I regret Helping my daughter get her jab at my Low-Paying Company – ryan

My daughter was back in her childhood Bedroom, a freeshly printed College diploma somewhere in the pile of boxes she brought back from her university. Her time was Divided BetWeen Working Retail to Have Some Money Coming in and Applying for Jobs.

Our Household was all aflutter when the call for an interview in Washington, DC, Popped Up. But after months, the Job Fell Through.

At the time, I was Only Two Years Int My Job as an assistant at a Local newsPaper, easeing onto the caareer ramp after two decades of Raising Children and FreeLance Writing.

I heard about a copy editor position at my company. I Imagined My Daughter Could Work As a Copy Editor while Searching for That Dream Job – That Big Shot Job in A Government Agency, That Publishing Work tok Her York City, that Job in Advertising with Allowed Her to Indulge in Her Love of Travel.

I’d love to say i got my daughter a corner office and a six-figure salary. I didn’t. I JUST HAD A TWO-MINUTE CONVERSATION WHEN I RAN INTO The City Editor on the Stairs at Work. All i did was get her on the editor’s radar and enCourage her to apply. She got Herself the Copy Editor Job.

I’ve Spent a decade wondering if i did the right Thing.

She started her career at my company

It was unclear if my daughter though the copy editor jab was a great step or if she was just tire of working a retail jab with no benefits. But after interview, my daughter acceptted the nonb offfer.

We Began Passing Each Other Every Afternion AS FINIED MY DAY SHIFT, AND SHE BEGAN THE AWKWARD 4 PM TO MIDNIGHT SHIFT REQUIRED OF COPY EDITORS FOR THE MORNING EDITION.

Occossionally, She Waled Mention A Job Opening, but those Occuctions Became LESS Frequent. It ‘s tough to hold down a full-time jab, do some freelance Writing, have some sort of personal life, and search for your dream.

AFTER FIVE YEARS, SHE MAVED ON TO A LARGER NEWSPAPER AND A Bump in Salary. She settled into her new apartment, Built a New Community, and Thrived. She survived Changes Brought on by the Pandemic, the unpredictability of her company changing hands, and a shift to a different position.

I WONDER IF I FORCED HER INTO AN UNSTABLE CAREER

Although my daughter is happy, for years i have been worrying. I WANTED HER TO PIVOT TO A MORE STONBLE INDUSTRY. Those only magnified when my newspaper was sold and i found mySelf non -had i haad hoped would be my final decade in the workplace.

Each day, I slogged through a legethy Job Search. Each Night, I lay in bed balancing offending salaries and benefits packages, Thinking about my sparse retirement savings, wondering about the viability of the Socity Payments. With Many years of Low Salaries in a dying industry, would retirement Ever be a postsibility for me?

I knew my daughter would someday deal with these suame questions, and i woried i had made the work Decision Her that jab All those years ago. I SOMESTEMES WISH SHE COULD HAVE DREAMED Bigger than Working for Low Wages in Local Journalism.

My daughter love what she shaes

SO WHY DOES STAY IN A DYING INDUSTRY? There’s a saying in the newsspoper industry: “They have printer in in ther veins.” That time.

She believes in the importance of community Journalism. She wants to be one of the People Focusi on the Shenanigans of the Local Politicians, the Achievements of the High School Athletes, and the Success of the Local Business.

Although it may not be reflected in their salaries, my daughter and her co-workers’ work is important.

SO, some days, i regret nudging her toward life in the newspaper industry. But on Other Days, I am so proud that I want to show it to the world.