Figuring it out

Passion-based careers require a lot of soul-searching. Here's how I sorted through some of that as a newbie science journalist.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve had multiple simultaneous existential crises. But for this newsletter, I want to focus on the one that’s plagued my mind the most in recent months: the crisis of becoming a science journalist.

Our journey begins in September 2022, the month where I started journalism grad school. When I accepted my offer for this program, I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into. I just had a feeling that I needed to make a career switch, and that grad school was a logical step to break into the industry. But what didn’t occur to me was that I would be immediately discouraged in the first semester.

That kickstarted my gradual breakdown, of not only my abilities, but also whether I’ve made a terrible mistake in changing careers (again.) I panicked. I started to look to other journalism-adjacent careers. Maybe I’ll switch back into art and design, I thought. Maybe communications would be a better fit for me.

What I wish someone would have told me that there are many ways to be a journalist. Yes, there are journalists driven by prestige and breaking news, the mode that they teach you in school — but that’s not all. There are journalists out there that are also driven by curiosity, who love science and the stories they present. There are incredible reporters that focus on disadvantaged communities and their realities. There are editors that focus on the best ways to present stories that are engaging to readers. And so forth.

After 18 long months, I think I’ve finally started to grasp where I fall along that spectrum. It was a long process to figure all that out, even just within one discipline, because it’s hard work to gain clarity as you evolve through life. It is, however, work that’s very much worth doing, no matter what career or life path you’re on.

Here are some things that worked for me through this process. Maybe they’ll be helpful for some of you as well:

1. Look back on things you’ve already done. Is there a pattern on what you gravitate towards? What do you wish there was more of? Less of? Life of Riza posted a recent video about this, walking through what she’s learned from vlogging and finding her storytelling style.

2. Talk to other people in your industry. Reach out to colleagues that are 2 years ahead of you; 5 years; 10 years; 20 years. See who you vibe with. This allows you to mix and match life stories in a way that fits your goals and to figure out what’s possible on your current trajectory.

3. Put things to the test! Start a relationship with places that you think align with your criteria or values, even if it’s just a coffee chat, or freelance/temporary work. Reevaluate and adjust as needed.

Of course, these are all easier to implement in an ideal world. Much harder to execute in reality. In fact, I just spent the past several weeks feeling like a terrible writer. But I think that’s just a part of the process.

Gone through something similar or have tips to add? Feel free to share!