Hey!
I’m so, so confused and would love some serious advice. I am currently in law school and kind of hating it. I majored in Journalism in college and had a couple of internships at some big name magazines. I loved, loved, loved magazines and working in the industry but foolishly decided to follow my conservative family in their footsteps and enter grad school even though my heart was not in it. I guess when everyone tells you what they believe is right for you, you begin to believe it after a while.
I don’t want to be unhappy and am willing to do everything to reverse my mistake but the problem is I graduated in 05 which means I’d be stating over at 25. Should I attempt to get an internship again? Would anyone hire me at thi age? Is quitting grad school midway a red flag to editors?
Please help.
Thanks.
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you'll be fine
In every mag internship I’ve had, there have been interns who were 25 or older. In fact, at least one girl i worked with was 28 and had an irrelevant masters degree. I think you’ll be OK.
My two cents may not be
My two cents may not be much…
But I definitely say that you should stay in school while freelancing on the side to build up your experience. I think the point is here (and this applies to probably everyone) is getting as much experience as you can while still making the most of what you have right now.
And I don’t think 25 is too old. This may not be the best example, really, but Johanna, who recently won Stylista, was I think 28, and she left a good job to pursue her dreams.
So don’t despair, even if it is a bleak outlook right now.
and by the way…if i sound
and by the way…if i sound like i have a rosy outlook in this bleak economy, i don’t. i realize how difficult it is right now for the magazine industry and those trying to be in it. but i’m trying to say that if this is the career path you’ve chosen, you should go for it all the way, and you’re certainly not too old. (when did 25 become old?? that’s scary.)
follow your dream!
hey newgirl…i somewhat know how it feels, myself having recently been a 24-year-old (unpaid!) magazine intern. after a bunch of non-magazine internships in college and 2 years working at a local newspaper, i decided to start over in magazines. i’d say go for it.. i doubt quitting school would look bad if you explain that you decided to follow your heart and show that you’re willing to work hard. i also think you’re underestimating how much those big-name college internships would count on your resume, since they’re still valuable experience. to make your experience look more current though, i would take on an internship (if you can afford it!) since not all of them require college credit, or better yet, try to freelance for a bunch of smaller magazines/websites and work your way up. another option is, if this is available at your school, to switch into a combined journalism MA/JD program. i know people don’t advocate j-school, but if you have this option and are already in school, it may not take that many credits to finish up.
best of luck!!
I have a feeling you’ll
I have a feeling you’ll get a lot of feedback about this question, but I’ll go ahead and give my two cents to kick things off.
The truth is it’s going to be hard - very hard. Even for those of us who spent all of college - and even years after - working towards a career in mags, the going is tough. Even editors with years of experience are finding themselves out of work. It’s partly due to the economy and partly due to a shifting and shrinking industry.
It’s funny, but law school is a backup plan for many journalists I know (and even an option in my own mind). It’s one thing to follow your dreams, but when those dreams fail to materialize and you’ve got rent to pay, something’s gotta give. So a lot of people are getting out.
My recommendation is to stay in school. Freelance on the side to keep your options open, but make sure you have a way to pay the bills at the end of the day. If, at the end of law school, you decide it’s definitely not for you, chase your magazine dreams. You can always use your law knowledge to develop a niche for your writing/editing.
Good luck.
thanks everyone
Thank you for everyone’s opinions thus far. I value them all and I know this is a very difficult decision especially now in this economy. It has to get better out there though. I wouldn’t mind working for free in an internship and taking on night gigs or babysitting jobs until more jobs are available and until I emerge with some freshly baked experience. I guess it takes some guts on my part to leave a stable, certain setting with a promise of a job at the end, but I can no longer live someone else’s life. I can’t imagine not being passionate about what I do. The JD/MA is possibly an option but the problem is that extra loans are attached to those extra years of schooling.
Let me tell you: fear of failure is a dangerous thing…the million dollar question is, would you rather be unsuccessful but happy to work toward some glimmer of your own happiness and success and hopeful, or stable and successful in other peoples’ eyes but hating your job? I just hope I’m not waiting tables at 50 if I do pursue this!
Law
I agree with the other posters that you should finish your education and freelance on the side. This is the best time to be getting further training and as another poster said, law can give you a niche for writing. You can do a number of things from consumer reports to nonprofit orgs and corresponding mags.
I also think you’re not giving law a fair shot. Have you done any law internships yet? I honestly can’t imagine the rush that comes from a winning a class-action suit or defending someone you believe has been wronged and fighting for them, or defending basic human rights. There are a gazillion things you can do with a law degree. I wouldn’t be so quick to shut yourself off from that.
Unless your interest is purely fashion oriented, count yourself lucky and consider all all the ways you can help humanity with a law degree. Also, there is no rule that says you can’t pursue editorial at an older age. It’s more common than you may think.