Significant Career Lesson From A Journalist At ABC 10News

I would say, to not let other people's opinions weigh you down too much. With this specific job, you are broadcasted to a lot of people, and every single one of them will have an opinion on you.

Especially in your own newsroom, people will have an opinion on you because they see you, particularly when you're just starting out. They see the types of stories you pitch, the way you write, and the way you edit. There will always be people who don't agree with the way you're doing things.

Viewers will also have opinions on what you wear, how you do your hair, how you talk, and how you look. Opinions are coming from all over, from strangers and from your colleagues.

Since you are broadcasted to so many people, it's easy to get caught up in what they think of you. I still struggle with this every day, especially being new at my job. I think, "This producer must think I'm awful," or "This editor must think I do a bad job," or "My manager thinks my pitches are terrible."

That's not even compared to what thousands of people who watch you every day think. I don't know how I do it, but as soon as I start thinking that way, I tell myself, "It's your life and it's not their life, and they don't know you." They're just someone who watches you from afar, and it's easy to form an opinion.

So, I just have to not listen to it. You have to tune it out. You'll never get any work done or improve if you don't focus on yourself. You can consider opinions and work on them, but often they come from someone who has never done your specific job and doesn't know how it works.

Again, you just have to really focus on yourself and develop thicker skin. Realize that people will be critical of everything you do, especially in life in general. So, take some of the criticism, but let a lot of it go.