A trainee journalist has spoken of his agonising dilemma after being offered two jobs in four days.
Chris Slater had told his girlfriend Lucy he would move in with her if he got a job as a reporter in her home city of Nottingham.
So when he was offered a job at the Nottingham Post, Mancunian Chris prepared to follow the path of true love.
But four days later, came a second offer to be a reporter on his home town newspaper, the Manchester Evening News – his dream job.
As well as being the job he had craved more than any, there was also the draw of his beloved Manchester City FC.
Sadly for the romantics, there was no Mills and Boon ending when Chris’s heart was won by the Manchester Evening News.
“I was a bit anxious about telling Lucy at first because I had told her we’d be living together,” Chris admitted.
“But she was really understanding in the end. She’s not a journalist herself but knows what it means to me and that the MEN was my dream job. We’re just going to maintain our long-distance relationship for now!”
Chris had been interviewed for trainee posts at three regional dailies, shortly after securing his 100 wpm shorthand while studying a Journalism MA at Salford University.
“All three interviews were really tough, but the MEN was definitely the most rigorous process I’ve been through, with an aptitude test, interviews and work trial,” he said.
“As a proud Mancunian, it was the paper I wanted to work for, but I would also have been proud to work for Nottingham. When I got the MEN offer I was buzzing.”
MEN news editor Sarah Lester said: “It was a strong field and Chris was an outstanding candidate. Now he has to prove his potential in the newsroom.”
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Worst.Story. Ever.
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I am facing an agonising choice over what to have for my lunch today. I promised my girlfriend I would have the cold pasta dish she left for me in the fridge overnight, but I REALLY fancy a hot dog. My girlfriend isn’t a journalist, but I hope she understands that I need to follow my heart in the direction of a sausage-shaped snack. If htfp need any more info to stretch my story out on what must be a very slow news day, please feel free to contact me at the email address provided.
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That’s 90 seconds of my life HTFP have just wasted.
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Nonsense, RT, Archie and Dave. Any student struggling to find a job in the current situation ( and anyone trying to help them ) knows how difficult it is. It was a good human piece, a newsman making news.
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I hope he’s as good at reporting as he is blowing his own trumpet!!
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Man gets offered two jobs. Has to choose one. The end. Sarah, if somebody called the MEN newsdesk offering this up as a story would you run it?
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Chris wasn’t blowing his own trumpet – the ‘outstanding candidate’ comments were from the MEN news editor.
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YAWN
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Why is this story on here? This must happen every single week. How about my story? Five years ago my boyfriend and I both had interviews at ‘the biggest regional daily in the UK’. He was offered the job and I wasn’t. I was then offered a job at another paper 100 miles away and accepted. Shortly before I was due to start I got a call from the first paper offering me a job in a district office. I accepted (feeling guilty about the second paper) but followed my heart. Happy ending? We both hated it and within a year had quit the newspaper industry. Can I have a book deal now?
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I wonder how lucky he will feel when he finds himself having to rewrite press releases about Thomas The Tank Engine coming to town?
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LOL
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Wipe them out, all of them! Execute order number 66!
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Or how about my story as a complete contrast to the above? I spent two years looking for my next journalism job and only got offered one at the 11th interview I went for. The countless hours spent filling our forms and countless rejections made me depressed, drink a lot and consider quitting the media industry altogether as I just couldn’t see a way out of my previous job which I once loved but grew to hate with a passion. I’m so grateful now that I managed to stick it as long as I did in my previous post because the new job I took turned out great!
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I remember many years ago when I was trying to make my break in journalism. I applied for lots of jobs and received one offer after doing work experience. The choice was simple and there was no offer of regular sex to consider. A few years later I was offered another job, I accepted it, still no sex, but the pay was better. Seriously HTFP, this is not really a story. So Chris was fortunate in an otherwise hopeless market where editors are running blind, slashing costs at every given opportunity. Sure we wish this lad well, but I was more entertained by Archie’s story – by the way, what did you do?? Hot dog or pasta??
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When did journalists become the news? What a pointless non-story. I despair sometimes at the level of nonsense that makes it as news.
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I was going to offer him a job too!
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Thank you, Jack. It’s a tad early for my lunch, but I am planning to bin the pasta and take the hot dog option.I stared deep into my soul and decided that what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.
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Jon, WE were going to offer Chris a job as well.
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12:37 update: Hotdog eaten.
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Surely any decent hacks would be asking if there’s a pic of Lucy available… she might be keen on a new boyfriend…
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All this story does is depress us who are trying so hared and failing to find a job. Ive just finished my MA like Chris, I have my NCTJ and 100wpm like Chris, but like a normal person I ve had only 2 interviews and no job yet. Being stuck in telesales reading about someone’s ‘agonising dilemma’ over which job to pick just makes me feel an utter failure. Thanks for that
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*hard
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I had a ham sandwich for lunch today
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This is ludicrous and happens on every single journalism course. Am not sure about this bloke’s journalistic talents but he gets an A for self publicity. HTFP plumbs new depths. Shocking.
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as a trainee, will he be earning less than the bus driver that drops him at the office?
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As the long-suffering girlfriend of Archie I would like to say that all my love and effort went into making that cold pasta which means I have none left over for him tonight. Boo you!
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Surely in the interests of balance (and further drivel) we should have a quote from the Nottingham Post editor. “We were gutted that Chris didn’t take up our fantastic offer, but not as gutted as Lucy.” etc, etc… Come on HTFP
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Don’t blame HTFP – this rubbish is from the awful NCTJ!
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Factual correction – the NCTJ was not the source of this story.
