What was the job?
My ninth job was an Opinion Columnist position at the Rocky Mountain Collegian. I did not really have a “beat,” per se, but I tended to focus on topics like technology, local politics, and mental health. I was even more crazy about Apple gadgets than I am now, if you’ll believe it, so there are quite a few articles on that subject hidden somewhere in the Collegian’s archives.
How much did it pay?
This was one of the worst-paying jobs I have ever had. I was paid $10 per 500-word article, which was a pretty good incentive to spend no more than an hour writing them.
Were there other incentives to work there?
As a longtime aspiring writer, it was exciting to be paid for my writing no matter the pay. Plus, my piece on living with bipolar disorder was the most popular opinion piece that year by far, according to my editor, which was an encouraging pat on the back. If I helped even one person cope with a mental disorder, then it was surely worth the menial pay.
There was also a lot of flexibility in the job. My editor was another student who let me write about whatever I want, perhaps because the paper needed content more than it needed to stick to a particular subject. The team had a meeting maybe once or twice a month to discuss what topics we wanted to cover, but there was not much pressure to meet specific deadlines or metrics.
Would you recommend this job to others?
I would only recommend this job if you are confident that you want to pursue a writing career and you are currently a CSU student. Writing for the Collegian is a good way to build experience, but it is not a good way to make a living.
If you choose to write for your college’s paper, press your editor and any writing mentors you have for advice on how you can improve. Since you are probably not going to be paid very well, make the most of the opportunity!
This post is part of a series I started on Novum Opus’s social media accounts. Want more like this? Let me know in the comments!
Post number 74.