I graduated college at the height of the Great Recession. As a result, I bounced around to different jobs outside of my field before landing my first real journalism job with a hyperlocal news website startup called Patch. I started as a freelance writer and worked my way up to the editor of one of the largest brand websites in the Metro Detroit area. However, I had lots of help in the form of mentors who helped guide me along the way.
I was young — in my first real job in my field. Several of my more experienced coworkers offered advice on everything from crafting interview questions to covering city and school board meetings to reading data and turning it into a story. However, it was my manager who really made the largest impact on my career by offering advice on handling difficult situations and becoming a sounding board for ideas.