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Good to see you on here lekha!
I wouldn’t mind investing now you mention it (lol) although an all important salary is first and foremost in my mind. It’s difficult for graduates to get those all important fully paid jobs and although jackane mentions a lot of the national tabloids and broadsheets, most of the writers in those have long been established in the field. For the time being I’m looking at dipping into politics as a possible career path (the first sign of madness I know…!)
Hmm…if you say so.
I think it was Oscar Hammerstein who said that he was always hearing songwriters complaining about how hard it was to break into the music business.
… However, none of these struggling songwriters were any good!
If you’ve got the ability, the drive and the ambition … and you’re willing to put in the graft make your own luck, you’ll succeed.
However, if you’re no better than the people who are already in the job, why on earth would you deserve to be hired?
Anywhere will take you on to work for nothing,
There you go. There’s your opportunity to get in and impress.
I used to live in France and, because it’s hard to get hired in France when you’ve no experience, many graduates take on unpaid jobs in their target industry after they leave Uni.
By doing that, they acquired the experience that employers wanted and gave themselves the chance to impress a potential employer up close.
but when it comes to a full-time staff job it seems that no-one is willing to take the chance on a young writer.
Do you mean a "young writer" or an "inexperienced writer"?
What’s really holding you back?
Reading your comments, all I see is someone who’s complaining about not having opportunities handed to them on a plate.
Again, it comes down to talent, ambition and the willingness to graft and make your own opportunities.
There are probably more jobs for racing journalists today than there were 5 years ago … or 10 years ago. So, for the right person, there’s plenty of opportunity.
If you’re not seeing that opportunity, maybe it’s not racing’s fault.
Steve
It’s somewhat academic now, but The Sportsman wasn’t exactly snowed under with promising writers and analysts (young or old) beating a path to its door, especially those willing to take a punt on a full-time position.
That is not intended as a slur on those who worked there – all of whom measured up, and some – but there was only half a team there in the last few months. Where were all the young hopefuls?
Quote: from stevedvg on 8:34 pm on Oct. 7, 2006[br]Hmm…if you say so.
I think it was Oscar Hammerstein who said that he was always hearing songwriters complaining about how hard it was to break into the music business. ÂÂÂ
… However, none of these struggling songwriters were any good!
If you’ve got the ability, the drive and the ambition … and you’re willing to put in the graft make your own luck, you’ll succeed.
However, if you’re no better than the people who are already in the job, why on earth would you deserve to be hired?
Anywhere will take you on to work for nothing,
There you go. There’s your opportunity to get in and impress.
I used to live in France and, because it’s hard to get hired in France when you’ve no experience, many graduates take on unpaid jobs in their target industry after they leave Uni.
By doing that, they acquired the experience that employers wanted and gave themselves the chance to impress a potential employer up close.
but when it comes to a full-time staff job it seems that no-one is willing to take the chance on a young writer.
Do you mean a "young writer" or an "inexperienced writer"?
What’s really holding you back?
Reading your comments, all I see is someone who’s complaining about not having opportunities handed to them on a plate.
Again, it comes down to talent, ambition and the willingness to graft and make your own opportunities.
There are probably more jobs for racing journalists today than there were 5 years ago … or 10 years ago. So, for the right person, there’s plenty of opportunity.
If you’re not seeing that opportunity, maybe it’s not racing’s fault.  ÂÂÂ
Steve<br>
If you wish to suggest that either Meshaheer (whom I know very well) and myself are not working hard to prove ourselves and make our way as journalists then Meshaheer has already won awards for her writing and I have had many stories printed in recent months.<br>We are not idiots expecting that our route into racing journalism should be easy!<br>We have both completed the BHB Grad scheme and are simply looking for our first break.<br>My comment was that the demise of the Sportsman will make our journey harder and that cannot be denied.<br>Meshaheeer has already said that she sees she will have to move into politics before finding a position in racing and, I too, know I am going to have to make a move into something completely unrelated before getting the chances we really want and probably deserve.<br>The downfall of the Sportsman will make our paths even more rugged…<br>And to suggest that we aren’t any good and that is the reason why we are complaining is incredibly rude considering you may well have read our work in the papers recently and have no idea who we are.<br>Finally, if you are willing to fund me so I can live in London and work for nothing then please let me know. As a graduate I am in too much debt already to to take out yet another loan so working for nothing simply isn’t and option.<br>
(Edited by lekha85 at 10:27 am on Oct. 8, 2006)
Of course as you say Steve, opportunities in life are rarely handed out on a plate (unless of course, your family ties help you out, which in racing is always a plus). However as graduates – with developed writing skills, none of this media studies rubbish ;) – with experience in the correct areas, it’s still not incredibly easy.
It all comes down to who you know and not what you know, at the end of the day IMO. It looks increasingly likely I will have to do a stint of unpaid work at some point – which I don’t mind doing if it opens the right doors. It’s just bloody lucky that I know someone near London who’s offering to put me up should I need it.
It’s a shame these days that graduates are doing unpaid work but then again that could be down to the amount of degrees being undertaken and that’s a different matter altogether.
