How do you change careers?

**MotoGirl** · 29th March 2007, 09:46

Originally Posted by DMNTD

Money is money....easy to make. Happiness is everything

All I'm saying is Life is way to short to do something you're not completely happy with...I mean what's the point eh?
Go with your gut

Agreed. I've wanted to leave for the past two years and have kept changing jobs (within the company) to try and stay happy.

I'm thinking it's time to bite the bullet. My boss is the one who said you don't grow if you never throw yourself outside your comfort zone! Plus, being unemployed with no money is heaps of motivation to take action.

**Smorg** · 29th March 2007, 09:48

Originally Posted by DMNTD

Currently earning $65,000 less per annum

Fuck thats a huge pay cut

**DMNTD:Me** · 29th March 2007, 09:54

Originally Posted by Smorg

Fuck thats a huge pay cut

It's actually a lot more than that but didn't want to sound wanky.

Just to reiterate...I feel far wealthier now. I can pay the bills...ride a reasonable bike or two...feed my kids. What else is required?

**_Gina_** · 29th March 2007, 09:56

Originally Posted by DMNTD

It's actually a lot more than that but didn't want to sound wanky.

Just to reiterate...I feel far wealthier now. I can pay the bills...ride a reasonable bike or two...feed my kids. What else is required?

Other than sex - NOTHING !

**MotoGirl** · 29th March 2007, 10:04

Originally Posted by DMNTD

Just to reiterate...I feel far wealthier now. I can pay the bills...ride a reasonable bike or two...feed my kids. What else is required?

I guess it depends on how materialistic you are!

**Busy** · 29th March 2007, 10:05

Do both.

Go freelance (submit articles to whoever) while your still at your job, as getting a name for yourself or a foot in the door is the hardest part.
You've said you've submitted articles before and know some people in the trade so you are half way there already. You probably wont need training in journalism if you are already submitting stuff (I did a dip. in photo journlaism even though my spelling and gramer is shocking - is only a bit of paper)
Going freelance does two things, gives you a wide range of places to submit (if you choose to test the waters of different styles/fields) and gives you an exciting CV/Portfolio. plus the money can be more but I wont mention that

Doing this while working does take up a lot of time but if you find journalism isnt for you, then you still have a pay packet.
These days its more who you know than what you know.

good luck

**DMNTD:Me** · 29th March 2007, 10:08

Originally Posted by MotoGirl

I guess it depends on how materialistic you are!

I guess that's one of the reasons I believe in passive income
If you haven't already I strongly recommend you read Robert Kiyosaki's Rich Dad-Poor Dad.
Enables one to have a life whilst still being able to pay the bills

**Smorg** · 29th March 2007, 10:17

Originally Posted by girlygirl

Other than sex - NOTHING !

Can we run away together? I have no money no house and no clothes or friends but I'm really good at sex at thats all we will ever need..........

**MotoGirl** · 29th March 2007, 10:20

Originally Posted by DMNTD

I guess that's one of the reasons I believe in passive income
If you haven't already I strongly recommend you read Robert Kiyosaki's Rich Dad-Poor Dad.
Enables one to have a life whilst still being able to pay the bills

Hmm, sounds like changing jobs is actually a case of re-evaluating my priorities and desired lifestyle. That's some serious shit!

**Smorg** · 29th March 2007, 10:20

Originally Posted by DMNTD

It's actually a lot more than that but didn't want to sound wanky.

Just to reiterate...I feel far wealthier now. I can pay the bills...ride a reasonable bike or two...feed my kids. What else is required?

Well you've done better than I could have done in your situation, Im far to materialistic to be throwing that much doe out the window. I love my money even though I never seem to spend it. Bit of a Scrooge Mc Duck

**MotoGirl** · 29th March 2007, 10:41

Has anyone read What Colour is your Parachute? If so, did it help you? A workmate is telling me I should read it.

**The_Dover** · 29th March 2007, 10:43

aren't there any brothels in Tauranga to make up the spare cash?

**Bloody Mad Woman (BMW)** · 29th March 2007, 10:48

I agree with Busy - do both. Or part-time with main job if you can and study journalism.

Agree with Dmntd. You can't buy happiness and love of life.

Today I feel the richest person in the world. I can support myself. I have the basics materially. Don't need anything Want yes!! i.e. new leathers, helmet etc. Have a huge marriage debt but all is being paid off slowly. However I love my work, lead a simplistic lifestyle, and have balance between work and life. Plus fantastic friends.

Take the plunge you won't regret it.

**Beemer** · 29th March 2007, 11:01

Originally Posted by MotoGirl

Not really, we know a guy who works for the Motorcycle Trader (although I'm not sure what his job title is). We also know the guy from Bike Rider Mag. I've written an article for them before. I wonder if I should think about journalism in general, then try going automotive?

I hear what you're saying about the pay cut. It all makes sense when you put it into perspective.

Sorry to put the damper on things but I know what the pay is like in journalism and I have an idea of what the pay is like in IT. If you think you will only drop $10,000 in salary, you must only be earning about $33,000.

I was in a similar situation when I decided to train as a journalist in 1994. I was a sales rep at that point, earning about $30,000, and after shelling out about $8000 (it's probably more now) in fees at Wellington Polytechnic (now Massey), I started my first job on a newspaper at $23,000. And yes, that was fulltime!

During my time on that paper I had developed an interest in motorsport and covered rallying, road racing and motorcycling as a freelancer for The Evening Post, Speedsport, Kiwi Rider and a few smaller motoring publications. I got paid per photo (usually about $50) and per word (between 30-40c per word), and out of those payments I had to buy and maintain my own camera equipment, pay for petrol, accommodation, film (hardly anyone used digital in those days), etc. It cost me about $1000 to cover the Rally of NZ once you factored in all that - and no, I didn't always cover my costs. I did it because I loved it but I wasn't rolling in money, that's for sure!

Years later I worked as a senior photographer on a daily paper - earning $27,000. Journalists at the Manawatu Standard earn about $36,000 per year before tax, and for that they work shifts and rostered weekends. If you were the editor of a reasonably sized paper (which would only happen after about 10 years or more of hard work), you could earn about $50,000.

As for being an automotive journalist, the market is not that huge in NZ and there are only a few successful females. The Standard no longer has a motoring editor and The Evening Post's motoring section died before the paper merged with The Dominion. I still write some motoring articles and get paid a few hundred dollars for them - the payment all depends on the size of the publication and how much advertising they draw in. You would have to be prepared to travel widely to do this fulltime - most writers for motoring publications are freelancers - which means they usually only get paid for what gets published.

Unfortunately you wouldn't step straight into an automotive writer's position even if there were lots of them on offer. It's one thing to have an interest in a subject, it's quite another to be able to write about it well. Most people who write for these publications are established journalists who have been writing (not just motoring articles) for years and have an established reputation.

I have been freelancing for almost five years now and don't just write - I take photos, do proofreading and editing - and some temping work when things are slow. You'll find most freelance writers do the same. I'm not trying to put you off, but journalism is not a highly paid career on the whole - it is extremely interesting and rewarding, but if you think you will be earning a good salary from day one, you will be very disappointed.

PM me if you want a link to my website or some more information. There are some good debates going at present about rates for freelancers on Journz - http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/journz/ They have a freelancers conference in May and this is one of the topics we will be discussing. You could freelance and offer articles to publications but it won't necessarily get you a fulltime job or make you rich!

And BMW - you can study journalism papers extramurally for graduate diplomas, but the diploma course in journalism is only available fulltime.