The Day I Left The Day Job
The day had finally come. All my life I worked in the newspaper industry. As a kid, I delivered a weekly shopper paper, then typed the classified ads and finally became trained as a graphic artist.
I later went to school for art. From there I became an art director at a Catholic weekly paper. It was one of my favorite jobs.
I got to be creative and worked my own hours with a key to the building. I only had to meet a weekly deadline. I used to love going in early mornings and leaving by 3 pm.
At that time, I had applied for a job at the biggest local newspaper and oldest paper in the country for a graphic arts job.
I interviewed and learned later I came in 2nd out of 75 applicants. I was heartbroken that I didn’t get the job and asked why when I called. The art director there told me I needed daily newspaper experience.
The following month a photographer from a daily paper in Pawtucket came to our office at the Catholic newspaper. I remember asking him about jobs there. He told me someone was retiring.
By January 1st of that year, I had a new job. I thought it was graphics, but it was an old composing department. I was quickly bored.
When a sales job opened, I thought why not? They made more money and I could sell what I knew how to make I…
