Wednesday, November 28, 2007

When the murder and mayhem become boring

You know what sucks most about being a journalist? It's not the job...I usually really enjoy the job (frustrated by it some days more than others). The job can be exciting and fascinating and awful and depressing all rolled in to one.

It's knowing that although I have a college degree, I'm pretty much not qualified to do much more than write and be a reporter. Which leaves my options for future job opportunities pretty darned limited.

Unfortunately I've been feeling extremely apathetic about my job for the last few weeks. It's gotten to the point that I just. don't. care. About things I SHOULD care about. I can't seem to be able to muster up any kind of excitement for the job anymore. It's just a job, not a passion like it used to be. I'm a good reporter, most days. Other days, I suck and can't motivate to do anything but the barest minimum and readers deserve more than my "bare minimum." After all, they paid a whopping $0.50 for the damned paper.

I think I need a change. Or a sabbatical. Something. But I don't know what I'd do. I don't have mad skillz at anything but journalism. I'm a job retard and I'm panicking about it.

How sad is it when mucking out stalls and feeding other people's horses at some boarding barn somewhere sounds leaps and bounds better than what I'm doing now?

I need a drink. Or two.

9 comments:

Jim Thomsen said...

Welcome to my world, Jenn. Read my latest blog post.

What scares me more than my own complacency as a newspaper journalist is the fear that I'll be JOLTED out of that complacency by getting abruptly pink-slipped one day for purely budgetary reasons. There's a scary recklessness in the air.

MP said...

I think everyone feels that way at some point...you lose the passion for what you were doing.. If you can afford to do it..take a break!

Liz said...

My passion comes and goes as well. Maybe you should try something similiar, but different? PR perhaps? Or writing for another pub?

What paper do you write for now? I majored in Journalism.

Lynnette Labelle said...

Hey, don't get down. Maybe it's just that time of year. For what it's worth, you made me laugh in your blog. Sanks.

Joeprah said...

I think it sounds very exciting and you rock for doing it as a job. I am jealous for real. Own that journalism! That's an order!

Jenn said...

Ninja...I know. It's a scary time to be in the news biz right now. I'm not really concerned about getting pink-slipped though. We are already down several reporters with no plans to hire replacements.

MP...Oh, I would love to take a break! I've been here long enough now (15 years) that I am entitled to take a year-long sabbatical and under our company policy, they have to give me my job back after a year. I just don't think our budget could afford to be single-income right now.

Marriage 101...PR is definitely a possibility...Or freelancing.

Lynette...Could be. It is that "funky" time of year for a lot of people. I'm glad you found a few laughs! Thanks for stopping by!

Joeprah...Yes SIR! *grin* It can be VERY exciting. I've done some pretty awesome stuff in this job, and some really crap-tastic stuff. I just hope I get out of the funk soon.

Wendy said...

It's weird how one day you feel crappy about things when things are the same as they ever were. I can relate.

That's when a friend of mine (not me of course!) takes bubble baths with a glass of wine and wears a sparkly tiara. Not kidding!

Atypical California Girl said...

What Ninja said.
I am in constant fear of losing my job. My job that I enjoy and am really good at.
I hate constant fear.

yoo hoo said...

My husband and I have been planning our escape from 'our jobs' for a while now. I don't want to schelp food anymore, I'm a food broker, and he is fed up with photographing widgets for someone else. If we don't take or ourselves physically and mentally no one else will.