Taking suggestions on what I should do when I grow up.

[wordsmith]

As many of you know, I'm trying to get a different job than the one I've had for the past five and a half years, which is newspaper reporting, writing, photography, and editing for a family of small community weeklies. When I took it, the plan was to get a foot in, learn, and rack up 3-5 years' experience if I liked it. The time limit is over, and I've topped out here (well beyond topped out, actually, have been treading water for some time). It's not a bad job, I've gotten a lot out of it and enjoyed it. But I'm not learning anything new to speak of and it's definitely not financially worth sticking around for in any way, shape, or form).

I've been looking with varying degrees of urgency for a while now, for something else. Most recently, I was offered a job with a nonprofit in my former field (youth advocacy/education) in the summer, but I turned it down for numerous reasons and don't regret doing so...it wasn't the job for me to take. I attempted in late summer/fall to get a job in web writing with the marketing department of a research hospital, and that looked really promising and I had a series of positive interviews, but the offer got taken off the table due to circumstances unrelated to me.

I'm spinning my wheels right now with what to even go for, look for, and I've had my spirit more than a little dented by the web writing position drying up on me, because it paid well and was in exactly the place I really wanted to relocate, plus it seemed fun.

I'm posting this because there are enough people on here who know me fairly well, and sometimes other people can point out ideas you didn't consider, the whole "not seeing the forest for the trees." Because all I know right now is that it's time to go, and I don't know where to go.

Some info -

-I have a degree in English/Secondary Education. No, I do not want to teach. I would have to probably take some coursework to revalidate my long-expired certification, anyway.

-My first job was as a youth outreach worker/program director for a nonprofit, where I built a tutoring and mentoring program for inner city kids, focusing on literacy. I love kids, education, one-on-one and small group tutoring. I hate running a classroom.

-I've been involved for the past five and a half years in every phase of publishing newspapers other than selling advertising and designing ads. Everything else, I've done, from planning to reporting to writing to editing to pagination.

-I can write.

- I love grassroots nonprofit stuff, but at this point, it needs to earn me enough money to pay some school debt down, and few things in this sector will do that, so I'm not holding my breath for the elusive well-compensated hands-on (i.e. not administrative) nonprofit job that pays a decent wage, because it doesn't likely exist.

-I don't necessarily want to stay in newspapers. I am growing weary of the on-call aspect, the poor ratio of compensation to workload, and while I love and prefer a small office, it means you're the go-to, jack of all trades, write about everything, and it might be less taxing to just have one beat. However, then, I'd have to go to a larger paper, and I'm not sure that's very me. I prefer weekly pace to daily (I think, never done a daily), but that's typically more of the you-do-it-all subgenre, they don't often have big enough staffs. Pay would still suck, too.

-I'd like to get into web writing/marketing, but doubt that it will happen, because I don't have the experience. The job I was vying for, I stumbled across and had a personal "in," so my resume went straight to the person doing the hiring, rather than get canned upon receipt as it would have been, probably if somebody hadn't been waiting to see it. I wouldn't have gotten as far as I did if I didn't know the person doing hiring. That job did seem to think I'd be good for the position, but I'm skeptical that I'd have a shot most places because I don't have the experience.

-I don't want to do fundraising or grantwriting.

-I don't want to do anything relating to advertising or sales.

-Moving is not an issue. Moving is, in fact, preferred.

-I am not averse to fairly low-paying positions (I've never had a job that's made me even $25K a year), but I do need to tackle some debt, so I can't give away my services, either. And I obviously need to offset COL...the only reason I do now is because I live in a small town.

So what I'm looking for are ideas of what else a person whose main background is writing, also with applicable interests and experience in the nonprofit/human services field (but no MSW or bilingual capabilities, a hindrance in both cases), and in education (but not traditional schools/classroom ed) might consider looking into.

I know it's a lot to read, but I'm just looking for suggestions, things I might not have considered.

[WorkInProgress]

Have you considered tutoring--either just part time, privately, or something closer to full time at one of those after school types (like Sylvan or Springwell)? I'm sure you would do an awesome job with something like that.

[Winter Storm]

The only thing that comes to mind based on your experience and wants to is try and get into marketing for a publishing company. It is what I do and I didn't have that much experience when I started. I started in the ad sales dept as a coordinator and did little bits of marketing there. With your writing skills, I'd think that would count greatly. Writing skills are very essential, the rest can be trained.

I got into marketing with no experience and an English degree by going after jobs that had "writing" in the title and/or were listed on Craigslist under "Writing." I broke into the marketing field by taking a job doing marketing for a consulting firm where I was mainly editing proposals (very hellish and I don't recommend doing this), I paid my dues there for 1.5 years and then tried to look for something that was more creative and fun. I started at the bottom at the consulting firm (the position was entry level) and so it was definitely paying my dues - I had to do some admin work and so on. However, the starting salary even at entry level jobs in that field/industry are pretty high.

