Hi Te-Erika!
Something major for me is career advice. I have a Master’s degree in journalism but I am not working in journalism hahaha. After I graduated from college, work was hard to find, I had bills to pay, so, I hopped on the first job offer. Currently, I am 31 years old and I work at an online marketing company. I have been here since 2008. I really want to get back into entertainment and lifestyle journalism (blogging, vlogging, producing content), but I think I lost my momentum for it all. Even though my current company is awesome, I am ready to move on to other ventures. I feel safe here. Too safe. What advice would you give someone who feels like it is too late to get back into saddle and grind?
Thanks,
Jaded Journalist
Hi Jaded,
I understand where you’re coming from. The allure of a steady paycheck versus going after your dreams seems like a no brainer. Eating is a good thing and so is living on your own. Everyone who has ever set out on their own path has had to cut back on being comfortable and basically it’s a crap shoot whether or not you’ll even end up where you want to be.
You’re 31, so I know you are beginning to feel old and phased out because you haven’t started working on your own dreams yet. The good news is, you’ve been at a marketing company for many years and you’ve learned the ins and outs of what goes on behind the scenes. With that type of knowledge you are one step ahead of those who are just starting out.
Don’t consider yourself to be behind, you’re not. You are still in your training ground. Everything you have been doing thus far will align to help you achieve your goals. You didn’t make the wrong decision at all.
I have been a blogger for 10 years and I have been a Youtuber for 6 years. I JUST started supporting myself through my writing completely. It will happen, it takes patience and diligence. In order to jump into the internet world and try to make money, you have to do the following 3 things.
1. Find other people who are doing what you want to do and study their techniques, habits and content. Reach out to them on social networks and be sure to start a Google Plus page so that you can build your audience.
2. Start your blog today. Don’t worry about followers or clicks or likes. Those will come in time. Most bloggers work for more than a year before anyone even realizes they are there. Create the kind of content that you would want to read.
3. After you have your blog started and it has at least 10 posts with the kind of content that you want to write, reach out to other bloggers and websites that cater to your type of content and ask them if you can offer a submission. Many of these websites PAY so you’ll make extra money for your stories.
Don’t quit your job. You are already “in the biz”. Stay there, come up with a plan where you can do what you REALLY want to do within your company while you work on your blog in the evenings. One blog post per week is fine when you’re just starting out.
Is there a department at your company that you wish you could work in? If not, talk to your boss in a casual manner and ask to create it. I was at a job that I was a little less than enthused by and I spoke with my boss and she asked me to create what I wanted to do and she allowed me to do it because she loved my work ethic.
I can continue to give you advice but I won’t because that is enough for now. The real question here is- Do you really want it? If you do, you’ll get started. If you don’t and it’s just a silly dream, you’ll make an excuse. There is no set guide, everyone is figuring out life along the way. You’ll get it if you don’t give up.
Let me know what you decide. If you start today by this time next year, you’ll be on your way. It’s up to you.
All My Best Wishes,
Te-Erika
Love this!