Friday, May 29, 2009

pregnant opportunities

There must be something in the water. I know upwards of 20 friends and relatives who have either had a baby in the past year or who are currently pregnant. Most of those people have or will be leaving a temporary vacancy in the job market. Those are spots that need to be filled.

As you know, a large portion of editing jobs are never advertised. You hear so-and-so is leaving and you ask around to find out who to send your resumé to. Which is why you should keep your ears open not just for people leaving for another magazine, but for people who are expecting children. There will be a stretch of time when someone else needs to fill that person's shoes, and why shouldn't it be you?

Yes, it may be only temporary, but covering parental leave is a good opportunity. You might be lucky to get a permanent job out of it (the person decides not to come back or you're loved so much, you're asked to stay on) – which is rare – but at the very least, you've made some good connections and gathered some worthwhile experience. You might get some freelance work out of it. And because you know when your time will be up, you can plan your job hunt and openly look for a new position while still working.

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