Avoiding potential conflicts of interest

I'm not sure how industry-specific my concern is, but I thought it might be common enough that I could get some input.

I'm at a point right now where I'm not that sure which direction my career might end up going. I'm just finishing college, and haven't had a chance to work in the industries I'm interested in much. There are a few areas that I think I would really like to get into.

One of them is entertainment writing. I've always really loved the idea of being a TV and movie reviewer, or working for an entertainment magazine. That said, I'm not really counting on making a living as a professional reviewer.

However, I'm also interested in trying to work in the television industry directly, possibly in publicity or marketing.

I'm worried that these two interests could eventually create a conflict of interest. I want to keep working on my entertainment writing, but I hesitate to attach any of it to my real name because I'm not sure how it would make me look if I ever applied for a job with a company connected to the stuff I write about. I mean, say I applied for a job with NBC someday, and I'd written a critical (but civil and professional) review of one of their shows a while back, or had written an article that was critical of their business choices. Would this be likely to be a problem?

Like I said, I'm not sure if this is too industry-specific to get much input. But I can see how it could apply to other fields, too. I mean, if you're a professional author, do you worry about writing anything about the publishing industry or agents that might annoy people? And it seems like many non-fiction writers have some professional experience with the things they write about.

So, do you understand what my concern is? And how do you handle it? Do you just have to make a decision about whether you want to work in the industry or write, or can you potentially mix the two?

University.

And yeah, using a pen name is definitely an option. I guess I worry that it'll make it harder for me to actually use any blogging experience to my advantage, career-wise. I mean, so many of the jobs I'm interested in want you to have an established social media presence or blogging experience. Can you say that you write under a pen name on your resume?

English. I'm mainly looking for communications and editing-related jobs.

I like the idea of making a name for myself and being able to use the work I do on my own time to help build experience. But I guess I worry/worried that it wouldn't be helpful if it wasn't anything that potential employers could find by googling me.

No, I don't have any industry experience, and haven't written for the web since I was 16/17, which is partly why I'm trying to start blogging more.

That said, I have no real intention of being a professional reviewer or making a career as a writer. Reviewing is just a fun thing on the side for me, so I'm not too worried about the job prospects. However, I would be interested in working for an entertainment publication in another capacity, which is partly why I'm trying to build experience that shows understanding of the industry.

Also, I would like to be able to use my blog as an example of my blogging and web writing experience, since it's relevant for a lot of the types of jobs I'm interested in. And since I'm also interested in editing and copywriting jobs, anything that helps me practice my writing feels like a plus.

But I'm not thinking about right now. I'm thinking about how the decisions I make right now could affect me ten or fifteen years from now. I'm honestly not sure if having a having a negative of review under my name could become a faux pas if I actually get a chance to work in the entertainment industry (which I would love).

That is a good idea, and something that's been on my mind for a while. That said, the same concern about future employability in the entertainment industry is still there, which is partly why I've avoided seeking out reviewing gigs.

I understand that, but again, that isn't my question or concern here. I'm not asking about how to go about building a career--I already have plans about how to try to pay the bills post-graduation, and while career advice is always helpful (these are very new goals for me, which is why I haven't been able to build much experience yet), it's not why I started this thread.

And again, I'm not sure if a career in journalism would be for me, which is partly why I'm cautious. I love writing, and I love the entertainment industry, so doing some entertainment writing on my own time has been rewarding. But I also love the idea of working in the entertainment industry someday, and don't want to close that door. I'm not really concerned about what a newspaper or magazine will think of my reviews--I'm concerned about what a television network or a production company might think if I'm applying for a job and they stumble upon my writing history.

All I want to know is if it would be wiser to use a pen name, or write anonymously, even if might limit my ability to use my blog as a networking tool in the short-term.

milkweed said:

Are you also majoring in marketing? If not then why not, it would seem to be a great combination with your interests.

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If I could do it all over again, or decide to go back to school eventually, I'd definitely consider it! As it is, it took me a while to figure out where my interests and skills lie, and only after spending a couple years studying in a totally unrelated field that ended up doing a number on me. I had to make some quick decisions, and taking on a second major didn't really seem feasible (and didn't really occur to me until I was far too close to graduation).