I am a reporter with eight years experience. I've won awards, and I have video training under my belt.
I currently work at a 40,000-circulation daily. I have just gotten an offer for a gig at one of the top papers in the country -- but it is a part-time job with no benefits and only slightly more pay.
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I am afraid this kind of chance will only come around once. But I fear I can't make this opportunity work for me financially with what I've been offered.
The daily that I work for offers some level of job security, plus benefits and a 401K, but it's not where I want to finish my career.
The new job would bring me home to family, friends and my boyfriend. But it feels like a step down -- I've been in the biz a while. What do I do?
The traditional thinking seems to be: no benefits, no go. But is it worth it if I get my foot in the door?
Thanks for your time.
Confused and depressed
Call me a traditionalist.
Benefits are important parts of your total compensation.
I, like you, would have a lot of questions: Will I ever get benefits? Why does this position not carry them? Am I permanently locked into some kind of lower tier, always with my foot in the door, but nothing any further?
It sounds as though they like your skills well enough to hire you, but they want to see more before they'll hire you as a full-fledged employee.
Handle this carefully -- with a lot of grace and tact. If you turn them down, do so in a way that makes it comfortable for everyone to have future discussions about a better arrangement. Really, how surprised should they be if you cannot take a job that pays you less and leaves you without benefits?
Coming Tuesday: This journalist has a good and detailed evaluation and wonders whether and when to use it in a search for a new job.
