Kate Sheppard's talk

I can't stop thinking about what Kate Sheppard said in our class on Tuesday. She talked about a lot of different aspects of her career but I am not stuck on one thing in particular. It just keeps reminding me of what I am told in the Journalism department and what this degree means when I graduate.

Sheppard had to create her own career when she finished college and is still doing so years later. She writes for many different media outlets but specifies on environmental politics. Looking at her resume and what she is doing now, it sounds like she has been writing for decades and found her niche where she can pick and choose what sources she writes for. However, she only graduated in 2006 and this is her trying to find a niche.

I always imagined leaving Ithaca, finding a job at one news source and working there for a few years and then being able to go wherever I want with journalism. I knew I would not have a set job and have to move around but I don't think I realized how unstable this career path is. Out of college, I am going to be writing all over the place and like Cohen and Vadim keep reminding me, creating a name for myself in the media via the web.

Sheppard reiterated the basic tips we have been told all semester; find a specialty, don't expect to have a steady job, and send out pitches. Although I have heard this for a while, seeing someone really going through it hit home. Now I am even more nervous about what my journalism degree holds for me in the future but I think it is a good nervous.