I suspect the above is a question that far too many journalists have had cause to ask themselves in recent months as the recession continues to take a heavy toll on our industry.
Conversations with friends and colleagues in the print and broadcast sectors have tended to follow a depressingly familiar trend, when no sooner has one set of cuts been analysed to the nth degree, then another comes along and the whole sorry process starts again.
Redundancy from Media Wales
That was certainly my experience prior to finishing at Media Wales. In the eight years beforehand I’d witnessed at least seven rounds of redundancy within editorial, allied to periodic recruitment freezes which involved the non-replacement of staff that left of their own accord.
However, all of the above meant I was about as well prepared as it’s possible to be for the moment when your employer decides your services have become surplus to requirements.
As a result I’d plenty of time to consider what I wanted to do in the aftermath of having performed several different roles within the same organisation over more than 21 years.
Others who left at the same time have reported similar experiences, while one consistent factor has been the issue of training – what to do, where to find it, how relevant is it, and, perhaps most importantly, its cost.
Training for journalists in Wales
And that’s where living in Wales in this instance comes into its own, largely thanks to eligibility for Welsh Government-funded ReAct training grants and competitively priced NUJ courses which represent outstanding value for money.
I’ve attended one or two day courses like Maximising the Potential of Social Media and Writing for the Web run by NUJ Training Wales and I also attended some career development workshops they held on developing your skills in interview as well as a one-to-one CV surgery which were invaluable.
I appreciate my circumstances are by no means typical of many who find themselves confronting the often grim realities which accompany redundancy, but if you’re looking for a fresh challenge don’t despair.
Being a member of the NUJ in Wales, in conjunction with your own transferable skills, means you’re in as good a position as any to pursue a new career regardless of whether it’s in an established editorial environment or not.
Read an update from Steve Jones, journalist and sub-editor, as he moves towards a life of work beyond Media Wales.
Photo of Steve speaking about training at a recent Wales Union Learning Fund event.