Let me first preface this post by saying, if this refers to you, please take no offense.

It irks me to know end, this whole process of getting into the business. It's not enough to compete with the people that you graduate with for jobs, but there's thousands of schools, thousands of people that are graduating at the same time you are, and will be looking for the 50 or so jobs that might be open at that time. But thennnnnn, that's not enough, you have people who didn't even major in journalism, that either decided early on to go into journalism, despite their degree, or decided after graduating, and this is the topic of today's blog.

Now granted, I have a very good friend that is now a producer in Louisiana that actually majored in economics, but I don't know how she got into that, or why she even got into journalism. But, she's my hero! Anyway, my tiff is with a certain someone that "aced" (this is the word the ND used) me out of a job. Now, this particular job, was in a small market, very small, like the bottom quarter. But, at the time I felt I had no other choice. So I went to the interview, was there for over an hour, met all of the people (okay it was like 3, there was extreeeeme multi-tasking there). He told me about the market, about stuff that didn't even pertain to what my job would be, the salary (and for those of you who may know, but even with any career, salary is not usually discussed unless you're near the end) so I felt very very hopeful. So at the end of the interview, he tells me that he'll be making a decision the end of the week (it was like a Tuesday or Wednesday when I went), but if I didn' thear from him, to call him Monday, just in case the person he did choose didn't accept. Well, needless to say, he didn't call, and I actually didn't call him either. Since then, I've seen the new people on the website, I have no problems, I just feel like there's something better for me out there.

Fast forward to today, and there are 3 positions open, so I called the ND, and after the 3rd call I finally got him on the phone. I remind him of who I was and asked him about the jobs. And he says something to the affect of, "well, the people have signed their contracts yet, but I've pretty much filled 2 of the positions, and the third one, I'm looking at the final candidates." And I say okay. And he says something to the affect of, "but I'll tell you this as a compliment to you (he did say those words exactly) the person that "aced" you out was a medical doctor, on leave from Harvard medical school, and you know, I never get someone in here with those credentials." And I said okay I see. But he looked up the next 2 people whose contracts were going to be up soon (well it's not soon to me, first one is October) and told me to apply again if I'm still looking, then wished me luck.

So....I said all of that to say...WHO GOES FROM STUDYING TO BE A DOCTOR TO BE ON TV IN THE BOTTOM QUARTER MARKET? People, please stick with your especializacion, especially after you've graduated. This business is soooooo extremely tough as it is, competing with fellow journalism majors. We don't wanna have to compete with non-majors too. But I will say, if you're good, you're good, or, if you have potential, then you have potential. But everyone doesn't look thaaaaaaaaat different, and a lot of people have potential. It's hard to get in when you can, when they're looking for what you've got, and you're being beat out by someone that didn't even TAKE THE TIME TO STUDY AND LEARN AND HONE the craft that you're entering. I think a lot of non-majors see the glitz and glamour, but don't see the hard work that leads to the glitz and glamour, until they get there, and then it's too late.