You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
I don't have anything like the right skill set, so I acknowledge I'm speaking from a position if ignorance BUT......
Isn't someone with writing skills, technical knowledge, bike mechanic skills, and web / video editing skills going to be worth more than £19-25k? Or is working at STW a vocation? Or the opportunity to get paid for riding shiny new bikes worth more than shear moolah?
I'm not knocking the job or the opportunity - just interested in other perspectives. Is journalism poorly paid in general?
Journalism in Niche areas is not particularly well paid. People do it because they love the area, and for a publication like STW possibly because they love the magazine and it’s culture.
Bike mechanics are also not particularly well paid and I could certainly see there will be some with a real fascination for the tech and a desire to play with new cool stuff rather than spend their days replacing gear cables on BSOs. There are of course plenty of people who are mechanically competent who do non mechanical, poorly paid jobs.
basic web skills aren’t going to attract a premium price anymore and I assume they are looking for someone with the video skills of a “go pro kiddie” rather than Hollywood cinematography!
Sounds like it should appeal to loads of early 20s digital native/millenial bike “dudes”. The test will be if they can write quality copy.
ultimately the market will decide if STW is able to fill a role for that money and the other benefits of the role make up for any shortfall in cash, for example whilst there will clearly be strict deadlines it doesn’t sound like it would be a particularly target driven environment<span style="text-decoration: underline;">.</span> I suspect they’ll have a reasonable flow of applicants.
Not great, but not surprising, not everyone earns IT contractor money !
To be fair, you probably get about £5k worth of free bike gear just working at STW....
They paid similar salary for Web developer job....look what happened 🙂
Sounds like it should appeal to loads of early 20s digital native/millenial bike “dudes”.
Or 50+ folk looking to earn a wee bit of cash after having already been through a different career path.
It's in the cycle trade, therefore the pays not going to be great. It's the type of job you take because you enjoy it, not because your going to retire early to the south of France.
Around the same a newly qualified Paramedic for writing for a small media company, doesn’t seem too bad to me.
If I could work from home in Cornwall, with the occasional trip up north to 'base', I'd be very tempted
25k to ride bikes and write about them sounds like a great gig to me.
<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">Far better than selling your soul to work in an office doing something you have no interest in.. If if you get paid double that</span>
No need for formal qualifications and a chance to get on the ladder? Sounds good to me.
Guy i know over here does it. Hasn't bought a bike, or spares, or clothing/helmet/shoes since he started.
The several grand pay cut he took has been more than covered by his reduction in spend on hardware.
Also managed 9 or 10 trips away for product launches, equipment reviews, research and articles and suchlike this year........ Gets paid to enter events as well.
If i was single, 25 years younger, not terrified of cameras (long story) and somewhat more literate (in any language) i'd be all over it.
I'm with Orena, but at the other end of the country, if I could work from the Tweed Valley and occasionally pop down south I'd definitely be trying for it.
25K to up sticks is a bit low IMO, but as I'm not remotely photogenic I'd be no good anyway.
25K to up sticks is a bit low IMO,
you have met the younger generation? Upping sticks? Basically takes a few boxes and a months notice to your landlord.I certainly moved for less when I was younger
Just journalism generally I think .
Friend of mine works for a car magazine, the day job is all sports cars, super cars and hyper cars with alpine trips and s****y product launches, but home time is far more down to earth and more 00's hot hatch.
You all have a reasonable handle on the work vs experience vs benefits of the position I reckon. 🙂
Bike (or any 'hobby') journalism isn't paid that well - and the starting salary is still a chunk more than I was earning as Deputy Editor of Mountain Bike World magazine at Future (admittedly in 1998, but things haven't improved much since then, eh? Actually come to think of it, I only earned £7K in 2003 as the editor of this magazine...) - however as a foot on the ladder, it's a good opportunity for someone who wants to work with bikes for a living. And in terms of who you meet and the fun bits of the job, it's a good way in.
