I Told You I Would Post Again About...

Location, of course!

Here's a picture of where I'm moving to this week--Tucson, Arizona:

As I promised in my former post, I would go into my experience with this. This post will be slightly more personal and less practical than my posts usually are. However, I hope there might be some value in it for you.

First off, domestic travel has always been close to my heart. I’ve liked my trips internationally but have always felt that there is so much to see and do on my home turf. So much variety in terms of culture and atmosphere in America.

My parents always pushed travel as a value, so we would grow up seeing how different people lived and exposing us to diversity. So I spent my pre-college life taking frequent vacations all over the country. We also lived in New Jersey, Colorado and Florida, so I had a taste of each region. But beyond this, it also helped me understand what I wanted in an area, and what I didn’t.

In selecting colleges, I flew all over the United States, scouting my heart out. Much like my job search actually. I wanted a small school, where personal attention thrived and my professors actually recognized the byline on my articles. In the final stretch, I had it narrowed down between Emerson, Wingate and Flagler--all intimately-sized colleges with strong academic programs. Ultimately, I chose Flagler, and I think the campus visit is what clinched my decision. It was my home for five and half years.

My point is that when I was 18, I cared more about the college (or newsroom) than I did about the location. It hadn’t struck me that a city could have an impact on the college itself. By the time I graduated from college as a 23-year-old, I understood this.

So although I’m small college person, I’m by no means a small town person. I had lived in Florida for over a decade, and needed a change. To put it tactfully, I’m not--and never will be--compatible with the South., for so many reasons.

So although I received plenty of job queries and more than a few job offers from Florida newspapers, I didn’t pursue a position with them.

Let me say also that the job search becomes enormously more difficult when you’re pursuing an out-of-state position. Not only do most employers automatically trash out-of-state applications, but newspapers want you to be well-versed in the area. This is partially because that’s the community you’ll be reporting on, but it’s also because of traditional-thinking xenophobia.

If you choose this out-of-state route, my advice would be to stress your ability to embrace an area and learn it quickly. Maybe even throw in that having you would be beneficial, because you’d be reporting with fresh, objective eyes. Put emphasis on your willingness to relocate, and that it‘s THEIR newspaper that brought you there.

Hold Onto Your Convictions

Whether location is important to you or not, whether you want to stay in state or leave, whether you like big cities or small towns--remember, it’s YOUR job search. Your goals and flexibility level may change along the way, which is fine. But don’t get conned into making decisions that aren’t your own. How you customize your criteria is completely up to you.

Arizona, here I come!

Another shot of Tucson