Community papers: where most journalists get their start.(GENERATION J)

Once I graduated from J-school, I knew I was ready to move to Southern California and work at the L.A. Times.

Sure enough, I landed my first job, and it's working for the L.A. Times--in the Community News Division. I'm the news assistant at the Daily Pilot, a 30,000-circulation Times insert in the cities of Costa Mesa and Newport Beach.

Many people graduate with a similar mindset. It turns out I wasn't even close to being ready for life at a major metropolitan daily. I've since learned that experience at a smaller paper will help you fine tune your writing and reporting skills, as well as provide you with the chance to discover what it is that excites you about this profession. …