I need more experience.
Some positions I've seen are asking for significant design/layout experience with specific programs that newspapers use. My actual newspaper layout experience is long ago and far away, and I don't think even the limited web design experience I've given myself will translate, particularly since editors at smaller papers want to see evidence of being able to multitask--write, report, layout, work the desk, etc.
The writing and reporting, I think I have down.
I can visualize layouts, but I don't have the programming skills right now to do anything more with it. When I designed the sports section in college, I used to sketch on paper the layout I'd want and give that to our layout king, who'd translate my scratch into something on PageMaker. He eventually taught me a basic competency because I was too much a perfectionist for him--a benevolent perfectionist, though.
I think I could learn such layout programs given the opportunity, but if I want such positions, I'll have to start looking for a class, or other ways of gaining the experience needed, such as volunteering my time at a small paper in my region, maybe see if I can barter my writing for layout training. When I apply for such positions, they want to see tear sheets of actual layouts.
Otherwise, I have to find sportswriting positions that don't require layout, or will teach on the job. All those positions (with or without layout), as I'm finding, aren't plentiful, and they don't pay well.
To transition into sportswriting, I'm already looking at a paycut no matter what type of position it is. I'd like to think that my writing/reporting abilities that I've already demonstrated will offset some things I lack, but newspapers hire with practicality in mind these days. The staff's are smaller, and they expect them to do more with less. I don't have a problem learning how to do that. I used to love seeing how my pages would come out every two weeks, especially with all I put into them.
I'm starting to think, though, that I'm going to have to create my own path and start something on my own if I want to be a full time sportswriter, but I'll still need a higher skill set.
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