. I thought I had made it clear I was looking for a job as a reporter. I sent him my portfolio and he suggested I find a way to make it to see him. I asked him in an email, "Are you sure you are looking for a reporter? I want to know before I go up." he replied, "Call me and we can arrange a time to meet."

So I went up, this was an especially special job to me because it was in the town that my mother was born in. As well, my great uncle was a prominent journalist in the area.

I met up and talked to him for a couple hours...he and I went over his problems with his paper. He sort of got around to saying he was looking for a person who could fulfill editor duties as well. His paper needs ALOT of work, especially lay-out wise. Plus the writers seem to have no concept of CP style..or any style. The reporters don't seem too bad, but you can tell they are locals who could string a sentence together and so they got the job.

So anyway I gave this guy ALOT of input on how he could fix his paper. He didn't seem turned off by it, he did ask me afterall. So here I am, a guy with journalism experience and the journalism education to back it up. He says that it's too bad I didn't live in town so that he could start me off freelancing. This pissed me off...it's like he doesn't realize he's dealing with a pro.

So I sent him an email offering to work for him for free for one week...I knew if I did that I could fix some of his problems and proove I could do the job. I figured I would also blow away his competition. (I'm serious too, it wouldn't have been too tricky and I had a vision for this paper)

So anyway he turned down my offer. Said it, "wasn't the right time to make changes" BULLSHIT! I FUCKING HATE guys who pump air...you get me up there, go over all these "pressing problems" with your paper and then blow me off. I think the truth is this guy is just an inconsiderate fuckhead who realized he couldn't afford me AFTER I came to visit.

Journalism is a serious business to me, and I expect the same serious attitude from people who get me to drive 16 hours to see them.

Bottom line is I lost it after I hung up the phone. I didn't get mad or anything, just really upset...And it's not the not getting the job thing...I'm not that much of a wiener. It just the frustration of the whole, no job, no money, and getting fucked around thing. This is the second time I've gotten screwed. Both times it was by editors who weren't serious. These people test the waters to see what comes up then say, "oh the job doesn't begin for two months" or shit like that.

Either way it upset me, and the worst part is the upset won't go away until I get a new job. I've started thinking maybe I've been too lucky the last few years. I've gotten every job I've applied for...only had three interviews. Two of those jobs paid very well...and I a couple of times I even figured, "is life really this easy?"

Well it's not. This is the most effort for the least payback I have ever put out. I have, logged about 2,500 kms, put out 40 resumes, and made twice that in phonecalls. But nothing has come my way. It pisses me off because, I have a strong portfolio (since the revamp), a good attitude, and experience that could be very useful in a small newsroom. But for some reason this isn't getting across to people...I don't get it. I used to be able to sell people $5,000 worth of advertising in two phonecalls...but now I can't even get a yokel in a crappy newspaper to hire me...christ.

I don't want or expect sympathy, there really is nothing that can help from a few "there there's". I know you guys have your best thoughts for me on this (some of you anyway). So there is no need. I just wrote this to let you know where I'm at...Plus I really had to get it written down before I exploded. This is getting long so I'm just gonna turn up Tommy Roe singing about Sheila and get a glass of water.

Edit: NSMA was kind enough to point out considering the story...I should fix the typos.

[wtmusic]

1. LOL Tommy Roe and a glass of water?

I'll have to try it sometime...

Dude. I've been there many, many times. Knocked myself out to make it happen, then been pissed on.

I think more often than not there are bigger forces at play--the economy, people cutting back, local shifts in the workforce, etc.

Maybe it's time to try a new angle.

[HEyHEY]

3. I don't have angles

I try to present myself as real as possible so the employer knows exactly who they are hiring. Next time, I'm gonna be very intimidating when we discuss my coming to visit. That way they'll know if I get there, and think they've fucked me around, they'll be hell to pay. That outta scare off the shit ass bystanders.

ALso: 40 portfolios and 80 phonecalls may not seem like much but it's all in the same field. Just for those who may think I am being stupid.

[wtmusic]

5. Sorry my bad

I didn't mean angles in the sense of misrepresenting yourself. I meant angles in terms of what kind of work to look for.

[HEyHEY]

6. there's only one thing I wanna do

Journalism...it's what I went to school for and it's what I love. I have been looking for a job to sustain me until I hit the jackpot. But I have spent so much time on the phone and writing cover letters that I haven't applied to enough places I guess. Plus, I still can't swallow my pride enough to take something really low.

[wtmusic]

8. Good luck

Commitment like yours always pays off. Problem is, it never happens on YOUR schedule.

