Keeping Positive

Don't know about you, but one way I deal with a stressful situation is pretend I'm MacGyver and try to build some gadget that helps get us out of a jam.

I can't find my duct tape at the moment, so this time around, it's a journo-jobs resource blog for current Sun journalists, specifically those who fear layoffs or are anxious about life after a buyout. This blog is called Baltimore Journalism Job Hunt (at baltimorejournalismjobs.blogspot.com.)

We can keep it as a space where everyone can come peruse useful information that will help you live your life beyond The Sun. While discussion about the buyout/layoff/Guild updates can stay more focused here on this blog.

It is a private blog, which means that myself and other admins (currently Dan Thanh, though I'm seeking a few more volunteers) can invite you to it only, and you can freely post comments. I am weary of making this a publicly accessible blog... for now. Though I expect to go public with it some time in the not-so-distant future. :-)

This is what you'll find on the blog, and I hope you all can help contribute links and content:

1) Links to local multimedia training programs.
2) Growing number of job RSS feeds.
3) Local lawyers you can call in a jam if you feel Trib is seriously not doing right by you.
4) Relevant articles and video pertaining to our job needs.
5) A poll on whether you will take the buyout.

More on this poll: As the clock ticks down, most of us will want to know -- well before management does -- how many people will opt for the buyout. If people vote seriously in the next two weeks, we'll have a preliminary gauge of the buyout-to-layoff ratio that could hit the newsroom. A few days early warning can make a difference for some people.

So, it's important to me and others, I think, that when you're ready to cast your vote, you do so. Don't worry -- it's an anonymous vote.

Random idea for Baltimore Journalism Job Hunt:

1) Offer this blog as a closed network for potential employers to advertise their journalism/multimedia/communications/graphic design job openings directly to us. Use our deep talent pool to our advantage. Let the employer come to us. (In the spirit of Lee Abrams... WE, Sun JOURNALISTS, are going to be the new ROCK & ROLL) I have to believe there are many large and small companies across this state that are always looking for media/communications professionals, and they will notice the opportunity to snap up former Sun talent. Why not make it easy for them to find us? :-)