Where'd the jobs go?

The American media is not so quick to make itself the focus of attention. While most people know that getting a job in, say, the auto industry is a tough decision currently, many do not know that it is even tougher to get a media job. 

And that forecast is not necessarily looking to get any better.

One of my classes this semester was held seminar-style, where students researched issues in journalism and reported them to the class in 2-5 minute bits. (There is, of course, dry irony with students complaining about how the media does not go in-depth, when in fact, their information bringing last about as long as a TV news piece.)

One topic that was brought up over and over again was jobs. No matter what medium was discussed, job cuts and mass layoffs were brought up. With the economy in a recession for about a year now, media companies have been feeling increasing pressure to do more with less money. Losing the automakers -- who have been a stable source of income for decades -- does not necessarily help. 

We heard from someone in the local media game who is in a position to hire people, and she told us that people have to be willing to take on multiple tasks. You cannot be "just" one thing anymore to be successful. 

We have also heard that the "old timers" who refuse to adapt -- and who come with a pricier salary -- are being replaced by younger folks like myself who know more technologies and skill sets and can do two or three people's jobs. How many available jobs out there are a direct result of downsizing? That is a humbling thought. 

Jobs for most fields go through rough phases. Media for years used to be considered more stable. After all, everyone "needs" news and they need people to produce the news, right? Well, the industry is finding out just how many people it really needs. 

By the time I graduate, will the job market have changed? Sure. Probably. Will it be better? That's unclear. I hope that I can continue to gain skills and sharpen existing sets to land that elusive job, whatever it may be, wherever I can find it.