But like lekha, I’m of the opinion that there isn’t a vast range of opportunities for young racing journalists, through personal experience.
It all comes down to who you know and not what you know, at the end of the day IMO.
Do NOT agree.
It has never been easy breaking into racing journalism, but in the circles I have moved in what you know has nearly always counted for more than who you know in my experience.
There is, IMO, definitely a place for a second racing daily if it is able to pitch itself correctly in the market. Any paper which has a deal with betting shops as a display version will, by default, occupy the prime position in the market. The Sporting Life shot itself in the foot by refusing to print a display edition and saw the RP sweep into power as it were. It would be nigh on impossible for a new paper to convince the big three to be sole supplier though, so that would be a major stumbling block.
thedarkknight………just a few names off the top of me ‘ead…………Zoey Hannon, Alex Hammond, Rishi Persad and Alice Focke-Spitt.
Colin
Excuses, excuses, excuses …. :biggrin:
Mesh
as graduates – with developed writing skills, none of this media studies rubbish – with experience in the correct areas, it’s still not incredibly easy.
Why should it be "incredibly easy"?
It all comes down to who you know and not what you know
I think that’s a total kop out.
Of course, it’s easier to get your talent noticed … if you’ve got connections.
Anyway, what stops you making connections? Look at Jackane … all the writing talent of a dead rat, but with the ambition to blag his way into meeting all sorts of people within racing.
Maybe you should take a leaf out of his book.
It looks increasingly likely I will have to do a stint of unpaid work at some point – which I don’t mind doing if it opens the right doors.
Well, there you go.
It’s just bloody lucky that I know someone near London who’s offering to put me up should I need it.
That’s handy, but it shouldn’t be the determining factor in whether you pursue your goal.
It’s a shame these days that graduates are doing unpaid work
Why? You just spent years at uni doing unpaid work (study). What’s the big deal with doing more? Think of it like doing a PHD.
But like lekha, I’m of the opinion that there isn’t a vast range of opportunities for young racing journalists, through personal experience.
"Vast range"? Why is this even an issue? You don’t need there to be a vast number of jobs .. if you’re one of the best.
lekha85
We are not idiots expecting that our route into racing journalism should be easy!
No, but you are both complaining that things are "hard" these days.
However, neither of you have addressed the list of reasons I gave for why it’s actually relatively easy.
My comment was that the demise of the Sportsman will make our journey harder and that cannot be denied.
Where did I deny that?
Meshaheeer has already said that she sees she will have to move into politics before finding a position in racing
Why? What’s working in politics got to do with pursuing a goal to be a racing journalist?
I too, know I am going to have to make a move into something completely unrelated
"Have to"?
before getting the chances we really want and probably deserve.
Deserve? Based on what? According to who?
The downfall of the Sportsman will make our paths even more rugged…
Rugged?
Sorry, but that’s a joke.
There’s been an expansion of both UK racing and the media that covers racinng over the last few years. This is something that simply can’t be denied.
So, with that expansion, your task has been made easier.
So, unless you are saying that it used to be “very ruggedâ€ÂÂ
Excellent post, stevedvg.
Colin, like TDK I would say that some tv racing journalism shows evidence of nepotism and "jobs for the boys/girls", but not all of it.
However, the original subject quite clearly seemed to be about written racing journalism.
To say "it ALL comes down to who you know and what you know" is not only palpably false it is also insulting.
An absolute tour de force post, Steve. As Pruf has already said, there were never not places of some description at the Sportsman for aspiring talent, were they freelance, unpaid or otherwise.
I suspect many were put off applying over fears over how long the paper would last, and those would now appear to have been borne out. However, a fleeting few months in an ultimately ill-starred paper would surely have been an experience of some sort, hopefully a positive one.
For the record, the racing team all performed tasks and skills far in advance of those stipulated in their original job descriptions, which can’t hurt one little bit in the search for new employment. These have unquestionably been the most instructive eight months of my working life to date, and I’ll always thank the Sportsman for affording me that opportunity, come what come may.
Jeremy<br>(graysonscolumn)
<br>PS Pruf, my fellow pedant – surely Mesh meant number of degrees being taken rather than amount, didn’t she?<br>
(Edited by graysonscolumn at 8:18 pm on Oct. 8, 2006)
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
As in most areas of life hard work and determination are the real keys to success.
As for contacts, if you haven’t got them, go out and make them. That’s what you’ll have to do when and if you become journalists. Part of the journey.<br>
Quote: from graysonscolumn on 8:14 pm on Oct. 8, 2006[br]An absolute tour de force post, Steve. As Pruf has already said, there were never not places of some description at the Sportsman for aspiring talent, were they freelance, unpaid or otherwise.<br>
How many times did the paper carry job advertisements? I certainly wouldn’t say that it was well known generally that there were vacancies. I’d suggest that people were probably put off because they expected that a paper with a budget of £12m would have bare essentials like journalists to fill the bloody pages!!!! :biggrin:
(Edited by davidjohnson at 8:21 pm on Oct. 8, 2006)
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