Oh, the Media!

My guilty (or not so!) pleasure Gawker, just featured a most-excellent blog post on getting a media/journalism job in NYC, and the extreme difficulties of earning such employment. Certainly, I don't live in NYC, but the point is still the same: it's hard as hell to get a job, meaningful or otherwise, in the media world without connections. Oh, and a desire, or rather a willingness, to work for free or below-subsistence wages helps, too.

Here are some of my favorite comments:

1) Temp.
2) Do not ever, ever, ever, get sick, start planning for retirement, or need a vacation.
3) Repeat.

Kiss. Lots. Of. Ass.

Nepotism. I wish I was kidding.

and for advice that's a bit more helpful:

You start by freelancing. Editors everywhere are desperate for copy. Pitch good stories and they will publish them. Give them a list of your best ideas. Get your name in print. Stay current. Don't submit clips that are more than one month old. Meet people. Make connections. Nobody gives a f%&^ about your resume. Just deliver the goods and you will get paid. End of story.

This made me depressed, though:

If at 26 you just had to do your internship, then I think it's time to go look for another career or profession. There's always law school and b-school.

Being 28 is for suckers.