[HEyHEY]

12. thanks

yeah..true aboutmy schedule

[SOteric]

2. Hang in there, sweetie.

:hug:

[HEyHEY]

4. well at least yoda always makes me chuckle

thanks

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

7. I am glad to see you.

It sounds like you ended up doing free consulting. Tommy Roe will help snap you out of this bad experience. :D

[HEyHEY]

11. exactly and that's what burns me

I'm gonna get my uncle to send me a copy of that paper and if I see he's taken my advice - he's getting a bill.

Edit: Good to see you to, nice to be back..although I'm riding the break train again after tonight. ;-)

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

13. OK...I'll have to use my other powers

to communicate then. Be well and good luck. You got spunk! Somebody will want you. ;-)

[HEyHEY]

14. thnx

For the wishes :-)

[Kenneth ken]

9. HEy

HEY

I was just thinking about you last night. Realized I hadn't seen anything from you in a while. Like two weeks, I think - I did a search.

Have you thought about freelancing while you're looking for something permanent? I'm not a writer or a journalist, but don't a lot of writers write articles/essays and send them round trying to get paid and published that way?

Hope something clicks in for you soon.

[HEyHEY]

10. yeah I've been freelancing

But not as much as I should have...I was too busy. Now, I don't think I could make enough dough as a freelancer. And it takes up alot of time. But, I think I may have to.

:-)

[Newsjock]

15. Canadian journalism

... is about as mucked-up as the U.S. these days.

I regularly check http://jeffgaulin.com to see what little is out there in Canada for news editors and design whizzes, and there's almost nothing. What I do see, however, are plenty of small-town greedy operators who want experienced people to work for Cdn$24,000 a year or less.

So far, I've had "encounters" with two Canadian papers. One major daily said they liked my stuff, but they'd have to wait to make sure there weren't more highly qualified Canadians available. That was about 9 months ago. The other paper was a midsized daily that, in a terse email reply to me, came right out and said they just didn't want any Americans working for them. (And I've seen the same job posted twice since then.)

Newspaper editors and owners are a greedy lot. Little good comes of them anymore. I wish I could offer something more encouraging.

Sorry Quesnel didn't work out.

[HEyHEY]

16. Quesnel was a while back this was Nelson

Yeah gaulin is a good site. I get pissed at these people too. So many of then want unbelievable education and experience for shit pay. It's almost gone beyond "paying dues" and has graduated to "Getting fuck royal."

My friend has a good job though..paper of 1700 circulation...and she makes 15 an hour. Most places are offering $10.50. check out "mediajobsearchcanada.com"

plus if I ever get on my feet again...I can always put in a word for you if I get to a paper that would suit your interests..but I'm in no position to to make promises now I guess. ;-)

[Interrobang]

17. It's crap all over the place for us creative types, I guess.

You already know I'm not in journalism, but tech/marketing/professional communications is pretty close, in terms of lack of opportunity right now, and lack of pay. I've seen some *incredible* lowballing around, so it's not just the journalism field. One posting I saw wanted marketing communications professionals with portfolios and a couple years of experience for $24K/a in Toronto. I don't think it's possible to *starve* in Toronto on that kind of money. To be fair, though, I've also seen it in other fields when looking at the general job boards -- an occupational health and safety expert, 44h/week, $18000/year?! So basically a lot of the problem here is that many employers right now aren't willing to pay fair market rates for competent professionals. (I have $15K in student debt. I can afford to take a<nother> criminally low-paying job?)

I've also noticed a lot of trolling on job boards. The same postings, week after week after week. This is not good.

I'm sorry to hear that your interview was a waste of time. I think I've put out over 50 resumes in 6 weeks, and so far I've had a grand total of *one* interview, and that was a quasi-scam outfit looking to recruit me for a sales position (head=bash bash bash bash bash)!!

I don't really freelance too much, because I don't really have good editorial contacts, and I really ought to start doing more market research (yay, hours and hours in the periodicals room of the local library...igh...).

I second your emotion about Jeff Gaulin's board -- the volume of postings has really gone down, and the types of things they're looking for on there seem to me unreasonable. A couple of years ago when I was looking for a job, ISTR applying for a job off that site about every day. Now? Heh. Fugeddaboudit.

BTW, HeyHey, if you find a position open somewhere for a junior copy-editor, send it my way, ok? I'm open to anything that'll pay the bills and let me practice my *real* job, which is fiction/nf/poetry writing, so I could go just about any way with something related.

[radfringe]

18. know your frustration

when possible employers blow smoke up your skirt...

I went for one job interview this spring - interview went good, and I was told that I would definitely be called back for a 2nd interview

two days later - the "round file" letter came - you know those kind of letters "....thank-you blah blah blah...keep resume on file....blah blah blah"

in putting out some feelers to people I know, I found out that they had no intention of hiring anyone they interviewed, just going through the motions to make it look it - job went to one of the high mucky-mucks nephew that just graduated from college