I have an interview tomorrow to be a legislative committee clerk. Im not 100% sure I want the job now that Im back to reporting full-time, but just doing the interview, at least, may be a fun experience. Which would you rather do - be a underpaid newspaper reporter, a job which youve done for more than a decade, which you feel confident youre tolerably good at, or be an underpaid legislative committee clerk, a job that should provide new and interesting insights into how our state government works, but which will require that you resist on a daily basis an innate compulsion to tell legislators just what theyre doing wrong. Keep in mind, while the legislative job pays slightly better (68¢ more per hour) than the news writing, it could end up being a significant cut in pay if I cant keep the freelance gigs I currently have. Keeping those jobs might be at risk given that it appears this will be an ASAP hire, with no chance of giving proper notice to my current employer. That may be a bridge I dont want to burn given the legislative job is only for the session, meaning Ill be job hunting again in two years. Also worth considering, Augusta is a shorter commute from Sumner than Kennebunk, but working under the capital dome will require investing in a couple of suits, which is money I dont have. Still, I know what reporting is, and what it is for me is what it always will be. While its ever-changing and interesting, and allows me to take full advantage or what talents I have, Im not likely to climb much higher in the industry than where Im at, in terms of either authority or income. On the other hand, while Im not naturally adept to Machiavellian maneuverings, I could, through the legislative work, impress somebody enough to land better-paying work elsewhere in government, politics, or public relations that has a greater impact on the world around me. So, it boils down to: A) Stay put at a job I enjoy (and given my socio-economic origins, that alone is its own special kind of victory), and which I do at least as well as anyone else, and at many times better, for low pay thats unlikely to ever improve, or, B) Take a job for even less pay, that any monkey with half a banana should be able to do, meaning Im likely to succeed so long as I can manage to keep my mouth shut, on the outside shot it could lead to bigger and better things, or, if nothing else, knowledge that could prove useful if Im then able to return to reporting. Random thought: Could non-partisan work in the legislature beef up the resume enough to get on a daily paper? Well, Im one of seven people being interviewed, so the chances are slim to none that Ill have to make a decision — especially considering I dont intend to dress the part (dont currently own a suit, remember). But if it were your decision to make, what would you do?
Posted on: Thu, 01 Jan 2015 17:15:20 +0000
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