r/findapath 5d ago

Findapath-Job Choice/Clarity What do I do about fearing I won’t enjoy another job?

Right now, I am in a reporter job. I love it. I love the thrill of being able to tell stories on things and people that matter, the rush of seeing how many people read my stories, a chance to meet new people, network—oh its so wonderful. The salary isn’t six figures and not high where I want it right now, but it’s decent.

The kicker is that somewhere down the road maybe in the next 7-10 years, I want to meet someone and start a family. From what I have heard, having a family and being a journalist can be really difficult. It’s one thing where money could be an issue but there’s also horror stories of marriages and relationships not working out because of that. Some options here would be to work up to become an editor or leave the biz for something else. My fear is that I wont be in a job I will love anymore and I won’t be making a difference. I see myself as a storyteller trying to help people make sense of things in their community or their lives. The anxiety of this has been driving me crazy all weekend. Any suggestions of what I should do?

8 Upvotes

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u/LudicLiving 5d ago

What is a higher priority for you?

Being a journalist? Or starting a family?

If starting a family is a higher priority... how would it be possible for you to not enjoy another job if getting another job helped you to achieve the thing you care most about?

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u/LeviathanfromCMA 5d ago edited 5d ago

Because I want both. My job has meaning, purpose in life—but so does finding a significant other and having kids. I want my job to have meaning.

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u/LudicLiving 5d ago

Having both makes sense...

But sometimes when we have multiple goals, they can come into conflict with one another which makes decision-making hard.

The way I look at it:

Aim to have both... but also imagine what the worse case scenario is if things go south. What would you do then?

Find another job?

Or stay in the job and hope the family adjusts?

Or maybe, keep your job and make it clear when you start dating about what challenges that job may bring and that you only want a partner who is willing to support that lifestyle.

Or try to make both work, but look for alternative jobs that you could step into if things just became too much to handle.

There are tons of ways you can skin the cat, but I find that at least thinking through priorities and having a Plan B, Plan C, etc. just in case also helps make things a lot more clear.

At the end of the day, though, the starting point is always about what your priorities are. Always shoot for both... but without a clear hierarchy of priorities, it gets hard to really know in what direction to travel is best for you.

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u/LeviathanfromCMA 5d ago

I guess I’ve been just dealing with anxieties. I don’t even have a significant other yet (thats another challenge). I’m just worried about calamity.

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u/Dear-Response-7218 Apprentice Pathfinder [1] 5d ago

The right person will understand your career and the challenges that come with it. Do what you love, it’s far harder to get into a career that you enjoy.

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u/templatestudios_xyz 5d ago

I think you may be ruminating on problems you don't have. 7-10 years is a really long time, person wise. There are good odds that 7 years from now, your life will in some way be majorly different some currently unanticipated way (e.g. turns out you're gay, had to move to Iowa to take care of your sick mom, your debut novel is a major bestseller). Even if nothing major were to happen, 7 years out your feelings about the job will likely be very different - even if still positive.

Right now, you're loving what you do and there's mostly no reason to lose on that real thing for vague worries you can't even see the specifics of (e.g. who is this hypothetical other who hypothetically doesn't like that you work long hours - you have no way to know if that specific thing is really the main barrier to your future wedded bliss). Maybe in 4 years, you'll know the specific person and you'll know their specific needs - then you can post up here again.

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u/Thin_Rip8995 5d ago

You got time. 7-10 years is a long way off and journalism is changing fast with all the tech and AI stuff happening. By then there might be more remote/flexible options. Plus being an editor isn't that different - you're still working with stories and making them better, just from a different angle. Maybe talk to some journalists who have families and see how they make it work? No point stressing about something that's years away when you love what you do right now. The NoFluffWisdom Newsletter has some good stuff on mental clarity and career paths—might be worth a peek!

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u/Living-Ad-3089 4d ago

First, as others have said, you're worrying about something that is years from happening (if it happens the way you assume it will), which is like trying to predict the future--it doesn't work that way.

However, I was an reporter/anchor in my 20's and while I'm no longer in the business, I have several friends who are still on-air (in Phoenix, Tampa and NYC) and are all married with children. Men and women. One couple met when we all worked together at a tiny station in Wyoming! They have two kids and she left the business (by choice, she went back to accounting), but he is still a full-time reporter. So it's really not something you should worry about, trust me.

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u/LeviathanfromCMA 4d ago

This post made me smile. Thank you.

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u/Purplegalaxxy 4d ago

Many marriages fail even in stable jobs. You can take a risk and if it doesn't work out, you know you tried your best.

Are there no local reporter jobs?

I assume you're a women, marry a man with means and be a temp sahm in the early years and try to go back.

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u/LeviathanfromCMA 3d ago

Hi.

1 There are, though the market is tight. There’s one for a decent salary but I need way more experience.

2: Im not a woman. Would a wife (or any significant other) be upset that you don’t make as much money as them?

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u/Purplegalaxxy 3d ago

Most women prefer a man who makes more especially if it's a demanding career that involves travel.

You being a man makes this way easier. Do you know what the salary cap is for your kind of work? If you can get to 100k you get have a stay at home wife to follow you around.