If I hadn't had my low paid job in mountain biking, I wouldn't have travelled to places like New Zealand and Japan for bike launches, or stayed in five star hotels like the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Vail for the MTB Worlds or ridden a whole load of top shelf bikes that the alternate me (the one that did well at college and got a 'proper' job) might still be dreaming of...
Happy to chat further about what's involved if anyone wants to email me, or Hannah, direct.
If I could do it from Home and not have to uproot the kids (again....) I'd send the Mrs' back out to work to make up the shortfall lol.
Great opportunity though!
*curses not dicking around with photoshop/video editing as a yoot...
If i had an Instagram account and/or had ever been a video (well - I did once star in a Japanese educational film for pre-schoolers about counting animals at the zoo, but damned if I can find it...), I'd be polishing my CV right now.
Or 50+ folk looking to earn a wee bit of cash after having already been through a different career path.
Too right. I may only be 49 but I'd be happy to take modest pay for a job I loved.
uselesshippy
It's in the cycle trade, therefore the pays not going to be great. It’s the type of job you take because you enjoy it, not because your going to retire early to the south of France.
Ah yes, this was the default answer given by the owners of CRC every year when they refused to give a 1% pay raise in line with inflation. Then they'd snort coke off the deeds to Sam Hill's soul, before sending out a group email accusing all general staff of being alcoholics, thieves and drug addicts and blame them for the company's poor performance before climbing into their Lamborghinis and Aston Martins and flying off to their holiday homes for a month.
🤔
Technical Writer
That's me out then.
I'm more of a Freestyler.
you have met the younger generation? Upping sticks? Basically takes a few boxes and a months notice to your landlord.I certainly moved for less when I was younger
The advantages of not being able to afford houses or furniture.
The advantages of not being able to afford houses or furniture.
well we need good labour mobility for an efficient economy, so best keep it that way!
That's more money than I've ever earned in a year, I've only been out of work for a couple of months since my first job at 19 & I'm now 41
And in 20 years' time, you could be selling artisinal trousers.
And in 20 years’ time, you could be selling artisinal trousers.
And earning £19-£25k :-/
And in 20 years’ time, you could be selling artisinal trousers... that you can't afford to buy yourself.
The arse has fallen out of the used trouser market.
The chaps market is rising though...
The arse has fallen out of the used trouser market.
I reckon it's still got legs...
The chaps market is rising though…
It's a bear market that could leave your position over exposed.
I thought brant was getting out of trousers. That's a turn-up.
I thought brant was getting out of trousers.
Just looks like it. He's actually short selling but is playing the long game.
Damm it PP I'm out there
perchypantherMember
The arse has fallen out of the used trouser market.
Chapeau 👏
Years ago went for a staff writer job on a motorbike mag and after two interviews made the shortlist. The job meant moving to Peterborough which horrified me but I was all up for it. Then the editor left or was sacked and I heard nothing more... I think I might have got off lightly.
Peterboghorror? Performance Bikes by any chance?
@jimjam, are you seriously comparing writing for a magazine to working in a warehouse?
If you think the job doesn't pay enough, don't ****ing apply. I'm sure someone will happily take this job, and thoroughly enjoy it. I'm pretty sure, no one enjoys working in the CRC warehouse.
So you must have an instagram account?
Sounds like a great job to me. If I was from around the area and was young that would be a great opportunity.
It's also much more than many 18-25 years old earn in their first/2nd jobs
Peterboghorror? Performance Bikes by any chance?
Yep,editor was Simon somebody, I forget. Second interview was at Cadwell Park, to see if I was any good on a bike. I came down from the lakes on my 500 Gamma but by the time I got there it was misfiring so they lent me a Honda Blackbird, which was just out at the time. It was worth it just for that.
I'm sure it's the kind of thing I'd have jumped at in my youth. Fortunately I'm too objectionably fugly to appear on camera, and am disqualified by not having an Instagram account.
