Before I get started I would like to say I thought the piece did what the author set out to do fairly well. Clearly it's meant to knock some sense into foolhardy writing students, which is all well and good. However, there was one thing that bothered me a fair deal. In the 5th point, Salerno claims you should accept that a sizable portion of the work you’ll get is going to be pure and utter garbage. Essentially filler content and throw-away pieces about inane drivel, and you should be okay with that.
Well I’m not, and nor should anybody else.
As a firm believer in “finding a career you love so much that you hardly consider it a job”, I think the notion Salerno purposes is preposterous. While I understand no one starts at the top, hating the work you do and being okay with it is the attitude of a defeatist. I for one know the career I’ll have after college. It entails plenty of hard work and isn’t always fun and games, despite literally beign focused around games. At times being a video game critic can be a thankless career on top of pay that pales in comparison to some of their fellow writers. At at the end of the day though, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I already do it for free simply because I enjoy it. I push myself to write thousands of words a week -on top of work and school- all for zero cents an hour.
So yes, while Salerno brings up plenty of valid points every writing major should consider, but there are some things to be ignored. I know my future career won't be funding any mansions or vactions to exoctic loactions, and it can even be a real pain sometimes. With that in mind, why would I accept having to write something I have no interest in?
Well I’m not, and nor should anybody else.
As a firm believer in “finding a career you love so much that you hardly consider it a job”, I think the notion Salerno purposes is preposterous. While I understand no one starts at the top, hating the work you do and being okay with it is the attitude of a defeatist. I for one know the career I’ll have after college. It entails plenty of hard work and isn’t always fun and games, despite literally beign focused around games. At times being a video game critic can be a thankless career on top of pay that pales in comparison to some of their fellow writers. At at the end of the day though, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I already do it for free simply because I enjoy it. I push myself to write thousands of words a week -on top of work and school- all for zero cents an hour.
So yes, while Salerno brings up plenty of valid points every writing major should consider, but there are some things to be ignored. I know my future career won't be funding any mansions or vactions to exoctic loactions, and it can even be a real pain sometimes. With that in mind, why would I accept having to write something I have no interest in?
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