Layoffs Happen, But What Are the Best Ways for Journalists to Protect Themselves?
Because we are primarily freelancers, journalists know their profession can be an unpredictable and challenging one, and layoffs are unfortunately a common occurrence. However, there are ways for journalists to “layoff-proof” their careers and build resilience into their professional lives. In a recent interview with Widening the Pipeline fellows, Phoebe Gavin shared her advice on developing the mindset, habits, and strategies that can help make a career more stable in the face of unexpected layoffs.
Gavin compared layoff-proofing to waterproofing, noting that it's not possible to entirely prevent the possibility of being laid off. Instead, it's essential to build resilience into a career path so layoffs are more bearable. This involves increasing control over one's career, such as by maintaining a consistent sense of self-worth and keeping options available. Gavin emphasized that being laid off is not a measure of individual performance but rather an indication of the health of a particular industry: “It has nothing to do with your value, it has nothing to do with how good you were at the job,” she said. “It has to do with capitalism doing capitalism.”
Networking is a crucial component of layoff-proofing a career, even if it can be intimidating. Gavin noted that there are two job markets: the public job market that anyone can apply for, and the "shadow job market" that is driven by reputation and relationships. Networking can provide opportunities to enter the shadow job market, but it's important to remember that others want to get something out of networking too. By being curious about others and putting in effort to build relationships, journalists can increase their chances of success. “You need to be just as curious about them as you want them to be about you,” Gavin said. “You need to put in just as much effort that you want them to put into you.”
Mentorship is also vital for building resilience and navigating career transitions. Gavin shared that she had a successful transition into journalism thanks to years of mentorship, sponsorship, and coaching, following a stint in the military “that goes back to that beginning part where I had a very difficult transition to civilian life.” Finding a mentor who can connect you to the right resources and mindset is key—but also finding a mentor you trust implicitly to give you both the kind of work and match you up with the kind of people you’d like to be matched with.
Finally, building up one's “career infrastructure” can also make a career more layoff-proof. Gavin recommended having an "80% résumé" that can be easily adapted to specific job postings, responding to recruiters in a timely manner, and paying attention to LinkedIn. By adding key terms to their profiles, journalists can make themselves more discoverable to recruiters and potentially receive job opportunities instead of always having to reach out themselves. Preparing a solid elevator pitch and connecting specific interview questions to it can also help recruiters remember key details.
Other possible strategies include building extra sources of income into your regimen—for example, knowing what sites can take on freelancers and give you semi-regular work. That way, should you be laid off, you’ll have more chances to fall back on a bit of income. But in a fast-moving, freelance world where newspapers are closing at an average of two a day, journalists definitely have many steps they need to take to insure their financial and career well-being through an ever-tumultuous storm.