19 grand (I'm sure the possibility of 25 is an illusion which will disappear somewhere between the interview and the offer) is alright. I remember the heady days of 7 and a bit grand in 1995 as a junior newspaper reporter. Can't be arsed to work it out but I'm sure that's less in inflationary terms.
So you must have an instagram account?
I thought Snapchat was were it was all at now? Or is it Telegram...
I gave up at Twitter...
I pretty much do that exact job now but for a chain of bike stores, I get paid considerably less that 19- 25k.
At the end of the day you are getting paid for your creativity, it is fun but can be very taxing too especially when you need to come up with new content day after day, or plan content a month in advance. You would not think it, but mentally it is very draining.
So you must have an instagram account?
You'll be expected to keep the office Instagram account full of amazing stuff, so it might be handy to know how it works beforehand. It also lets us spy on, er, see what kind of stuff you're currently up to...
Can’t be arsed to work it out but I’m sure that’s less in inflationary terms.
It’s considerably more.
Can’t be arsed to work it out but I’m sure that’s less in inflationary terms.
It’s considerably more.
7K in 1995 would be around 13-14K now, I make it
I have eaten a steak and ridden a bike in the Surrey hills according to my insta.
Can I still apply?
7K in 1995 would be around 13-14K now, I make it
Yup.
I kind of pity the unfortunate MIllenial who'll find him or herself grappling with the trans-generational language barrier erected between an audience of grumpy, overweight, middle-aged mountain bikers and the 21st Century - to be paid for by the young. It'll be like patiently explaining what a smartphone is to your grandad...
Given its basically a job involving what is a hobby for most people I guess its never going to command a top rate of pay?
I now have an apprentice in my engineering team @ work and I think the company have realised that offering shit pay doesn't exactly attract the best people as he's on 19k 1st year, 21k 2nd year & 25k 3rd year.
I think that's not bad pay, but there is a real shortage of proper multi skilled engineers in the industry, my full time staff are on £38k pa for a 37.5hrs week
I would be happy to take on a job that pays me 3x my current income, but there is no way I am moving to Yorkshire. Plus I just shut down my Instagram account last week too 🙂
I'm so conflicted about this. Really want to apply, and it's exactly the sort of job I'd be after once I've graduated. But I really should finish my degree... Any chance of putting it on hold for 2 years?
Just apply in 2 years if it comes up again!!
I’m so conflicted about this. Really want to apply, and it’s exactly the sort of job I’d be after once I’ve graduated. But I really should finish my degree… Any chance of putting it on hold for 2 years?
university will still be there in two years. i'd apply in your position.
university will still be there in two years. i’d apply in your position.
This. A university degree with no work experience in the field you want to work in won't necessarily lead to a job in a competitive market. I'd get in there!
Ah yes, this was the default answer given by the owners of CRC every year when they refused to give a 1% pay raise in line with inflation
I suspect that CRC's owners were wealthier than STW's.
I now have an apprentice in my engineering team @ work and I think the company have realised that offering shit pay doesn’t exactly attract the best people as he’s on 19k 1st year, 21k 2nd year & 25k 3rd year.
I think that’s not bad pay, but there is a real shortage of proper multi skilled engineers in the industry, my full time staff are on £38k pa for a 37.5hrs week
Got any jobs, mister?
doomanic
Got any jobs, mister?
Yes
Bloody hell that took 4 edits to make sense!!
This. A university degree with no work experience in the field you want to work in won’t necessarily lead to a job in a competitive market. I’d get in there!
+1
Given that all modern degrees do is build up huge debts you can never repay with no guarantee of ever getting a decent degree related job (ok maybe a small exaggeration); I'd apply. What's the worst that can happen, they turn you down and you graduate two years later £50k in debt and unemployed 😉
Given that all modern degrees do is build up huge debts you [s]can never repay[/s] don't have to repay unless you earn over £25k/yr
Corrected that for you 😉 .