A little job-hunting advice, please?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I posted this in my LiveJournal, but I wanted a wider response, so I thought I’d post it here too.

I’m halfheartedly looking for a better-paying job. I like most everything about my current job - it’s easy (for me, although not everyone could do it), I have the best boss ever, ample time to goof off, etc. Unfortunately, I ALSO have no prospects for advancement (I came into this position at the top), four-percent raises the past two years (and I am VERY underpaid for someone of my abilities in the position I’m in), and a promise in writing that I, along with everyone else around here, will be getting no raise at all this year. The money simply is not there, and never will be. That is the ONLY thing about this job that is a deal-breaker… I don’t love the long commute but it has its good points.

So the upshot is, I don’t have much motivation to get out there and seriously look, but I’m sort of casually keeping an eye on the want ads. Today I saw one for an editor of a local parenting magazine. It sounds like a great opportunity - serving as editor has long been a dream of mine, and I almost had that chance several years ago, just before I took my current job. I in fact was offered the editorship of a magazine, and accepted the job… but before I could publish my first issue, the magazine lost its funding and folded. When that happened, I figured I would never get another chance. I mean, how often does an editorship of a magazine become available?

Their stated requirements are all things I would have no trouble meeting. I have no idea if they can afford me… it’s a free magazine supported by advertising, and I would not jump ship for less than $40K. Still, that’s no reason not to explore the possibility. Although the ad was all secretive about WHICH magazine placed it, I easily deduced that it is Dallas Child by the simple expedient of comparing the fax number in the ad to the one in the magazine’s masthead.

I’m going to apply and see what happens. Which brings me at LONG last to the point on which I would like some advice: Considering that I know which magazine placed the ad, when I fax my information over, should I keep up the pretense of not knowing, or should I admit I figured it out and address it to the actual HR person, etc.? I’d be interested to know what you would do in my place, and also (if any of you are HR types) how you would react if you got a submission that basically said, *I know who you are and here’s why I’m perfect for you in particular… *(not in so many words, you know, but showing a knowledge of the magazine in question). Would that be considered uppity or resourceful?

Tell me what you think.

ps - a glance at the masthead shows that every single person on the editorial staff, from the publisher on down, is female. I wonder if my Y chromosome will be considered a strike against me, and if so, is there anything I can do to forestall it? (the prejudice, not the chromosome.)

2

Chef-

Don’t knock ad supported magazines. In my years of experience in publishing (many…TOO many sometimes) I find that they make MUCH more money that subscription supported magazines. Though you’ll find that editorial sometimes has to bow to business needs. Be warned.

Yes, yes YES! In the interview and in your contacts make sure thy know that you did the research to figure out who they were. Um, as long as you’re absolutely sure of your deduction.

There’s a lot of dough to be made in publishing if you’re at the top. Hell, know anything about utilities or energy? We’re always looking for talent.

3

Oh, I forgot.

Let me point out that I did the exact same thing at my current job. The just gave a fax number and no other data beyond ‘trade magazine’. I just googled the fax number and BANG! up came their web site.

It works, it really does.

And I don’t know what the pay scale for editors in DFW is like but our top dog editors get 50% more than what you’re looking for at a minimum.

Sorry for going on. Man, I love publishing.

4

(IMHO)
It’s not about the money, it’s about the quality of your life.
The hours spent at work must fulfill more than just a way to get money to survive. If you aren’t either blissful or challenged, you may be ready for a change. You sound more blissful…

That said, the money must meet your needs – for now and for the future. If you can make serious bucks doing a job you might not like as much, it might be worth it. Get the money now, invest it, and retire early and/or well. There’s a good chance you’ll have to fund most of your own retirement, or that you’ll outlive your retirement plan. So preparing for the future may mean less luxury now.

There are lot’s of fun possibilities if you are making decadent money, you can be a real hedonist on weekends.

In any case, enjoy every second! You only get one ride on planet Earth, and it’s up to you to make the most of it.

5

Jonathan - I don’t suppose you’d let me telecommute, would you?

I went to hotjobs.com’s salary calculator. The closest fit to my current job was what they called Copywriter III; I am so far off the low end of that scale that it makes me cry. Even if you run the salary range for Copywriter II (a job description that calls for less experience, less responsibility, and less output than my job), I’m still way at the low end. It’s because I work for a non-profit organization that uses its non-profit status to be miserly toward its employees.

I know full well that I should be earning at least 30 or 40 percent more than I am, based on my abilities and experience. But knowing that and finding a JOB that pays that - in Dallas - are two different things. I console myself that since I only actually work about three hours a day, I’m pretty well-paid on an hourly basis.

As for the company, they produce one other magazine (Fort Worth Child). The ad said “local parenting magazine,” though, and they would have advertised in the F.W. Star-Telegram in that case. I guess I need to grab a copy of FW Child and see if they list the same phone number.

Danalan - I’m definitely more blissful than challenged at my current job. Once in a while enough things pile up that I’m busy for a week or so, but most of the time it’s a struggle to look busy all day.

