We recently connected with David Serchuk and have shared our conversation below.
Hi David, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
I have worked in related creative fields in my life. Though I am a high school teacher for my day job I also am a musician and storyteller. And prior to becoming a teacher I was a journalist and writer for over 20 years.
I will focus on the writing part of it, because that is where I spent the most time.
Writing is an accumulative process, you learn it by doing it, every single day. To that end, there is no substitute for getting a job as a writer, no matter how low-paid or unglamorous it may be. I started out writing freelance articles for anyone who would let me, and got my first job as an editor at 24. I am sure I wasn’t all that great at it, but having that kind of heavy responsibility at such a young age was an enormous gift, and I gave it all I had. I made many mistakes, but I also was full of fire about it, and worked as hard as I could to write and edit great stories.
The odds were daunting, or at least seemed so, but I threw myself into it, regardless of the fear of failing. Eventually I was able to support myself as a journalist, and carve out some kind of life doing it. I considered that the victory, even though I knew the odds of finding fame and fortune were small. Getting to do it was the win.
David, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I was a professional journalist for over 20 years, and eventually became a deputy editor at Forbes.com. I got into my industry (journalism) because I loved writing, and was completely passionate about it. The product I produced was quality journalism, with as much integrity as I could muster. My clients were my readers. My job was to tell them the truth and find out the news that they hadn’t heard yet.
I am proud of getting to live in that world and work in it for as long as I did, although in time I moved into another field.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
When I started out as a journalist I had no contacts in the field, no real experience and no obvious way in. I moved from New Jersey to Boulder, Co., as I hoped it would be easier to break in, and get some clips. I worked as a busboy and in kitchens to support myself while I worked to find editors and publishers that would give me a chance. I faced a lot of rejection, and a lot of disinterest until I found people who finally got me, at least a little. In time I was able to build a resume and a clips book.
Then I moved back to the New York City area, where I grew up. The only jobs in journalism that I could find were in business journalism, which I took though I knew close to nothing about business. I struggled to learn this strange new language and world, and almost got let go by my employer, Institutional Investor, before I started to get it, and get bigger and bigger scoops. It was sink or swim and after a period of sinking I, out of desperation, learned to swim.
From there I did freelance work for NPR, and eventually was hired by “Securities Week” which was a newsletter in the McGraw-Hill company. I continued to build my business clips. These clips eventually got me hired at “Forbes” magazine as a reporter, which was like a dream come true, although it too was a lot of very hard work.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
As a person in my 20s I was impatient to have success, or what I imagined success was. I was very hard on myself, and felt, to an extent, like I was owed a living in the field of my choice.
I certainly was not owed anything, as I became painfully aware with time. I had to learn to slow down, listen more, and be less about impressing people and more about shutting my mouth, paying attention and being useful.
I had an internship at NPR that I desperately hoped would become a job. I was eager to impress the hiring managers, and struggled to produce stories and learn all the skills I needed to produce a radio piece. It was the wrong approach. I should’ve been quieter, listened to what other more experienced people had to say, and just learn to be as cheerfully useful as possible. Slow down in one sense, but continue to work hard.
I didn’t get the job, and maybe I wouldn’t have anyway, but I think I burned a bridge or two by seeming a bit full of myself, and a bit impatient.
Contact Info:
- Website: theshondas.com (my band)
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidserchukcreative
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-serchuk-01a4361/
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/daserchuk
- Other: Bandcamp for my band The Shondas: https://theshondas.bandcamp.com/
Image Credits
John Nation