<p>So, right now I'm in the classic "money vs. happiness" dilemma. My family has always been urging me to work in a field that has good pay. Ideally, I was supposed to become a surgeon or something and play golf with my colleagues. Yet most unfortunately, my favorite subjects have absolutely nothing to do with math or science (and I hate golf...yay tennis). Rather, I love to read and write. Writing especially has ALWAYS been really natural for me.</p>
<p>These past couple of months, print journalism has turned into something that I really want to try out. But writing for daily newspapers isn't really what I have in mind--instead writing for something like the National Geographic would be just awesome (and I know it's going to take a lot of experience and work to write for the NGS). But it falls back to the whole money and salary thing because just yesterday my mom told me (again) to find a high-paying job. And it's not just her, but I'd like to be financially secure as well. My family has always struggled with money, and I told myself I'd never do the same. And in addition to everything else, the National Geographic Society is a non-profit organization...</p>
<p>I'm kinda rambling here because the main reason I'm posting this is because I actually don't really know what the salary of a print journalist is like. I just know that so many people worry about being a "poor, starving writer." So... does anyone have an idea of what the pay is like for a writer for the National Geographic?</p>
<p>(Oh, and I'm sorry if something similar to this has already been posted).</p>
<p>I'm in the same boat as you. Should I become a writer and spend thousands of dollars to study a craft that I may never succede in (screenwriting) or should I just give in and get a "real job"? I don't know yet. But for now, I'm going to go with my gut and go for it. If I want, I can always get a "Real" degree/job later. </p>
<p>I don't know much about NG other than I have a slight suspicion that it might use freelance writers and not staff writers that appear each issue. What this would mean for you is more unstable pay, and probably worse pay. Freelance basically means that you write something first, and then try to sell it with no guarantee that it might be bought. Again, I don't know. Best bet would be to do some research on your own, but from what I remember when I did research a while ago for how much journalist make, I think if you've got a job at a magazine, you'll make about or more than a teacher makes. </p>
<p>I'm worried about life as "poor, starving writer" but there is not much else I'd rather be doing.</p>
<p>NG does have staff writers and photographers, and they also have freelance/contributing writers. And freelancing doesn't have to be unstable if you're a good writer and you really stay on top of things, and don't depend upon NG to be your sole income. And freelance doesn't mean that you write something first and then sell it. You can do that, but most, I believe, pitch ideas to magazines and if their ideas are accepted, they then go and write the article. </p>
<p>Ah...so complicated. Just yesterday I was thinking "Oh, who cares if I don't make a lot of money if I do something that I really like to do???" But right now my family's going through some things, so I promised my mom that when she's old, I'd support her no matter what and give her money whenever she needed it. But...that would be a bit hard with a job that doesn't pay very well. And half of me really wants that lavish lifestyle...an awesome car, a nice (but environmentally-friendly) house, etc. But the other half doesn't give a crap about that. I've always been like that...split-personalities, I guess. (: I have my orientation coming up in a couple weeks, so maybe I'll get some consolation from an advisor.</p>
<p>But thanks for the responses! Lintu, good luck to you also! URichmone2010, thanks for the input and the NG job link! And I totally welcome any other comments.</p>
<p>Oh and NG actually does have staff writers. I emailed them a couple months asking about what kind of qualifications they look for, and she happened to mention about a writing staff. They also offer one or two internships during the summer...just throwing that out there.</p>
<p>I'm pretty much in the same situation as you, although I'm pretty confused about what I want to do too, I'm thinking that I'll double major in something at least related to journalism and something more conventional (so that I can fall back on it if needed). Why not work as a journalist as a side job and depend on some other career that will enable you to support your family better for a living? If you want, you can have this other career in/close to the field of journalism (for instance, do business there... or be a lawyer for a publication company...etc.)</p>
<p>Well, the school I'm going to doesn't have a specific journalism major, but a communication major. So I'll get the chance to look at other fields like public relations, which was something I was interested in as well. But yeah, I'm definitely going to do double major. But my problem there is that there are so many other ones I want to do, like psychology, international studies, human rights, law/societies/justice, and women studies. And just yesterday I was looking at public health and it might be something I'm interested in. I'm really interested in the AIDS epidemic in Africa, poverty, unsafe abortion, obstetric fistulas, young marriage and pregnancy, etc. All of those majors are kinda interelated somehow, so...yeah. I don't know.</p>
<p>This reminds me of the Departed quote "Families are always rising and falling in America." My father is an extremely distinguished doctor. Chief of surgery in OBGYN. Shoes that I don't think I could ever fill, because here's my story:</p>
<p>I'm in the same boat as most of you. I'm a third year biological science major, but I don't want to do research or become a doctor. I really like writing and have been thinking of doing biotech marketing or scientific writing, or maybe even dental school. My parents think that a technical degree is much more valuable (and they are right). </p>
<p>My question to you is, since I can't double major at this point, what classes other than the science ones should I take that will prepare me for a career in biotech marketing or something of that nature? Thanks!</p>
<p>aplusplus, I can tell you that among all the writing fields, technical writing is projected to experience the largest growth over the next few years, so that might ease a few worries (doesn't help English majors like me, though :-). I would suggest courses in marketing or advertising if you can get them.</p>