r/Journalism•
mjcabooseman

I feel like my job is setting me up to fail

Career Advice

I've been a journalist since 2019 and have been working at an online business publication for just over two.

Until this year, I felt really valued at this company. I get decent pay with great benefits including "unlimited" time off, generous 401k matching, and $20k per year in tuition assistance, which I've used to finance a Master's degree. (I graduate this fall.)

In my annual review, I was told I was a "vital" part of my job, and given some areas for improvement to work towards a promotion.

After that, I feel the conversation has taken a turn from improving toward a promotion to improving in order to keep my job. Additionally, I moved to a new city in April and due to a convoluted company policy re: remote, hybrid and in-person work in relation to commuting laws, location, salary, and hourly pay, they've effectively cut my pay by more than $8k, while asking me to commute further and work harder than ever to earn it back. The result has been a massive hit to my mental health and morale and after the first panic attack of my life, I decided to take a vacation last month.

After returning, I took on a surprise investor call at the end of an eight hour day, working several hours of overtime that I knew I would not be compensated for. The next morning, I got an earful from my boss for taking too long to complete the story and was told I should have been able to turn around 1000 words of detailed, comprehensive and immaculate copy within two hours, which sent me into an emotional break down. Tears. Sobbing. You know the deal.

Tldr: I do not feel that the expectations my boss is placing on me are reasonable, and I am beginning to feel that if I don't leave first, I will end up being fired or laid off. If I do that however, I will be on the hook for about $30k of my Master's degree, so I am feeling stuck, hopeless and defeated. Any advice?

Posted Jul 3, 2024, 4:29 PM UTC

3113
Loading comments…