Pay, the big headache for graduates seeking jobs in journalism
Posted by Roy Greenslade/Guardian
Gary Andrews enters the debate about the problems that journalism graduates face once they try to get a job.
After passing on an anecdote about a journalism graduate being offered a job in London for £10,000, he writes:
No matter how many different opportunities and different media and organisations there are out there, you still have to pay the bills – and your student debts – somehow. And that's getting harder to do these days.
No matter how many different opportunities and different media and organisations there are out there, you still have to pay the bills – and your student debts – somehow. And that's getting harder to do these days.
Not that pay will rise any time soon. Universities are still churning out a large number of media graduates and even when you take into account the postgraduate courses, the job-to-graduate ratio is still at the stage where employers can keep their wages low – they'll always be another talented, well-trained eager young thing willing to get that first foot on the ladder.
This doesn't even take into account the large number of websites and web-only publications. It's unlikely many of these will pay vast sums of money, either for freelance pieces or permanent positions.
He is very positive about people starting off on local newspapers, arguing that they are a great training ground "and, mostly, a great place to work."Money, however, is a problem there too. Salaries are typically low and pay rises are rarely forthcoming. This is fine when you're fresh out of university with no commitments and the debt something that can be dealt with at some other time. But eventually you start having to make important decisions like settling down (with a partner), deposits and mortgages, kids, career and just how much disposable income you want.
Andrews concedes that, despite the problems, people often do muddle through. It's hardly a lure though, is it?
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