6

I worked for several years as a writer/analyst studying the home systems industry… stuff like home automation, monitored security, high-end entertainment gear, and energy management. Is that close enough? We had a different analyst who was in charge of energy utilities… now SHE is sharp. She’s working for Motorola now.

7

Troy, I was once in the position you describe, although not exactly. I was at the upper end of what the company I’d worked for (for nine years) directly out of college could offer and, unless I pulled a major corporate coup - which was unlikely considering not just my inexperience at such but also the makoness of the sharks above me in the food chain - I realized I was looking at modest merit gains and COLAs for the rest of time. Or, until the company went south.

And my career was stagnating.

Everywhere I looked I found, at best, lateral moves that involved giving up the degree of familiarity I had with our own operations.

A few years of desperation followed, while I looked and found no suitable jump, and then I became aware that the privately held company I worked for was toning down operations.

I made a radical move - I quit and started my own company, with a good idea and $17K in unsecured credit debt.

That lasted eleven years, taught me a lot, and made me a prime mover in my business.

Thirteen years later I can see that I’m in a great position (no, I no longer own a company - I work for an NYSE traded energy and drilling company) that would not have happened if I hadn’t created the interim career.

I realize what I’m throwing at you is a bit more radical than most of what you’ll get in responses. But you might consider self-sculpting part of your curriculam vitae.

Good luck, pal!

8

Believe me, Ringo, I have given serious thought to the idea of self-employment (which in my case would mean freelance writing and editing). The problem is, I have hostages - my wife and son - that make it difficult to justify making the leap. All freelancers starve for a year or more before their businesses take off; that would be fine if it was just me, but it ISN’T just me.

(Also, the idea of having to scratch all the time for more clients is unappealing to me… I’m pretty lazy.)

I guess I’ll always be hampered by the hard choices I’m not willing to make. (another one is that I could be a successful screenwriter… IF I were willing to move to L.A. for at least a year. I’m not willing to do that. Sure, there’s a thriving movie industry right here in Texas, but the screenwriters don’t make a living wage.)

At least my current job is far from intolerable. That makes my search far less urgent.

9

Lots of folks not getting raises this year, like, for example, everyone at Texas Instruments, where I work. (Everyone except overseas employees where some sort of COLA is required, that is.)

Maybe you could keep your current job or jump to Dallas Child and still take Ringo’s advice by doing some freelance writing on the side. If you can make enough income that way, you can dump the job. If not, you’ve still got the job. Be careful about writing on company time, though - employers get posessive about things created on their time.

10

I’d have to say that the advantages of tailoring your resume/cover letter to the specific magazine that’s offering the position far outweigh any disadvantages. I imagine that the reason the magazine didn’t give their name outright is because they don’t want applicants literally knocking on their door. If you’re faxing your application in, I can’t for the life of me see why they would take offense.

Realize, too, that really the only function of your resume etc is to get you an interview. You’ve got a golden opportunity to make yourself look really attractive for this position, because you can tailor your resume to fit the magazine’s needs, and your competition (presumably not as resourceful as you are) will not. Boy, won’t your application make the HR person’s eyes light up.

Of course, you needn’t specifically point out that you see through their mask, just straightforwardly address the letter to the correct person and specifically state why you’d be good for Dallas Child. Heck, now that I think about it, five’ll get you ten that a few other people will have heard of the opening directly from employees of Dallas Child (through the grapevine, I mean), and they sure will tailor their info to the magazine’s needs.

Disclaimer: I’m not an HR person. I don’t even hire people. I accept no responsibility for the fiery destruction of your career potential.

11

Cheffy, ever considered Washington State? :wink:

And if you have a LJ WHY pray tell have i not been added to your friends list???

12

Burn, you have GOT to quit teasing me like that. You know I can’t be in the same state as you without having the stalking start again.

(Believe me, I’d kill for an editor position overseeing the internal publications at Micro$oft. But I can’t move to the coast; I just paid for a $12,000 kitchen remodel. I’m never moving again!)

I might ask you the same thing. You aren’t on MY friends list either - so go add me and I’ll THINK about it.

13

Sigh. I meant, of course, that I’M not on YOUR friends list.

Hey mods - exactly what horrible thing do you folks think will happen if we are allowed to edit our posts? That we’ll look less stupid? God forbid.

14

Well now you are added :stuck_out_tongue:

15

Grrrrr… I don’t think that last post went through and I will NOT double-post without a fight.

16

I believe I mentioned that Laurel Publications, the parent company (so to speak) of “Dallas Child,” also does “Fort Worth Child.” A friend of mine picked up a copy of FWC and confirmed that the fax number and editorial staff are the same for both.

Idly, I typed “www.fortworthchild.com” into my browser and got a page that had a link to dallaschild.com, and also “coming soon” links for fortworthchild.com, babydallas.com, and dallasteen.

So I guess the editor position might well be for any of the four, and more likely for BabyDallas or Dallas Teen than for the other two. Hmmmmmmm. This complicates things.