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‘Story’ is a slightly grandiose term don’t you think
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@Money Making Racket – even if the “story” did originate from the NCTJ, HTFP is not obliged to run it unless the NCTJ pay them to. Judging by the volume of comments, I suspect this “story” (more like “collection of words”) has been emailed around the hous
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Not only a poor story but used by the NCTJ last week http://www.nctj.com/news/a-dream-career-or-true-love-the-dilemma-for-one-nctj-student.html
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The story is rubbish but the follow-ups made my day. Hilarious. Dave- it should be HAS wasted as HTFP is a singular entity. Common mistake. sorry pal, no job on my rag.
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I work for the Nottingham Post and it’s a real shame Chris won’t be coming to work here. The people of Notts would have probably taken to him with open arms. I would of course love to do a follow up story with the girlfriend about how heartbroken she is. i wonder is it possible to get her contact details HTFP?
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I was offered jobs in Northampton and then Nottingham as a trainee. Nottingham was my “dream job” having studied here. I was dumped my my boyfriend in Birmingham but I later found my dream man in Long Eaton. A Hollywood blockbuster in the making.
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He thinks HE’S got problems? I had to decide this morning whether to wear my brown or my black brogues. I chose black but I have been fretting all day that perhaps I should have gone for the brown. It’s quite ruined my whole Monday. So, sadly, there’s two stories that didn’t end in a Mills and Boon fashion in just one day. Oh, the humanity.
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@Netty – you’re a liar. No woman has ever found their dream man in Long Eaton!!! If you’d ever been there, you wouldn’t be making jokes like that.
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Christopher. Your girlfriend is a fox. The MEN is a rag. You are young. You will learn.
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Fortunately for his girlfriend, the MEN will probably get rid of half their journos again soon and Chris can go to Nottingham and take her to McDonald’s with his dole money.
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When you are hunched over your terminal, crying hot tears of frustration at yet another 300 word yawnathon on drinking exclusion zones for the MEN, you may look back on this decision with regret. Why stay in Manchester? You could be spending evenings strolling the beautiful gunshot-scarred streets of Nottingham arm-in-arm with the lovely Lucy and your days writing about potholes in West Bridgford. Lifestyle choice fail.
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Why’s this story catching so much flak? It seems a good human interest tale to me that readers can relate to. I’m sure most journalists have had conflicts between their career and keeping their partners happy.
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Jon, I know what you are saying but just because something is easy to relate to doesn’t automatically make it a story. I had a boiled egg for breakfast, I bet some some other people did as well. I think this story riled people for a variety of reasons. It’s placement at the top of the htfp news list (equivalent to splashing a nib about electric blanket safety tests); the slight air of arrogance emanating from the Manchester Evening News; the automatic bile inspired by any mention of Manchester City and its overall trivial nature. Good luck to the chap though.
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I would love to be a hack at the MEN with this chump walks through the doors. Slow hand clap, anyone?
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To the MA poster who had put a typo in his answer (fail) and was bellyaching about not being offered a job – if you had any sense you’d be on the phone to the Nottingham Post asking about the spare job. And HTFP – an ‘agonising dilemma’ is deciding whether to have your right or left testicle crushed in a wrench, it’s not deciding whether to take a job.
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RT, if people really are getting riled about such things as the story placement on the HTFP newslist, they seriously need to lighten up a bit.
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I disagree. Journalists visiting a journalism website are entitled to get riled when they see particuarly poor journalism.
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It’s dark in here. I’m scared.
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I think this is a great story. I hope there is a follow up. Day 1 – left to sit on own and work out IT system. Day 2 – sent to court, never been before. Day 3 – submit holiday form.
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I think ‘Old Regional Press Hand’ has well and truly lost it. The HTFP newsletter has a top to bottom list-type structure which immediately makes readers think the one at the top of the list must be, erm, the top!! This story was most certainly not the top one on yesterday’s list….or in fact any other list. RT is spot on with both comments!
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I can’t believe not a single person has come on here and made a Harry Hill joke. I’ve been offered a job in Nottingham….but also one in Manchester….but which is better….there’s only one way to solve this….FIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Who thought it was funny to put a cat in here?
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Well, I can beat you all. I met a lovely girl at my old paper, she moved to PA in London, (I hear the gasps), I was sad, we kept going, she got offered dream promotion back at old paper (screams of joy!), but I wanted to leave and ironically, got a job, in London (cries of “noooooo”). Production companies, email me sharpish.
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What a triumph of a story. I literally wept reading it. I await the Hollywood movie version.
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Sad thing is the number of comments on this story underlines the management theory that any old crap can fill as long as the website attracts hits.
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@Judge Judy. Rather offensive to call me a liar and insult my choice in men and my home town in one fell swoop.
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@Netty. OK then, I’ll apologise for the liar comment but whatever way you dress it up, Long Eaton is a hole!!! Why do you think everyone lives in Derby or Nottingham instead.
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Why has htfp just removed my comment? I was merely, in response to Dan Deadpan, making the point that temporary spikes in web hits from stories like this don’t always equate to a general rise in reader numbers and web hits longer term. Hardly libellous or controversial!
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Your comment was libellous ‘webmaster’ but if I explaned why I would be repeating the libel! I’ll allow this one though.
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Very gracious of you. So are you going to tell us how many hits this story has received? We geeks enjoy such data.
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Lemonhead (20/09/2010 10:07) Man gets offered two jobs. Has to choose one. The end. Sarah, if somebody called the MEN newsdesk offering this up as a story would you run it? Of course they wouldn’t. He isn’t from Bolton.
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MEN have an aptitude test? What do they have to do? Find a Manchester news story in the paper?
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Are you kidding? This story is huge. Journalist gets job.
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