Career Blues and Blessings in Disguise
When I was in graduate school in 1994, one of my assignments was to interview someone who had left the journalism profession. The professor was studying reasons behind this particular career transition, and our write-ups were helpful for her research.
Thus I’ve known for decades that journalists are very likely to leave the profession or, in cases like mine, opt for a sort of “journalism lite” version that’s less stressful and emotionally taxing than full-time reporting on some of the hardest moments of people’s lives over and over and over. Burnout is real.
There’s a steady stream of first-person columns like this one from 2021 about why journalists walk away from news outlets. Random people sometimes express surprise that all their previous media contacts have left their roles and wonder out loud what happened to them. I’m always like, Have you not heard ANYthing about the media landscape in the last 15 years?
But I’m here to tell you that once you develop a taste for crafting with words, it’s very hard to put it behind you entirely. Writers are resourceful and resilient and always willing to take a public, published risk.
Recently several of my friends have taken bold career steps that wouldn’t have been possible if they hadn’t been laid off from their full-time writing jobs. And in the past few weeks I’ve met a couple of people who have other options in life but are choosing to enter the writing and editing melee.
I’m delighted to introduce you to three of these wordsmiths …
Robin Wheeler — Culinary wizard and music lover who is working on a book about Woody Guthrie. She was laid off seven months ago and is getting started on a travel advisor certification. Here’s an example of her Substack “6 Days on the Road.”
“I’ve written about my feelings regarding flying while fat and traveling while disabled, both experiences that I openly share to make life better for other travelers. Something that gives me more satisfaction than just about anything: A few years ago, a fellow fat friend asked me how I travel since airline policies regarding fat passengers are so financially limiting. I was more than happy to give her the details and help her prep for her first flights in several years. She went to a huge Pókemon event in Chicago, visited her family in Florida … I can’t remember what else. It made her so happy.
“Unfortunately, she died far too soon, within a year of that conversation. After recovering from the shock of losing her, it occurred to me how important those trips were. How happy it made her to once again be able to go where she wanted, do what she wanted, hug who she wanted.”
Laurie Almodovar — Military veteran and improv comedy performer who is channeling her expertise with words and analytics into the startup digital marketing agency HVAC AI & SEO. Here’s how she announced her new business to her family and friends:
“Last month I was laid off. It meant no paycheck, which was scary. But I wasn’t upset. I mean, yeah, a little. But mostly, I was excited … it felt like divine orchestration. I could finally pursue this opportunity without letting anyone down by resigning.
“I saw an opportunity that may never come again in my lifetime. People are beginning to ask AI tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, and Perplexity for recommendations about businesses. How do these tools decide what to show? I have been researching that question for a while. It's still evolving, but I've figured out the current answer.”
Halley Kim — Medical professional and mom of students in my same school district who has decided to run toward danger and enter the writing and editing field. Here’s an introduction to her writing about faith, which is available on her Substack “Maybe God Is a Midwife.”
“As a birth worker I well knew the impact of midwivesʼ power with clients, and in that moment something clicked for me … maybe God is a midwife too. We all wish God could take our pain away, but so often that doesnʼt pan out and we’re left disoriented. But what if the issue isnʼt that God could intervene but doesnʼt, but that She isnʼt traditionally powerful? God the Midwife is honest about reality, making promises she can keep: “It’s going to hurt, and I wonʼt be able to stop it. But I’ll stay with you. You can do this.” A power over God quashes personal agency, but a power-together God develops our own power within. I invite you to reimagine the Divine not as an omnipotent authority figure who can save the day, but as a midwife — someone who shows up, holds space, and offers guidance when needed, but ultimately trusts your innate capacity to bring forth new life.”