I eventually plan to get into creative directing and am on that path right now. I don't want to just be a writer/contributor because there's really only so high you can go with that (no matter what the industry). I've actually managed to escape that label already and when people introduce me here they say, "Oh, this is our creative genius" or "our creative force" or something like that as opposed to, "our writer." I like writing, but I like a lot of other things as well and I actually think my biggest skill is coming up with and executing truly unique and creative campaigns.

[wordsmith]

Originally Posted by WorkInProgress

Have you considered tutoring--either just part time, privately, or something closer to full time at one of those after school types (like Sylvan or Springwell)? I'm sure you would do an awesome job with something like that.

All Sylvan jobs (at least, here, apart from director ones requiring masters in ed) are part time, I've looked, because there is one newly opened one semi-locally, actually .

I would enjoy it and do well. But I need benefits and full-time hours. I also have no idea of the pay, but I'm betting it's teacher-level or worse.

Kitty - With six years of professional journalistic writing under my belt, how much dues-paying, rockpile-type writing do you think would be expected? This isn't meant to come off as snotty at all, but I'm not exactly green when it comes to writing like some breaking into the business might be. I do get that you need to break in slowly to learn the ins and outs of a new field, but it's not like I'm going to have to be retrained in writing or anything. I'm no stranger to dues-paying, but how does that work out with more than a half a decade of writing experience?

[winneythepooh7]

I am sure you can find something entry-level in human services if you are still interested in this. I often see youth-worker type positions advertised around here. It may be a little more do-able financially if you considered a position like this not in the immediate NYC area.

My first job outside of undergrad was in a residential facility working with teenage girls. Because you are a little bit older and wiser, you may even be able to find some kind of management or assistant management position.

I recently saw a position advertised working with youth in Long Island that was optional-live in.

[shimma]

Technical writing, PR, marketing?

[wordsmith]

Originally Posted by winneythepooh7

I am sure you can find something entry-level in human services if you are still interested in this. I often see youth-worker type positions advertised around here. It may be a little more do-able financially if you considered a position like this not in the immediate NYC area.

My first job outside of undergrad was in a residential facility working with teenage girls. Because you are a little bit older and wiser, you may even be able to find some kind of management or assistant management position.

I recently saw a position advertised working with youth in Long Island that was optional-live in.

The job I was offered this summer, I actually mainly turned down because it was live-in (though that was a draw when I applied, doing a site visit was a reality check that I'm past the dormitory living stage of life).

I can't justify giving up that much of my life, freedom, privacy at this stage. When I was just out of school, it was cool, but for me, those jobs are best left to recent grads. Also, most people don't do residential positions very long term, and at this point, I'm looking for something a little less temporary.

You bring up an interesting point. Because I'm older, I'm more in the running for director-y, advisory type positions in those sorts of setups (if they don't mind no master's degree, at least). The job this summer wanted me as a head of house. But I really prefer hands-on. I'd rather work with kids than supervise other people working with kids. And, yes, I realize that the "money," so to speak (haha, like it's so much) is in being a higher up. I just don't want to be a higher up.

[wordsmith]

Shimmer, Winter...PR/marketing is def. a frontrunner...but I don't have the connections, and I'm skeptical that my experience would look applicable to those in hiring.

[cheshrcarol]

How about some kind of position in youth services program designing? Have you checked out facilities similar to where you were offered the job that you don't actually have to live on site? You know my friend R who has a job like that and lives in an agency subsidized apartment, making her salary much more livable. In fact, if you wanted to move to the NY area, you could probably get a job there.

Or, what about checking your local Big Brothers/Big Sisters offices? My dad's really involved with that and they have a several full time staff, including "coordinator"-type positions. There was one available here recently that paid low to mid 30's.

[pisces2473]

Originally Posted by Kitty

However, the starting salary even at entry level jobs in that field/industry are pretty high.

I know we've had this discussion before, but I want to throw it out for others reading the thread, that starting salaries in marketing jobs depend on the company size, location, COL, industry, etc.

[wordsmith]

Carol - I've talked to R about this, somewhat...it's an idea, for sure. I actually would have taken the job this summer had they provided a separate apartment. It only paid a few thousand more than I make now, but room and board was free. I just couldn't live in a dorm-style room in the attic of the house I'd have been housemother for.

Big Brothers/Sisters is cool....I haven't looked much, because there's no local chapter...I've looked into United Way's similar program, but the pay is sooooo low.

[winneythepooh7]

Well, you can find the optional live-in positions. It's just getting on your feet in the beginning and trying to find an affordable apartment. Also, I am guessing you probably wouldn't want to go the roommate route, either?

[wordsmith]

Thanks for the brainstorming, btw, everyone, it's really helpful.

[Skyblade]

I know the company I work for will be looking for a writer (in marketing) fairly soon in our Portland, Oregon office. However, my boss really wants someone who knows the electronics industry, so it would probably be a push.

I used to work for a PR firm here in SB that specializes in non-profits. Maybe something like that would be good for you?