More than 20 resources for navigating change in your media career

[Archona Rani Saha]

Annie Aguiar


Tools to survive layoffs, effectively network, hunt for a job and more

Chances are, you’re on a different path than you thought you’d be when you first entered the media industry.

That’s OK. You’re nowhere near alone, and we can help you with whatever comes next.

Join us for our LinkedIn live event, Career plot twist: Building a toolkit for the unexpected, at 4 p.m. Eastern on Aug. 21 to hear from Leadership Academy for Women in Media director Kate Cox, and alumni Jin Ding, Erika Hobbs and Zainab Shah.

You’ll hear first-hand stories on how to use your network to build career resilience, what to do to bounce back after a sudden shift and how to navigate anything that comes your way.

We’ve compiled this list of Poynter articles and guides to provide more inspiration and practical tools for our readers.

Navigating change

Who can say they know for sure where they’re going to be in a year anymore? The media landscape feels like it’s shifting every minute, and being able to find your place among the changes is key to staying in the game.

Stepping off the management ladder was key to my happiness
What to do when your career path is uncharted territory
When CNN eliminated her job, she was devastated. Now she’s on a new path.
A seasoned music and culture journalist lost his dream job. But this time, he was prepared.

Building connections

Having a strong network is key to building a career that lasts. But it can be daunting, especially if you’re starting from scratch. Here are some resources to get you started on your networking journey.

How students and early career journalists can approach potential mentors with intention and respect
More than two dozen resources journalists can use for mentoring, sourcing, invoicing and more
Creating local communities of women in media

Layoffs

In this news business climate, layoffs seem inevitable if you hang around long enough. The key is to navigate the fine print, process the loss and keep moving.

RIP, our jobs: Here’s one way to grieve journalism layoffs and departures
Why I threw a ‘layoff shower’ for myself
So you got laid off. Now what?
Navigating the fine print of a layoff
She started an aid network for laid-off journalists and it spread like wildfire

Looking for a new job

Sometimes, the best thing you can do for your career is move on from your current workplace. Knowing when to go and how to get to your next stop is a vital skill in managing your career.

Why Stacy-Marie Ishmael doesn’t see leaving a job as a failure
How to quit your job on your terms
Know when to go
An editor’s guide to creating an online portfolio
Tackling the challenges of working overseas
Care about the future of journalism? Maybe you should teach it
To move forward in your career, sometimes you need to let go of what got you here in the first place

Self-care on the job

One constant to navigating change in your career is making sure you’re in a stable place to both evaluate your own needs and strengths and continue to protect yourself as an asset.

How LGBTQ+ journalists can survive this moment in American politics
Hearst learned its journalists were struggling. It enlisted a therapist to help.
Essential self-care for journalists covering the death of Tyre Nichols
Nearly three years later, a WDBJ anchor shares how her newsroom survived tragedy

Life after journalism

Sometimes, for a small stretch or for good, people decide that they need to leave the journalism industry. Hear from others who have made similar changes on what it’s meant for them to expand their horizons outside of reporting.

This TV journalist left a 20-year career for the CDC
Tamara Lush left the AP and journalism for fiction. She has no regrets.
After getting laid off from the same newsroom, this couple took an epic pandemic road trip
‘I’m doing the things I never had a chance to do:’ Why leaving journalism and coming back was the right decision
A former journalist’s nonprofit helps survivors of high-profile tragedies
The Cohort: What I learned leaving journalism for politics



Source: Poynter Institute
Original content: https://www.poynter.org/business-work/2023/journalism-career-change-resources/